Sappada, Ancona, e La Epifania

So I guess I just talked about Natale, now I will catch you up on the second week of Christmas break and then we can move on to the regular updates....

Anyhoo...we went to Sappada, a place in the Dolomite Mountains/Alps from December 30th to January 2nd. A PIECE OF INFORMATION: The Dolomite Mountains are part of the alps, so if you went there (like me), you can say you have been to the Alps. But the Alps are not the Dolomite Mountains. Hehe :) Just thought of the "a square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square". Basically, the Dolomite Mountains are ONLY in Veneto (says Daniele...if it's wrong, he's to blame) then the Alps are all of the north north part of Italy.

An Ice Fountain in a town near Sappada

Nicola grooving with Alessia's new sunglasses :)

Enrico

We came back Wednesday night arround 8:30 pm, had dinner at Alessias parents house, and then I went home to unpack and repack for Ancona where Vito and Franca (two teachers that my grandparents hosted when my dad was my age) still live. Sorry mom, didn't get a picture of them, but it's only like 3 hours away by train, so i plan to be back before I leave. Here are a few pics, there was like no one there because it's a beach town and its winter right now....A thing that Vito and Franca kept repeating is that Ancona kind of is the division line, the towns to the left (more north) are all flat and the beaches are flat like normal. Then to the right its more "mountainus". 

The Cathedral of Loretta where the "house" of  the Virgin Mary is. 

And lastly here are 3 pictures. The first is the morning of the Epiphany, when the Befana (a witch that puts candy in stockings of children if their good, coal if they are bad...like Santa) then there is the burning of La Befana...but its just a manikin. Here they believe this witch/old person represents the year that just past, and by burning it cleans up the past and makes way for a better future year. If the ashes go to one side it will be a lucky year, to the other side it will be an unlucky year. It went to the lucky side...so if this year was better than last year that would be amazing because last year was pretty fantastic.