Meow, meow, I am Micina!
Today I will tell you about a mountain trip, more precisely the adventure in Comelico, in Veneto. 🏔️❄️

Early one morning, I set off with my hiking companions Davide and Giulia. And guess who joined us? The playful Simba, who, as soon as he heard we were heading to a chill destination, immediately jumped into his carrier. 🐾
The road was quite long, but with laughter, singing, and snacks, it passed pleasantly. 🎶😺

The first stop: Sant’Andrea Pass

Our first stop – I would say mandatory – was at Sant’Andrea Pass. Do you know what a pass is? It’s a road that crosses two mountains, often winding, which allows you to admire all the surrounding landscape. It’s like a roller coaster between the mountains! 🏞️🎢🚗

On the sides of the road, there was something I had never seen before: a large amount of white powder. Curious, I asked to stop to check what it was. As I approached to sniff it, I realized: uh, how cold it is! Brrrrr, my little nose got all frozen. It had no smell, but looking at it, you could tell it was very soft and deep. It was snow!❄️

Sant’Anna Lake

Among the landscape, we could see a small lake, Sant’Anna lake. Naturally, we couldn’t possibly skip visiting it. To reach it, you need to walk down a path among dense and dark conifers.

During the journey, on the famous snow, we found many footprints of other animals that probably live here. So many different scents I detected! 🌲🐾
Along the path, besides the scents left by the forest inhabitants, you could smell the scent of wet wood, my fur felt the breeze of freshly fallen snow, the air was pure, and all around us was silence. It was an experience I had never had before, stimulating my kitten senses.

Once we arrived at the small lake, we noticed it was frozen; you could almost skate on it. Too bad we didn’t have the right gear for kittens, I wonder if I would be able at it. I would have loved to play tag on the ice with Simba.

Giulia, meanwhile, between one photograph and another, explained to me that this lake is definitely a tourist attraction. Indeed, there was a structure ready to welcome vacationers during the summer season, equipped with a wooden pier, great for fishing or docking a flashy little boat. 🚤

After that, following the tracks that we had left on the soft white expanse, we returned to the car. I immediately warmed up my velvety pads, which were in need of some warmth after the walk. 😺

A Well-Deserved Break

Right after a nice packed lunch, we set off again towards our hotel, located in Padola, a hamlet in Comelico Superiore, to drop off our luggage and take a short nap, which is essential for two respectable kittens. After all, we have our needs too.

Misurina Lake and a Fun Prank

Once our feline batteries were recharged, we got ready to go to Lake Misurina, which is not far from the municipality of Comelico. And what a sight! There was snow here too, reaching up to the knees of my favorite humans, and for this reason, we cats took advantage of a ride in Davide’s travel backpack. 🎒🐱
The lake was frozen and covered with a layer of snow, making it indistinguishable from the surrounding road. Meanwhile, a light cloud enveloped the entire scene and the sun was a huge white ball amidst the fog, transforming the landscape into an almost lunar, magical, and mysterious sight. 🌨️🌕 In summer, however, the water is so blue and crystal clear that the place is nicknamed Perla del Cadore.
And now the exploration begins!

The Study of Footprints and a Surprise Ending

In spots where the snow was lower, Simba and I got out of the backpack and were able to move freely with our little paws. While sniffing and inspecting around, Simba exclaimed: “Look, Micina! There are footprints here too!“. 🐾 👣 He wasn’t lying, as the footprints were scattered everywhere. Meanwhile, Giulia, completely euphoric about the discovery, started examining them. She pointed out that some were squirrel prints, others chamois, and…

At the moment, just when she was trying to identify the maker of those you can see in the photo, a snowball hit her back. It was Davide, who had grown tired of waiting for her analysis. The battle began, and I won’t hide that we kittens gladly joined in, running around them and rubbing against their legs; it was so much fun!

Looking ahead, from the entrance of the path around the water, on a bank stands a yellow building with many green balconies. Imagine, it’s been there since 1896 and it’s a beautiful historic hotel. The area is surrounded by the Dolomites, including the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, which looked like pandoro cakes dusted with powdered sugar. 🏔️🏨

After we concluded the path, exhausted but happy, we then headed to a supermarket that also sells souvenirs. We bought local products, including two herbal tea infusions, polenta with typical flavors, and an excellent apple and berry strudel, yum! 🍎🍰

How time flew, it was already getting dark. Therefore, we returned to the hotel for dinner to be ready for the next day.

A New Day, Discovering the “Sentiero della Musica” (Path of Music)

“Good morniiiiiiing, the sun is high and waiting for you!”, exclaimed Davide, the usual early bird, quoting the warden from Il Collegio on Rai 2. You can’t even sleep curled up as much as you want, I replied. Giulia woke up with a start and got dressed right away; after all it’s her favorite time of the vacation: hotel breakfast! 🥐☕

After filling our bellies, we set off towards a unique destination, the Path of Music, located right in Comelico, a city that hosts the forest where wooden musical instruments are born. Inside the forest, a very steep climb led us to a flat path that, in no time, brought us straight to this artistic place, made of wooden sculptures – created by the carpenter Giorgio Osta – representing musical instruments, orchestras, and funny singers, including bears and blackbirds, a school class, Pinocchio, and Red Canzian of the Pooh. 🎻🎼🎶

Two Special Attractions

To make it even more captivating, there where two attractions.

The first was a path with a ball to take and bring back to the starting point. This ball, rolling along the track, touched various materials, producing sounds that created a sweet melody. It felt just like one of those interactive toys for cats, you know? Simba and I were mesmerized by the speed with which the little sphere rolled, and we didn’t hesitate to give it a couple of fierce swats.

Another Enchanting Place, the Pissandolo Waterfall

Once recovered from the amazement, we headed to the next destination, the Pissandolo Waterfall. 🌊 It didn’t take us long to reach it because it’s still in the Comelico area and only 15 minutes by car from the Path of Music. The waterfall is right by the roadside and is a force of nature: the water cascades impetuously and noisily from large dark rocks, surrounded by very tall larches and… still snow! ❄️😻 We weren’t able to see what lay beyond the rocks—besides the cloudy sky of that day—which made the place even more fascinating. 🌥️

On the left, instead, we found a beautiful stone arch bridge that allows the Padola stream to flow undisturbed. 🌉 Altogether, this creates a beautiful landscape that harmoniously combines natural and architectural elements. 😊

Return Home

After spending two unforgettable days amidst the wonders of Comelico, it was time to return home. With our hearts full of memories and minds enriched with new experiences, we headed to the car. 🚗 Even Simba, happy but with tired paws, curled up in his carrier. 🐾

During the return trip, we relived every special moment together: the laughter, the discoveries, the scents of nature, and the adventures on the frozen lakes. It was a short but extraordinary vacation that ultimately allowed us to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of the mountains.

Once we arrived home, we immediately found our favorite spot and curled up together on the couch while Giulia made some tea with the infusions we bought. 🍵 In this moment of cuddles and snacks, I thought about how wonderful it is to explore the world with my human and feline friends. 🐱💕

Until the next adventure!

Micina 🐾

PS: Find all the photos of our vacation below

Did you enjoy this trip? Leave a comment below, and if you want to read more adventures of Micina, click here.