AT LAST VACATION!!!

Lago di Predil

It has been a month since I started to plan seriously a three weeks trip to the Dolomites in Italy, and so the time to depart came. I literally could not stay at home for few more days till I pack my language. Well, the reality usually is different than the plans…  And in the day that I had to leave my throat started to hurt, I started to snivel… Well this is bad luck. I had nothing to do but stay at home and start drinking tea, and after a week, with almost unclogged nose and a thermometer in the rucksack, just in case, I departed.

I was familiar with the path because two years ago with my girlfriend we made a trip around Austria (unfortunately she had projects and deadlines so this time I was alone. And the beginning of October usually is not very good time for hiking in the northern mountains). Definitely September is good month for traveling. Most people are already back to work, borders took 10-15 minutes to cross, huts are half empty.

As a rule a trip starts with first cock-crow … around 10. No matter how early I get up usually the plans are ruined, and so this time instead of 7 I left at 9:30. Hurriedly I entered Serbia and after I reached Nish continued on the highway. The plan was to sleep near Pecs in Hungary, and on the next day to continue to Lago di Predil, a lake which was close to the trail for my first hike.

Little after I passed through Pecs, I found a perfect place near the road, a ploughed field with wide soil road. I stopped the car, had a dinner and muffled in the sleeping bag. In the morning I woke up a little before the sunrise.

I made few photos and headed for Austria.

After few wrong turns and few one line village roads around noon I was in Austria. Then I took the highway passing by Graz towards Villach and Italy

In Tarvisio I made my first photo of the Italian Alps

So around two hours before sunset I was at the lake. The weather was gloomy and looked like it was about to rain. I parked my car near canons from First World War and took a walk around to find some interesting spots. A lot of places around Dolomites have remains from the First World War left from battles that took place in the beginning of the previous century. I can’t even imagine what is like to fight at 2000 meters altitude in winter.
I just got to the lake, which was around 200 meters from where I parked the car and it started to rain. Well looked like it was time for dinner. After 15 minutes it stopped and even the sun shone through the clouds. I took a look around and I sow an incredible rainbow over the opposite slopes.

I grabbed the photo camera, took the tripod from the boot and though it was still raining I ran to shoot the rainbow.

After a while it almost disappeared, and I walked around enjoying the wonderful scenery.

Bit by bit the sun was setting and the clouds and the peaks coloured in red.

The last sun rays were shining on Cime del Lago.

With the setting sun, over the forests on the slopes, mists appeared.

From time to time I was just standing and watching the amazing picture created by Nature.

The heart slows down its beating, you almost touch the water with your leg, silence envelopes you tightly, the wind do not move a single stalk, it is like the time stops and the last ray of light touching the peak will imprint the picture and the feeling in you. I can hardly describe the feeling, but sometimes one almost can feel the beating heart of nature. On one side cruel, on the other merciful and incredibly beautiful.

The sun set and step by step the colours disappeared and sandman came to me. I went back to the car put the seat down, muffled in the sleeping bag and did not open my eyes till the morning.

Interesting that in the car I slept better than in some of the huts where I slept on a bed.

In the morning the clouds have disappeared and the morning mists enveloped the forests and did not want to let the cold leave.

This was not a hindrance for a fisherman to try his luck at dawn.

After taking few photos I went back to the car and after another 10-15 minutes I already was at the starting point of my first climb in the Italian Alps…