Una passeggiata in Svizzera: Val Poschiavo

The lowered car windows, the warm summer wind caressing the face, the sparkling air, the scent of nature that gently nods in the nose and in the distance the whistle of the Bernina Red Train, directed to St. Moritz, which is approaching fast.

I had never been to Switzerland before last summer, but that's how I always imagined it, as in Heidi's cardboard: green lounges with grazing cows, wooden houses, colored geraniums at the windows, majestic lakes, pine forests and paths to discover.

I always preferred the sea to the mountain but I was literally fascinated.

Snow-covered mountains, pristine natural areas, cities and small overflowing cultural landscapes make Switzerland an ideal holiday destination.

A varied landscape of valleys and picturesque cities, especially the Graubünden region, Switzerland's largest canton, the most eastern and the only trilingual. Here everything is different, even the chromatic: red like the Rhaetian railway wagons, yellow like the post bus, blue like the 615 lakes and the sky over the 150 valleys, green like the forests and pastures, golden brown like larches in the fall, gray like fortresses and rocks, and white like snow and glaciers.

And it is in the Canton of Graubünden, in Val Poschiavo, where my trip to Switzerland started.

The natural and cultural landscape of Val Poschiavo is only 25 kilometers from the sparkling Bernina chain to Veltlin vineyards but offers a multitude of natural beauty, beautiful towns with interesting cultural monuments, palaces and churches.

On board the "Red Train" or the "Bernina Express", with the red caravan compositions of the Rhaetian railway, or by car: the route from the Engadine to Val Poschiavo, the southernmost of the 150 valleys of the Graubünden, offers up to the borders with Italy one of Switzerland's most varied landscapes.

The train path on the Bernina Pass from St. Moritz to Val Poschiavo and to Tirano, the Italian border, is an impressive experience. Here the gaze spans the mountain panorama of the Morteratsch glacier, the Diavolezza or the Lagalb glacier. From the Alp Grum you can see the imposing Palu glacier and at the same time the majestic Lake Poschiavo with its cobalt blue waters, a spectacle of nature.

The chief town of the small, unspoiled resort of Val Poschiavo is the town of Poschiavo, whose patrician houses surround the square, giving it a typically Italian character. Poschiavo, in fact, has its charm in the seductive old town, rich in magnificent palaces and vaguely medieval architecture.

And I still remember it, the astonishment on my face and the astonished eyes in front of the beauty of this nature.

Jelenov Greben

On a ridge at the foot of the mysterious Rudnica mountain, just ten meters above the monastery with the third oldest pharmacy in Europe (here), is Jelenov Greben, farm known as Deer Ridge.

A unique place, in the green hills of Olimje, where time seems to stand still. Immersed in the beauty of nature now with autumn colors and enclosed in the charm that gives the wood.

After a gentle awakening at Terme Olimia (here) and a visit to the monastery Olimje, upon our arrival we were immediately greeted by deer and wild sheep, which graze freely over 8 hectares of fenced meadows, ready to be pampered with a handful of corn for all their.

In Jelenov Greben the days are different than elsewhere. Here nature, in some ways, is like there enveloped in a warm embrace. Breathe the pure air of the morning, stroking a flower, listen to the vibrations of a stream, sipping a steaming cappuccino with a colored wool blanket on the legs, warmed by a warm autumn sun, and with a panorama so bewitching and comforting to act as frame. Happiness is being with nature, see her, talk to her, touch her.

A long time ago in this place was a farm that dealt with viticulture and livestock breeding. The young Borut Jezovnik, just eighteen, became the master of this farm, which with so much effort and energy created a colorful history.

After selling all the cattle, he bought 75 deer from the Brijuni islands in Croatia. Later he began to cultivate, preserve and recreate mushrooms.

Today, in this place that seems straight out of a fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm, there are two guest houses that bear the name of the daughter, Rebeka and Karolina, a restaurant where you can enjoy home cooking with specialties of game and mushrooms, but also cheese, salami and wine, and a shop, Zlata skrinjica, where to buy and take home the goodness of the place.

Tuscany in love

The scent of oleander blossoms and grapes, slowly, mature under the hot August sun, the country chic style, the sun illuminating the clusters, the colors of the countryside, the rows of vines that seem to extend to infinite, and the harmonious succession of fields of wheat and sunflowers.
With that indescribable charm, Tuscany is so beautiful everywhere. But when you consider the Tuscany you can not turn our mind to the rural and unspoilt countryside landscapes.
Hills and slopes, fields, vineyards and olive groves as far as the eye, castles and medieval villages: landscapes and charming villages that are the symbol of the region that gave the natives to Dante.
Immerse yourself in one of the most characteristic landscapes of Tuscany, staying in an estate, one of those in the countryside, with a red roof, surrounded by rows and rows of vineyards and olive groves, where you can not only relax and enjoy the views, but also savor the delicious wines.
Get in touch with the authentically traditional and genuine side of the region, discovering the roots and true passion that animates the inhabitants. Walking between the rows aimlessly, just to listen to nature and its silence. Organize a picnic in the shade of a large oak tree, one of those rustic and homemade, with Tuscan bread, a bottle of red, cheese and cold cuts at will. Falling asleep with the chirping of crickets and wake up with the breeze coming through the windows, that brings with it the smell of salt air mixed happiness.
I dreamed about an holiday like this for years. A peaceful holiday in an authentic Tuscan style.

Un week end in baita

A mountain of emotions, colors, smells. This was the mountain for me.

The first light of dawn, the sun's rays that enter from the cabin window and warm cheeks peeking out from the duvet. Pink sky, the "clean", fresh and light air, caressing the face in front of a cup of milk and coffee sipped on the porch with the valley that opens right there, before the eyes. A landscape, that of the Valtellina, which seems painted. One of those paintings full of light and color, where the colors are combined to perfection. The forest green of the mountains covered by pine trees, the bright of meadows wherecows grazing, the yellow of the sun and its rays so close and the blue sky sprinkled with white, fluffy clouds like the snow.

The clouds in the mountains caress the long ridges and peaks. They chase each other like children playing in the meadows. Constantly changing, forcing you to fly with the fantasy.

In the mountains you will find the freedom and peace reigns. The nature manifests itself in all its beauty, including the chirping of cicadas and the murmur of the streams that descend into the valley.

The mountain is made for everyone. For those who wish to rest in peace, as for those looking for an even stronger effort in the rest.

I go up in the mountains, I like the climb. The first steps are hard, the body is fatigued and the breath is anxious. When the wind breaks, fatigue becomes a constant, slow and pleasant motion. Every path, accompanied by the sound of cow bells in the distance, is a journey within ourselves.

The mountain is life. From its top you can see how big the world is and how wide the horizons are.

The mountain is a sunset at 2500 meters, with chills and emotion. A carpet of clouds, looking like a sea, where the sun's rays re-emerge. One of those magical, immense sunsets, as those who embrace you and rob you every word, leaving you displaced, surprised, grateful, in love.

Mountain raises this in the heart, the infinite sense, with the desire to raise the mind to which is sublime.

 The scent of wood and herbal tea for two by the fireplace, between talk, laughter, ginger cookies and the silence that surrounds the valley. The warmth of the fire and its popping sound, an unusual melody that lulls the heart till make you fall asleep.