Sappada is a small settlement in the Carnic Dolomites, just East of the border with the Province of Belluno (in the Veneto region) and South of the Austrian border. Although Wikipedia mentions this area as German-speaking, all I heard on the day was clean, clear Italian (Friulans speak a different language, and therefore speak a phonetically clear Italian, without accent, unlike natives of Rome, Florence, Naples etc..).

After earlier dealing with the archetypal hag at the bus ticket office, the ride to Sappada was pleasant relief, reviving some happy, all-too-short childhood memories.

After the mid-point of Tolmezzo, the scenery changed to the truly alpine; small medieval villages dotting a winding, narrow road lined by green conifer forests, under granite or limestone crags, with peaks blanketed by fresh snow. The picture-perfect snow-covered pines in the shadowed valleys contrasted with green and winter-brown forests higher up, denuded of snow where, for some hours, the sun had already been peeking past the peaks.

The bus roared past the Giro d’Italia “monuments” of Monte Zoncolan and Monte Crostis (Lycra-clad cyclists would know what I mean..), on to several steep tornanti (switch-backs), tunnels and narrow torrenti (mountain streams), one of which was the nascent Piave, the longest river in Veneto, famous as a wide battlefront during WW1.

Sappada is in the middle of the Carnic Dolomites, with the Monte Siera (2443m) to the South-East, Torrione Prun (2430m) to the North, and Terza Media (2455m) to the West as the most impressive. Well worthy of heavy and inconvenient telescopic-lens photography.

The place was clear, sunny and utterly freezing (-4C). Blanketed in fresh powder, ski lifts working, snow-machines spewing, buzzing with XMAS tourists who, guessing from their spoken Italian, were mostly Friulans.

In contrast, in keeping with the consistent record of incompetence by the bus company TPL FVG, there are three, poorly sign-posted bus stops for the return trip to Tolmezzo. more than 1km apart and incorrectly labelled on the website. Hence I spent over 2 hours ensuring I found the right stop, so I wouldn’t miss the last service out (try running in slushy snow, with hiking boots, if you missed the exact spot..).

Naturally, instead of a single bus (as per the effing website), what one gets is 3 buses, breaking up the trip to Tolmezzo twice. Even the local co-passengers weren’t impressed.

Returning successfully to a hot shower in Udine was the very definition of ultimate relief.

Some truth in this.

Memory lane.