North North!
Sponsored by Schneeberg Hotel.
“Hugo per te.” A cocktail based on prosecco, elderflower syrup, sparkling water, and mint leaves mixed in a white wine glass was brought to the high table where I was sitting. Grey and quiet Monday morning. Never loved it. I’d thought that a bit of alcohol could have given me more spirit to start the day where I took a remote working day from the mountain. The bartender went back to clean his bar and arrange the bottles sorted in a way that I had thought by the size of the labels. I sipped my Hugo and let one of the smaller ice cube slipped into my mouth and crushed it between my teeth.
I reached then my backpack to grab my laptop and start writing. The mountain has always been a source of inspiration for its peacefulness, in addition to the warm and cozy bar I was sitting that overlooked the Stubai Alps range with peaks more than three thousand meters. When Davide had asked me to come with him two weeks before, I just couldn’t turn it down. “It is in Alto Adige region, really close to Austria. Cross your fingers, you could even get your first snow when we will be there.”
The glass of Hugo was almost empty, and I was up to lit my cigarette. I went to the smoking area which was a mezzanine above the bar instead of going outside as I had left my coat in my room. I went up and out of surprise, the room seemed to be another separated bar with couches I could relax on. The bar was surrounded by high windows where I could see the landscape around. I went out to the balcony and lit my cigarette. One. Five. Ten blows. Then something got in my eye. I reached it with my finger to wipe it away, but instead it got watery wet. I looked up. Then I realized that it was starting to snow. Softly. Davide was right. I just had my first snow of the year.
In only few minutes, the snow got heavier. I put off the cigarette before it was even finished, and decided to get into the outdoor jacuzzi. I went to my room, took the tote bag full of wellness amenities that was prepared every morning for the guest convenience, grabbed an empty glass and a bottle of wine, and went to the terrace upstairs where the jacuzzi is. I peeked from behind the curtain inside and saw no one was in it. I stepped outside, took off my clothes as fast as I could and jumped into the jacuzzi before the cold breeze caught me.
I let myself comforting in the spot where I could look directly at the peak of Stubai Alps, while the soothing bubbles and the sound of them were relaxing me down. I placed my feet in front of the water jets and let the pressure stimulate each of every nerve of my feet. My body temperature rose, the warm compensated the cold breeze in the air. I closed my eyes and nodded up, letting the snow pouring down on my face. Tender and quiet. I had never thought I could be under the snow while immersing in the buoyancy obtained in a jacuzzi surrounded by such stunning fairy-tale panorama.
An hour later, I went out from the jacuzzi and got into the outdoor Olympic-size and all year longheated pool, just to warm up my muscles. There were two other indoor pools designed with scented rocks to look like a natural pond, but the snow and the landscape outside were just irresistible to be delighted in with bare eyes. Just after a couple of laps, I got out from the pool, put the bathrobe on, and said to Davide while pointing to a chapel that was laid beyond the green pasture but still clear to see from the pool,
“Do you want to climb up that hill to see the chapel? I am wondering why an isolated chapel is built there.”
“Sure, I’m curious as well.”
“Alright, let’s go across the grass plain, along the river, and climb.”
I tried to catch my breath when we were finally out of a tiny area of woods that surrounded the chapel. We took a shortcut along the fence across the grass plain instead of following the marked route as we refused to walk around the hill to reach it. I looked ahead, with my lungs were filling themselves in with air, and there it was, standing before us gracefully, Chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene (Santa Maria Maddalena). It is the jewel of the region, artistic heritage built in Gothic style in the 15th century.
The chapel was built by the miners who resided and worked in Ridanna where there had used to be a mine, the highest and longest one in Europe, which brought prosperity to the valley. I turned the entrance knob, but it was not budged open. I peeked inside. It was dark but clear enough that I could see vaguely paintings and a winged altar which I knew later that it was designed by a local artist.
Being quite disappointed of not able to get inside, I went to the patio that overlooked the Ridanna valley. I walked slowly towards the fence to get a clearer view. Then I stopped. I held my breath for a few seconds. The retina of my eyes gave an impulse to my nerve to delay a beat of my heart. It was before me one of the picturesque landscape I had ever seen among my other mountain hikes in Italy. It was a genuine view that was not like others. The river of Rio Mareta, which flowed out from a lake under Mountain Il Capro and ended 25 km far in Vipiteno, split the valley right in the center with its sparkling turquoise water. The valley was an unspoilt alpine pasture with green moors thick of peat moss and groups of pine, spruce and larch trees. Some small villages gathered themselves down in the valley as well as on the hill.
Ultimately, they were all sheltered by the Stubai Alps protruding gorgeously in the background with the signs of glaciation on its body and everlasting snow on the peak, casting a safe and yet dramatic feeling.
An hour way back to the hotel, I arrived in the hotel tired and cold. Spa and another session of jacuzzi were the only thing I had in mind. Schneeberg is well-known as one of the largest private wellness complex in South Tyrol and that would have been great after a half-day excursion. Out of bunch of choices, I picked the pine aromatic sauna which gave a sensation of being in a cabin in the middle of pine forest. I stayed there for about twelve minutes and continued to the ice grotto where upon entering the cabin, I poured the cold water on my body and rubbed it with crushed ice. The sensation was tremendously shocking but relaxing immediately after sauna where the body pores had been opened due to the heat. I ended with aromatic shower, where bundles of Eucalyptus and natural garden twine were hanged on the shower rod.
An hour before dinner, I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon in the relax room. It was one of my favourite room by far, as it was very peaceful and I could relax in a wooden hanging lounge bed. I laid there, let one of my foot hanging and kicked the ground to give a little bit of push to let the bed swing. I raised my foot back and straightened them. I opened my current book “Quiet” and started to read. It only took some minutes for my eyes to shut completely.
However, just before I fell asleep, I saw the orange-coloured sky through the high windows on two sides of the room. The sun was setting, kissing Schneeberg Hotel and Ridanna good night, and “Orange-Coloured Sky” song by Nat King Cole tuned in inside my head.
