I don’t mention this in the “about” section but I am Italian. I am from Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of those parts of Italy that escapes mass tourism and, to simply put it, is unknown to most.

I went to visit my family this Christmas and I took advantage of the sunny weather (sunny but very very chilly!) to take some beautiful walks with family and friends. I was taken aback by the beauty of the landscapes; I don’t think I ever appreciated the scenery so much when I was living there. So much that I didn’t think about bringing my camera with me and the photos on this post are kindly taken by my sister - thanks :).

The first walk was in Claut (PN), a town of 1.027 in the Dolomiti Friulane. The trail is called “Anello del Col dei Piais da Claut” and it’s a short and easy walk that starts from the town and continues through a pine forest to reveal a panoramic summit.

There is something really special about walking in the mountains in the middle of winter; the air is crisp and the sunlight sharply and neatly illuminates the summits . It feels like that clarity transfers to your thoughts shaping and defining them with precision.

Weird pose… Sunbathing? Touched by the light of god?