Travel
Bolzano, Italy – Meeting the Iceman
6-7 November 2023
Trento to Bolzano is a direct, 50-minute train passage through spectacular scenery. This is the gateway to the Dolomites, the Tyrol. Tall escarpments and snow-capped peaks tower overhead while vineyards cover the valleys. Grape leaves are beginning to yellow, valley trees are in full yellow and red fall colors.
Puffs of white cloud drift over the peaks with their dusting of snow. Nothing serious as yet; ski season is not quite ready. It feels warm for this time in November, and probably is. A fast moving river tumbles and plunges down the valley. As I climb further into the Italian Alps, I become more enthralled with its pristine beauty.
Arriving at the Bolzano train station, I feel like I’m in Austria, though I’m not. Immediately, I see my first Tyrolean hat, named thus as the Tyrol is where it was first produced. It seems to lack the traditional rooster feather. I hear more German than Italian. Signage is in both languages.
My Hotel Regina is just a few steps from the station. I toss my bags in my room and head out to meet “the Man.”
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