The Summer I Dreamed of in the Heart of the Dolomites

(Distance from home 718 km). A heavenly week. After so many ideas of travelling to splendid mountain landscapes, this year we actually did it, and when it comes to mountains the Dolomites are a must. Hotel booked in Canazei, the main town of Val di Fassa, where the food and the kindness never let us down. It's not the destination for those who like late nights: real life is the daytime, among incredible landscapes that photos can't capture, impossible to explain in words alone, and among wonderful trails. Unmissable: the Pordoi, the Marmolada where we found snow in the height of August, the 10,000 shades of blue-green of Lake Carezza, the Catinaccio, Canazei and the wonderful canederli. So many lovely memories and just as many delicious flavours, the civic sense felt everywhere, respect for the environment and the kindness.

On returning there's much to reflect on: sure, in summer the sea is always the sea, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't repeat a trip like this, where we walked and breathed on the soul of the Dolomites in an atmosphere of pure enjoyment.