So, as promised we found out exactly where we were!
We were in Italy… although this region used to be Austria. Right after WW1, this region was given to Italy. Mussolini demanded Italian in the area, and had all of the towns, cities, roads and even people’s names renamed in Italian; he actually jailed people for speaking German in public! After WW2, things relaxed, but… everything now has two names, one in German and one in Italian.
So, we were in the Province of South Tyrol (German), Province of Bolzano (Italian). We were in the village of Olang (German), Valdaora (Italian). AND… the village had what I can only say are like neighborhoods… we were in Oberolang (German), Valdaora di Sopra (Italian), meaning Upper Olang. Nearby is Mitterolang (G), Valdaora Mezzo (I), meaning Middle Olang.
It explains why the World Cup is in Antholz-Anterselva… German name, then Italian name.
Over 60% speak German, so most people were using the German names.
On Tuesday, we wandered around Oberolang, in the beautiful sunshine!
This Church was just outside the front door of our apartment building; this is the back of the Church, Brian is at the top of a set of stairs to the road below our apartment, and the last photo is on the east side of Oberolang, looking approximately north, into the valley where the races will be.
Some more pics from the east side of Oberolang…
And yes, that is a ski area behind me in one of the pics… called Kronplatz. (We thought about going up for a couple hours Wednesday. We could have rented equipment, and made do with the clothes we brought, but it was overcast and without goggles, it would have been tough to see. So our Wednesday adventure took us in another direction!)
We wandered down to Mitterolang, to a little grocery store, to pick up… wine and cheese and olives and smoked salmon and chocolate and …. Grappa!!! A little bottle of Italian “white lightning”! And, I know why I don’t drink it much at our Italian friends’ home in Calgary!!! Tastes like White Lightning! 😆
Brian couldn’t decide on wine or grappa or pills! Turns out, all three! 🤣
