France: Chamonix, Chemin de fer du Montenvers

Chemin de fer du Montenvers or the Montenvers Railway near Hotel de Montenvers

Téléphériques are not the only way up into Chamonix’s famous mountains.  Another mode of transport is the Chemin de fer du Montenvers or the Montenvers Railway.  This

France: Chamonix and Aiguille du Midi

The téléphérique heads to Aiguille du Midi

We were 8,000 feet below the surface of the Earth when our Kangoo returned to France for the last time. The border crossing was deep in the Mont Blanc

Switzerland to France: Tasch to Chamonix

Our turbo tour of Switzerland’s Alps ended too soon. From Tasch near Zermatt we’d head to Chamonix France. On the way out of Switzerland,

Italy to Switzerland: Bormio to Bellinzona

When our summer trip was being dreamt up the vague notion of traveling the spine of Alps developed.  But what would that mean in

Italy and Switzerland: To Val Müstair and Bormio

Inside the Benedictine Convent at Müstair (HDR)

On our summer European road trip, the Kangoo would next come to rest in Bormio, Italy.  Bormio sits at the base of Passo dello Stelvio a legendary road cycling climb.  We had a date in the coming days with this suffer fest of a bike climb.

Italy: Cortina d’Ampezzo and Via Ferrata Marino Bianchi

Above Rifugio Lorenzi with our guide Nadia

Examining Cortina d’Ampezzo’s trail map we noticed something curious.  Some of the alpine trails were labeled with a line of pluses,

Italy: Cortina, Route 14 “Mietres Freeride” and Route 6

Becky hits the trails outside of Cortina d'Ampezzp




Somewhere amongst all the biking gear jammed in the back of our Kangoo was a set of knobby mountain bike tires.  When we planned the trip, we

Italy: Cortina d’Ampezzo

We went that way: Snow in the Dolomites points towards our next adventures

Cortina d’Ampezzo sits in the midst of the Dolomites in the Italian Alps.  It is a well-known resort town made famous, in part, as the host city for

Italy: Siena take two

A twisted sky in Siena

Somehow it seems that this is the way that this picture should be.

Italy: Bassano del Grappa

Ponte degli Alpini in Bassano del Grappa

Google Maps says that Padua is only a couple hours by car from Cortina-d’Ampezzo, the next destination on our summer’s road journey.  There