Italy – A Summer Escape, Mountain Views & a Waterfall Detour

The summer travel season has long begun, and I honestly couldn’t even tell you what I’ve been up to. Why? Because the blog was offline for a while! My provider decided to move, and with it went my ability to share any updates. So here I am, playing catch-up, and we’re already deep into this year’s summer adventure.

As is tradition, I’m spending the summer traveling through two countries. It might not be a surprise to anyone that Sweden is once again on the list, but before heading north, our first stop was further south — Italy.

I’m not entirely sure what convinced us to travel to Italy during peak heat season, but surprisingly… we haven’t melted yet. It’s warm, yes — but not the brutal summer heat I was bracing myself for (so far).

Our journey began in Cison di Valmarino, a charming little village tucked away in the Italian mountains. But before we get to that peaceful slice of heaven, let me tell you about the journey getting there.

We drove all the way — yes, drove — and split the trip into two long days. And as with any long trip, something always happens. Not even 24 hours in, and I already had a tick. That’s a personal record. Since everything we needed was buried deep inside our suitcases, we had no proper way of dealing with it. So naturally, I ended up in a local doctor’s office to get it removed. A fun start to the trip. After that, though, everything went smoothly, a lot of sitting in the car, but worth every mile once we arrived.

Once we made it to the village, we finally got to slow down. Cison di Valmarino really is as picturesque as it sounds — small, quiet, and with a mountain view that belongs in a postcard. The next day we started exploring, and I also couldn’t help but cook some Italian pasta bolognese, because why not?

After that warm-up day, we got moving. We went hiking, of course, with our dog Loki in tow. He wasn’t too thrilled about the heat, and for a while we ended up carrying him, but he quickly found his hiking spirit again and wanted to walk. Good boy.

One of our favorite parts of Cison was the Via dell’Acqua, or the “Way of the Water.” As the name suggests, the entire trail follows a small stream, which made it perfect for hiking in the summer heat. It was cooler, and Loki had the time of his life splashing around in the water. At the end of the trail, we were rewarded with yet another beautiful mountain view, totally worth the walk.

On our final full day in Cison, we planned a little day trip to Lago del Mis, a stunning lake surrounded by dramatic mountains. We were expecting to be blown away by the views, and we were, just not in the way we imagined. The weather had other plans. The mountains were completely covered in clouds, and the rain made sure we got the full “misty lake” experience.

Despite the fog and drizzle, we made the best of it. We found a cozy restaurant with a lake view and enjoyed the atmosphere from the warmth of indoors. And we’re glad we did, because one of the locals there recommended a nearby waterfall, the very one that feeds the lake. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the day.

That wraps up the first leg of our Italian journey. We’re now in Tuscany, and so far, it’s everything you’d expect, beautiful, sunny, and maybe just a touch hotter. But more on that in the next post…