Where we stayed and What to pack
Last summer I spent a beautiful week exploring a small section of the Dolomites with my family. While my younger brother enjoyed time meeting kids from all around the world at a sleep away hockey camp nearby; my mom, “exchange sister” and I enjoyed the views from high on mountain tops and low in the lush green valleys of Val di Fassa. The week was, in short, breathtaking. (And yes, I was also physically short of breath at the higher altitudes).
We rented a car here in Florence and enjoyed the drive up to Canazei, the town in which my mom found a very cute and very “Barbie Dreamhouse”-esque Chalet. I’m well aware of how Italians drive, but nothing quite prepared me for how they drive on perilously thin mountain roads, where if you were to take one of the infinite hairpin turns too fast the consequences are, well, fatal. But, I’m slowly getting more and more used to the “organized chaos” of the rules of the road here.
Upon nearing the mountain range the views became increasingly jaw dropping. It took a vast amount of willpower to not pull over every five minutes to take in the views and document them on my camera or phone. It also became progressively more difficult to drive as cyclists also love to bike these mountain passes, and it feels impossible to pass as you can almost never see far enough ahead to know if the space to pass exists..
Cèsa Planber, our B&B for the week
We finally arrived at our adorable and Barbie pink Bed and Breakfast, Cèsa Planber and were welcomed in by the owners, Famiglia Planchensteiner. The Planchensteiner family were marvelous hosts and showed an obvious passion for making their guests feel welcome.
From the delicious breakfast bar and prepared breakfasts, to seeing them around town and getting recommendations from them, they definitely made a delightful and lasting impression on our experience in Canazei. We stayed on the top floor of the chalet with immaculate views from our balcony of the mountains and gondolas tirelessly going up and down. We relaxed in the garden between activities and breakfast-ed like mountain kings every morning. I don’t usually eat early in the day since normally I’m intermittent fasting, but I absolutely love breakfast breakfast when I’m on vacation. It could possibly be one of my favorite things.. Cèsa Planber certainly delivered on this point, especially the day they had my favorite Biscoff spread available. Thank goodness it’s not readily available here in Florence, otherwise I’d eat it all day, everyday.
Something else that I really liked in particular about Cesa Planber was the fact that they air dry their towels (conserving energy is generally the norm in Italy since most folks don’t have dryers, but I don’t know how common it is for hotels to also partake in this). As we approached the bed and breakfast after a long day of hiking we noticed that all the towels were hanging out drying on the backside of the building, which was quaint and made it feel more homey.
Prepping for the Trip
We didn’t really have any solid plans for the week except to enjoy the beauty of the nature surrounding us and breathe in as much of the fresh fresh mountain air as possible. This trip embodied one of my favorite sentiments of slow travel which is to be spontaneous and see what the locals suggest. That being said, I wish I had been slightly more diligent and at least checked the weather since I managed to forget that August is still quite chilly in the mountains…
I anticipate returning to the Dolomites this summer, but this time I will be absolutely sure to pack some warm clothes. For our trip I had only packed a multitude of my Girlfriend Collective sports bras and biker shorts, and about 3 dressier outfits for dinners. Thankfully, right before walking out the door I decided to grab my linen button up and a pair of my Tala leggings. I ended up wearing those two pieces for 90% of the week, just remixed with a different sports bra. Although, I need to mention that I was able to pack everything into a duffle bag and backpack. If you know me you know that that alone is a huge feat, especially for a week long trip! But I guess I paid the price for being such a good packer..
That being said here is my packing list outline for my trip back:
DOLOMITES SUMMER PACKING LIST:
- 2-3 dressy outfits that can easily be mixed and matched to maximize your opportunities.
- Some easy summer tops (tube tops, tank tops, simple blouses) These are also super light for packing
- Linen button up (linen is great because it will keep you warm when it gets cooler, and keep you cool when it’s hot out)
- 1 Pair of Linen shorts or denim shorts
- 1 pair of longer pants (light weight or denim)
- 1 skirt
- 1 dress if you might do something fancier!
- 1 pair of cute (but comfortable!) sandals
- Sports bra (5 so I don’t need to do laundry during the week)
- 2 Pairs of Biker shorts (These are great for hiking maintained trails)
- 2 Pairs of leggings
- Hiking boots (or your preference of footwear for hiking, maybe you’re a barefoot hiker?)
- Wool socks (trust me, you don’t want frigid toes)
- Umbrella and rain jacket or windbreaker (Just have something! Thankfully I borrowed from my mom on the trip since she brought both)
- 2 Sweaters or hoodies (just in case one gets soaked in a sudden rain and you don’t wish to be soggy the next day, gross)
- 2 T-shirts (just to have an extra layer!)
- 1-2 Swimsuits
- And don’t forget your “unmentionables” 😉 That’s always a great misfortune
- A comfortable crossbody or fanny pack, and a backpack
If you’re planning to do any shopping before your trip I highly suggest that you invest in pieces made of a natural fibers. Wool leggings and athletic wear are very high up on my wishlist as they’re so much better for your skin than their synthetic alternatives and naturally have warming, cooling and hydrophobic properties. Although they are admittedly much more difficult to find. I’d love to share some of these brands in a future post. For now, I’ll continue to shop my own closet 😉
Just to be clear the weather in the Dolomites in July/August is beautiful, but on the cooler side. Don’t be silly like me and please check beforehand! Also, mountain weather can change quickly, so it’s always best to be slightly over prepared and be dressed in layers.
While we were there I was hoping to find a second hand or vintage store nearby, but there were unfortunately only mountain supply stores selling technical gear and more fashion items. Since I was also actively participating in Remake’s No New Clothes 90 Day Challenge, I needed to be absolutely sure that if I was going to buy something it would still meet my values. We found a delightful little shop selling handmade ceramics and large bamboo scarves made in Florence (of all places). My mom gifted me a beautiful bamboo scarf to wear as an additional layer to keep warm during the week.
In the next posts I’ll be diving into the activities that kept us busy (there is no shortage of them) along with where we enjoyed some delicious meals!
A presto!
Aleksandra
