Dolomites July 2009

[ranunculus]

Just back from another splendid spell as wildflower walk leaders for Collett's Mountain Holidays based in Corvara, Northern Italy.  We spent two and a half weeks under warm Italian skies, walking through meadows, screes and on mountain trails burgeoning with flowers.  The heavy snow of winter 2008-2009 lingered long in this wonderful part of the Dolomites and the late flowering of many species resulted in a heady mix of snowmelt, late spring and early summer species all blooming in one incredible orgy of colour.
Took over 2700 images during the break, so many hours will be spent in assessing and resizing them all prior to posting, but I can start by posting a few images captured with the Nikon 995 through the tiny windows of our RyanAir flight from Liverpool to Treviso.  Enhanced and cropped these images illustrate my delight at seeing the ethereal world above the clouds ... many more shots of the landscapes and flowers to follow when time and tide allow ...

[Maggi Young]

Good to see that even with a "budget" airline, the views are still "first class" !! 

[Ragged Robin]

Wow, what a wonderful start to you trip, Cliff - putting us on cloud 9 ( the next in the series of cloudscapes? ) in anticipation of more fabulous photographs to come - andiamo!

[Paul T]

Stunning cloud images, Cliff.  Awesome!!!!! 

[ranunculus]

Several images to restart this thread (after a lengthy break in bed with a stomach bug) ... many, many more images to follow when I can face the prospect of manipulating them all ...

VIEW FROM OUR CHALET BALCONY IN CORVARA
CORVARA - CHALET BRACUN IS PALE YELLOW AND JUST LEFT OF CENTRE
INCREDIBLE MEADOWS
ORCHID PARADISE
ORCHID/CAMPANULA BARBATA
BLUE BUTTERFLY
ANEMONE BALDENSIS
PORDOI PASS
VAL GARDENA CHURCH
STAINED GLASS (ESPECIALLY FOR MAGGI & IAN)

[ranunculus]

Just a couple more for this evening ...

GENTIANA VERNA
LAIR OF THE KING
ERITRICHIUM NANUM

[Maggi Young]

Good to know you are out of your sick bed, Cliff. I hope you did not smite the rest of the family?

These photos are so crisp I feel as if I'm really there....... I'm sure I hear cowbells in the distance....

[Paddy Tobin]

Cliff,

Glad the tummy bug has passed. I was looking forward to your photographs from this summer's outing. Great start.

Paddy

[Ragged Robin]

Cliff, such gorgeous photos from the Dolomites and stunning views from every angle - can't believe the colours in the meadows, they are so concentrated!  Your Gardena church photo shows a great relationship  between the tower and the peaks pointing up to the heavens - I assume the stained glass window was in the church?

Hope you're feeling better soon...

[mark smyth]

Cliff what plants are growing on the balconies? It used to be Pelargoniums but I see a lot of yellow

[Gerdk]

INCREDIBLE MEADOWS

Glad that you finally came down from the clouds. Thank you for showing the following pics - the meadow looks like a painting!

Gerd

[ranunculus]

Many thanks everyone ... lots more images to post over the weeks to come.
Sorry Mark ... I sat on our balcony most evenings, but didn't really notice the individual flowers in the balcony tubs opposite - the Dolomites were all around me and took precedence.  Perhaps Martin Rogerson (who is out there at the moment) might be more observant ... are you reading this Martin?

Well. I have opened with a few gems from the first memory card I accessed (i.e. not - as usual - in any logical or chronological order), so perhaps it might be wise to continue with that particular card and see where the rambling takes us?

FIRSTLY - FOR THE SRGC (AND MAGGI) - DRYAS OCTOPETALA
DRYAS OCTOPETALA
ACINOS ALPINUS
ALPINE MIX
CORVARA HOUSE
BLUE BUTTERFLY
CAMPANULA MEADOW
ASTER ALPINUS
COLFOSCO CHURCH
CLEMATIS ALPINA

[ranunculus]

Next batch from that particular memory card ...

ACHILLEA BLOOM
CAMPANULA BLOOMS
CAMPANULA ARRAY
CAMPANULA CLOSE
CAMPANULA FACES
EIDELWEISSERHUTTE
EIDELWEISSERHUTTE FOAL
BUTTERFLY FEEDING
GARDEN LIKE ROCK
GENTIAN/GLOBULARIA

[ranunculus]

Final batch for this morning ...

CAMPANULA IN CHALET GARDEN
TINY GENTIAN PROBABLY UTRICULOSA
CLOSE-UP OF ABOVE
LOTUS CORNICULATUS
PAEDEROTA BONAROTA HABITAT
PAEDEROTA BONAROTA HABITAT 2
PAEDEROTA BONAROTA CLOSE
WOOD ON ROCK
VIVID POTENTILLA NITIDA RUBRA
SUPER GLOBULARIA CORDIFOLIA

[Brian Ellis]

Glad you have recovered Cliff.  Super photos, what meadows   and I love the globularia picture.  I look forward to your future postings, it makes us feel as though we were there with you.