Bolzano: Back to My Origins

    After finishing up in Torre Pellice, we drove across Italy to the quaint town Bolzano. Bolzano is a community located in the heart of the Italian alps. It straddles the border of Italy and Austria, creating a unique fusion of Italian and Austrian culture. 100 years ago, the town actually belonged to the Hapsburg Monarchy and was therefore, Austrian, not Italian. It was also in this little town, 100 years ago, that a man by the name of Luigi Bernardi grew up and began working as a stone mason. And it was that same man who would later dodge the WWI draft and sail to America to start a family in Montana, leaving a legacy of kids, grandkids, great grandkids, and great great grandkids who would make America there home until one little great great grandchild would finally decide to go back to the country where it all began; Austria, and who would bring her family back to his little hometown. 

   That great great grandchild is me, incase you hadn't figured it out. :)

   So yes, we decided to visit the town where it all began, and our plan was actually to meet my Grandpa Bill and my Aunt Dessa there as well! Grandpa has always been very interested in our heritage and the fact that I had come to Austria was a catalyst for him to finally visit his grandpa's home. We were all really excited to get to share that special moment together, and I think what made it so special was seeing Grandpa get to live out one of his lifelong dreams. Even better, it was Grandpa's birthday!

   The afternoon was full of hugs, gifts (Aunt Dessa brought me a gallon ziplock full of goldfish crackers. My hero), and catching up. We also walked around the historical district of Bolzano which was super adorable, and very beautiful with the mountains towering up around us. We happened to pass by an archaeological museum and decided to check it out before it closed. I was shocked to find that we had wandered into a museum dedicated to the iceman, a cold weather mummy discovered nearby in the Italian Alps and one of the most significant finds in the alps to date. The Iceman is a classic archaeological textbook read, and so I was elated to have just "stumbled" upon the museum.

   It was an incredible museum. Even my mom enjoyed it and she sort of hates all things history and/or museum. So you know it was good. We got to see all of the personal belongings that were on the iceman when he died. It was such a vivid glimpse into everyday life during the European stone age. It isn't often that archaeology can give us a glimpse into the personal existence of one man, we are often forced to look at society as a whole, so this museum is an extremely unique and inspiring experience. 

The Squad

Twinning, and absolutely winning. 
The resemblance between Grandpa and the iceman was uncanny and hilarious considering
 that under the unique circumstances, it was actually possible for them to be related.
Who would have thunk it?

I enjoyed having the adults around to drive the car and allow me to snack and play Zelda.
I had not a care in the world, meanwhile my parents were fighting for their lives with Italian traffic. 

Auntie is the absolute MVP

   The next day, we headed into the mountains. There was a scenic gondola and train that took you up to some of the more rural, but more aesthetic villages. We had a lot of fun exploring, trying new cuisine, and looking for the illusive cuckoo birds. 

An icon.

Another icon. 

I can't express what a good father he is. 

Call me crazy, but this part of the Italian Alps sort of looks like China to me.

A crowded elevator is a good problem to have when you're
with your family. 

  We didn't stay in Bolzano long, because we were off to Salzburg. I was really excited to show everyone around Salzburg. It was the first city in Europe I ever visited, and remains, to this day, one of my favorites. I also knew that this place would be special to Grandpa, Auntie, and Mama, because its the setting for The Sound of Music, a film that my grandmother absolutely adored, and one which I know they do too. We got in late, so Auntie treated us to a fancy meal and then we relaxed. 

This Ravioli was made with a "foam" sauce. Excuse me, since when did we start eating air??

Tafelspitz, a traditional Austrian dish. I liked it. 

   for the next day, I had lined up a few sites I thought everyone would want to see, and then I made them vote. Once they had voted, I was able to create an itinerary to fit everything in, and I acted as there very uniformed tourist, who was mainly their for her navigational skills. Keegan also came along with us. My parents didn't feel like they had gotten a chance to know him very well when we all went to dinner, so we had him along. It was super fun to introduce him to the family and have him their to fill in where I could not. 

Acting as the navigator. These folks didn't trust that I knew where I was going.

The craziest part about this trip to Salzburg, was that I finally got to go up to the castle! To say I was underwhelmed is a bit of an understatement. I think some things are just better admired from a distance. Once you get inside, you realize that your imagination was more satisfying. From far away, that castle has always seemed like a watchman over the city of Salzburg. But inside, its just a tourist trap. I don't regret the time I spent with my family there, but overall I wish I hadn't gone inside. It really took away from the Castle's stoic presence. 

Not sure what this is called, but it was strange.

Interestingly enough, when we were on the top of the castle,  I looked down
and said, "Hey, isn't the Von Trapp house? Sure enough, I had managed to spot the
house where Sound of Music was filmed. I'm very proud of myself because it was
very far away and I had an arial view.  

Grandpa wearing his traditional Austrian hat. He fit right in.