After having been in Bolzano and finding it very relaxing, we went uphill. On the Ritten. THE Ritten! Here the summer retreat was invented – a couple of years ago. Well-tended lolling around in dizzy heights. But it is still charming. Here it looks like back then. And if you squint you eyes you can still see the ladies jaunt with their fine sun umbrellas.
Jaunt or hike… Here on top there are numerous hiking trails but also very nice places to linger. Also the small train drives very slowly. And the crossings are totally romantic and mostly there are unguarded level crossings. You can even walk over them. The conductors are very relaxed. At least we have not been checked. There is no ‚ please stand back‘ but the small train just starts moving. Great!
Great are also the earth pyramids. Some are really hidden and there are no signs but you have to know someone who knows the way. But some are officially signposted. Tipp: Just walk on for some couple of meters. The view might be better… We have seen red ones and white ones. And a huge one. But all are faszinating. A real natural spectacle.
There is another natural spectacle. Here at the top you always stare at the rock wall and the rose garden. Especially at sunset. You are standing there with open mouth and you won’t get enough of it. And the spectacle is different every day. And again and again new.
Again and again new are also the views on the hiking trails. You walk through forest, wood, meadows, pastures, along the rails or along the street. But it is always nice. Here is a creek, there a beautiful tree, here a grove. There is a single house. Here on top everything is wide. The view is wide. The estates are huge and even the meadows seem to be infinite. Nothing obscures the view. A lot is original. And rural.
Rural are some rest stops. Once you sit there after a long hiking tour it might be that you can hardly go away. It can be the food, which is good and solid… or the wine… or it might be just the time. Nothing will hurry you. Quite the opposite. Here you can go with the flow. In case you have been sitting too long, you let somebody call a taxi for you or you take the small train. You always get home. At a pinch somebody will give you a ride. That is a tradition here on the Ritten.
Quill embroidery
Another tradition is handicraft. We made a trip to the Sarntal and visited a quill embroidery manufactory and a weaver – also a manufactory. One embroiders the tradtional dress with faszincating stitchery made out of peacock feathers and the other one processes lambs wool from the region. Everything is used, nearly nothing is thrown away. And no neither sheep nor peacock have to suffer. And just how it is with the handicraft… it takes time. Haste makes wates.
