One thing I’ve discovered all over the Alpine Mountain is a collection of hotels called Kinderhotels; hotels specifically devoted to families traveling with children. Everything in these hotels caters to the little ones — kids clubs, large playgrounds, and a weekly entertainment schedule. Derek had a last minute work trip and so it was just the kids and me. We stayed at the Familien Wellness Resort – otherwise known as the “blue water slide”.
What a wonderful week it was! I started most days with a good hike around endless winding trails while Benny and Clara played games with King Pipo in the kids club.
Some views from the hiking trail. Of course I couldn’t begin any physical exertion without enjoying a cappuccino (alone!).
The hotel had the most amazing playground!
The sandpit was wonderful. It had a digger truck, a conveyer belt, and a water pump! A total dream for Benny.
They even offered some indoor fun. We played some mean games of dodge ball in this little castle room every night. I, of course, was the bad guy.
One morning I was feeling guilty for putting them in the kids club and thought they’d enjoy taking the cable car to the top of the mountain to do some short hikes (everyone told me it would be no problem for kids). It ended up being a big mistake. They were fine until we walked about 20 feet — just to the restaurant! We didn’t even get the hike started. At least the playground (and the beautiful views) helped to salvage experience. 
Love the garden decorations.
Luckily there was a place to eat at the top.
I wanted to hike to this platform, but alas…
We passed this cute shop on the way home. I wondered why my flowers never look like that.
Every afternoon we spent the time swimming and relaxing in the swings. The blue water slide! I can’t count the times Benny climbed the stairs to go down this thing. I went down with Clara once and we had both had enough.
A basket we found in the city!
There was a wonderful, shady park a short walk from the hotel. We spent a lot of time here too — climbing up the hill and sliding back down…
And digging in the dirt and making dams…
I had this turkey salad almost every day for lunch after hiking. I’m still shocked I found a turkey salad to be so delicious and looked forward to it every day. It’s so hard to find anything but heavy food where we live — and poultry is a rarity.
I’m so happy when poultry is on the menu, but decided to take a risk on the steak one evening. I was so glad that I did! One of the best steak salads I’ve ever had! A variety of sauces included made it especially glorious. I get nervous when ordering beef in Italy because they tend to serve it pretty bloody. Maybe I was just having a protein deficiency that week.
When I couldn’t get the salad, I tried something new — some kind of buckwheat dumpling. It is a popular local specialty. It was good, but didn’t compare to the turkey salad.
One evening we were lucky enough to stumble upon a festival. We danced in the street and sampled local pastries.
This pastry is called Kirchtagskrapfen… it was kind of like a crisp puffed pastry with a chocolate filling. We all gave it a thumbs up.
We tried out some miniature golf. It wasn’t the fanciest course, but the we still had a great time. We must have been the fastest golfers ever with the way Benny golfs. He hit the ball it once and then placed it in the hole!
I thought it would be fun to try out the hotels’s Bringo. A poor decision on my part, it was much more difficult than I had remembered. I did ok when the ground was completely flat, but any amount of incline made me hyper aware of how I have indulged in Italian cuisine for the past 7 months. I tried so hard to get up this hill, but just couldn’t do it. Then I found myself trying to push the Bringo into the (busy) intersection while relying on Benny’s steering skills. Embarrassing! It felt as if the whole world was watching this display.
This was the hill I died on…
This is the Bringo…
And this is proof that the kids still loved every minute…
It was much needed getaway and the alps continue to be one of my most favorite places in the world. With delightful villages, delicious food, an abundance of walking trails, and breathtaking views it truly is hard to beat. And to top it all off, there is really no fear of wildlife! Dolomites…until next year…
