August 6, 2010
Today we drove from Trieste, past Venice and Verona, then straight north to Bolzano. The landscape changed almost immediately as we entered a mountain pass through the Dolomite region. This area is stunningly beautiful--tiny villages nestled into the mountains, green velvet meadows, tidy terraced vineyards--and we began to see the Tyrol influence in Bavarian style houses with geranium flower boxes.
We had a heck of a time trying to find our hotel. The GPS doesn't always recognize that some streets are one-way and that others are pedestrian-only . . . and there are a lot of both in Bolzano! We were totally frustrated trying to find a place to park, and finally left the car in a handicapped zone outside a church. We found our hotel on foot, followed the hotelier's directions for where to park, and settled in. This is yet another great hotel. We have a big room, complete with a sitting area, a huge bathroom, and we are one of two rooms on the top floor. We're calling it the penthouse.
We had a fascinating afternoon in the Ice Man Archaeological Museum. It is the home of Otzi, a 5000 year old man whose frozen and preserved body was found in a nearby mountain area by hikers in 1991. Even his clothes were well preserved. Scientists have been able to determine his age, his health conditions (he had arthritis), his recent injury (he had been shot with an arrowhead), and even his last meal (by examining the contents of his stomach). The museum had fabulous displays of local Copper, Bronze, Iron Age, and Roman artifacts.
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