Wink is going to have a wonderfully busy Summer this year

[Wink]

There are slight differences (accent and vocabulary) between German and Austrian German, like British English and American English.
The northern part of Italy speaks mostly Italian: German is spoken only in Trentino Alto Adige's Dolomites, while Italian is spoken in Veneto's Dolomites...don't worry too much about language: Italian hosts speak basic English, though Italian people appreciate very very much the effort tourists do in speaking Italian language.
I'm Italian, born and raised in Veneto which is a heterogeneous region that goes from Venice, vineyard hills, ancient Rome buildings and ruins, Palladio's villas and part of Dolomites.
(I'm currently living in a village near Vicenza, a city which is known for both Palladio's villas and international jewellery exibitions).
You'll be surprised by the huge differences between Tuscany and Dolomites: different Italian accent, different cuisine and different architectural style!
I'm sure you'll be fine: Dolomites fresh air, sunrises and sunsets recharge body and soul!!!

Thank you for your informative and interesting reply. For my fall trip, I actually fly into and out of the airport near Venice.

As for languages. I have found in my travels, speaking at least enough to say hello, ask for a table, order a beer and ask where is the bathroom, opens a lot of doors. I became serious about learning my first second language when I arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil in 1969 as a young Marine stationed at the American Embassy as a security guard. The women I was seeing on the streets were incredibly beautiful and I wanted desperately to speak with them. I had no choice but to start learning Portuguese. The more I learned, the more I came to enjoy the culture, the people, young and old, male and female and the more I enjoyed my life there. Ironically, once I was enjoying the whole spectrum of life there, my future wife was stationed at the Embassy, and six months later I asked her to see a movie and within two weeks, asked her to marry me. It took me another month to convince her I really wanted to marry her, and fortunately, she wanted to marry me too.

I speak a little of several languages, but am not college level fluent in any save English.

I live near the mountains in Idaho and am well aware of how the vistas of the mountains when you are in them can steal away your breath while simultaneously recharging body and soul.

Piacere e grazie.

 

[Wink]

Going wild camping sounds idyllic, however, it is not for me.

Lest I leave you with the wrong impression, I am not hiking into the mountains and sleeping with the deer, elk and bears. I am camping in my truck, with my portable hammock, which can be tied between two trees or to its metallic collapsable frame.

It is a deluxe hammock, to be sure, with a tent built around it. I can close the mesh, or the tent itself, depending on whether I want to keep the bugs out or keep warm on a crisp evening.

Here is an image from their posting on Kickstarter,



P. S. His beard is much darker than my white one, and he is way more handsome than I am...

 

[dk168]

Lest I leave you with the wrong impression, I am not hiking into the mountains and sleeping with the deer, elk and bears. I am camping in my truck, with my portable hammock, which can be tied between two trees or to its metallic collapsable frame.

It is a deluxe hammock, to be sure, with a tent built around it. I can close the mesh, or the tent itself, depending on whether I want to keep the bugs out or keep warm on a crisp evening.

Here is an image from their posting on Kickstarter,



P. S. His beard is much darker than my white one, and he is way more handsome than I am...

Got you - a very posh hammock and not just a tarp on strings!

DK

 

[Wink]

Got you - a very posh hammock and not just a tarp on strings!

Yes indeed! I got the two person version, not because I anticipate ever sleeping with another person, but because I am heavy set, and I think it will be more comfortable for me. I wanted to go to Stanley last fall for some fall photography. Rooms that are not as nice as the ones I used to stay in at Motel Six were more than $150 per night, worse than that, THEY WERE ALL FULL!

I could not get a room at any price, and I will no longer sleep on the ground. Hey, at 77 I am entitled to enjoy my bed!

Now I can go where I want, sleep in any campground comfortably, and drive to the next one when I am ready to do so. Actually, I could pull off the road anywhere, but I think that may not be always the wisest of courses.

 

[dk168]

@Wink Motel Six at 150 USD per night is a crazy price!

DK

 

[ame]

Big hugs as you navigate this anniversary! It sounds like you're certainly maximizing your time this year with amazing trips that will garner some incredible photos!!!

 

[Wink]

@Wink Motel Six at 150 USD per night is a crazy price!

The cheap rooms in Stanley are not as nice as the old Motel six rooms. The nice rooms are well over $200 per night.

 

[Wink]

Big hugs as you navigate this anniversary! It sounds like you're certainly maximizing your time this year with amazing trips that will garner some incredible photos!!!

Big hugs back to you Ame. I am living my life to the biggest I can and it is exciting and enjoyable. I have fifty years of wonderful memories, and they give me both comfort and strength.

 

[Wink]

Oh, and I opened a photography website, because I do not have enough to keep me busy...