Do you remember a blip on the news about the blackout in Atlanta, where all air traffic was halted for a day? The day was Dec. 17, and we were scheduled to fly from Orlando to Atlanta to Munich. But instead of flying to Atlanta, we sat around the Delta Sky Club all day trying to find the best alternate route. I know the Sky Club is a much better place to be stuck, but still…thank God for Delta. Unlike cut-rate airlines, they have connections with lots of other airlines and were able to find us a flight out of Orlando that night.

So, later that night, off we went on Virgin Air for Manchester, England – not exactly close to our final destination and not exactly a good international airport, but Virgin Air, I can tell you without reservation, is a very good airline. After many weather-related delays in Manchester, we finally reached Munich around 5 p.m. the next day.

Munich was only several hours from our real goal of reaching Selva in the Italian Alps and the closest international airport. We planned to stay in Munich for only a couple days anyway, so once we recuperated from the flight delays, it was easy. We spent the next day wandering the Marienplatz, with its many Christmas market stalls filled with wonderful Christmas ornaments and other handcrafted goods as well as stalls dedicated to serving Gluhwein, a hot mulled wine that is pretty seriously wonderful on a freezing cold winter night. It’s a staple in German-speaking countries but is also traditionally served in England and called glogg, mulled wine or some variation. Whatever it’s called, it’s welcome on a winter night.

Now Selva. Not exactly a household name to most Americans. And in fact, most Europeans we encountered said, “Where is that?” Selva is one of three small towns in Val Gardena, an area in the Dolomites, along with St. Christina and Ortisei. It’s a couple valleys over from Cortina d’Ampezzo, which you might have actually heard of as it’s a more popular ski destination. But assuming you’re still lost, as I would be were I not the intrepid traveler I am, it’s as beautiful a place as I’m ever likely to encounter. I’m also absolutely sure we would never have ventured there were it not for my son, who is living in Italy. He had previously hiked there a year ago and said we really needed to plan a family ski vacation. Thus, a trip to an exotic location was born.

I’m all about exotic locations. I would easily spend my life, or at least the next 20 years, exploring every inch of the globe – the more hidden or unknown the location, the better. Meanwhile, back on planet earth, I have to take my adventures when I can get them.

We rented a villa on Airbnb that was a short, steep walk from the main town. The three villages (including St. Christina and Ortisei) are a few miles apart, each charming in its own right.  Our vacation house was big enough to hold our three families with a large living area and kitchen and two dining areas. I had long discussions at night with my two grandsons, aged 2 and 3, about the snow cats we could see on the mountain right outside our window at night. Snow cats, machinery and pretty much all methods of transportation inspire awe and lengthy discussions, in case you haven’t been around a 2- or 3-year-old for awhile.

The whole area is famous for skiing the Sellaronda. As the name implies, it is the ski circuit around the Sella group and offers all degrees of difficulty, though skiers of limited expertise will find it easy to get around from even the highest drop-off points. These rock formations literally rise vertically from atop the mountains, creating a spectacular and dramatic effect. We didn’t do it, but you can ski the entire circuit in a day (or in summer, you can bike it). We also ventured to Ortisei one day, where we took a funicular (uphill, on rails) to the top of the mountain dedicated just to sledding. Similar to ski areas, you could rent or bring your own sled, the trail was groomed, and there was a restaurant at the top. Sledding is a more organized activity and definitely more expensive.

In town, we found the usual ski shops and restaurants and the not-so-usual (at least in the U.S.) wooden Christmas market stalls with a faux gondola, reindeers and snowmen along the way for added photo and shopping opportunities.  While Italian is mainly spoken here, the area of south Tyrol is a combination of German and Italian culture and cuisine. We had delicious, hearty meals. One of the most memorable was at Refugio Comici, where reservations for fine dining between chairlifts are a must. Only in Italy. Another was a wonderful meal on Christmas night, made even better by my two sons (one is my son-in-law) who footed the bill that night!

There is more because we continued on to Austria, but I’ll save that for next month. Arrivederci for now!