A small village near the border of Italy and Austria

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I'm already pining for the mountains. I mean, I am grateful for everything that I have here, and I do not underestimate how lucky I am, but there's just something about the mountains that really pulls on me. I love mountains whether they're stark and uninhabited, or peppered with small villages and alpine pastures. One thing I really liked about northern Italy and Austria was how well the wild and the domestic blended together. In the mountain villages we saw, it felt like people did what they had to to live, and took what they needed, while at the same time respecting and maintaining the natural ecosystem.

These pictures were taken near the border of Italy and Austria, in a little village we took detoured through.

Little truck used to collect recyclables. So cute!

Village square

Small shop with cured meats and cheeses

The road leading into the village

View of another village from the road

Panorama of mountain farms and lush alpine pastures. You can see the cows resting on the left of the picture.

And this is the view of the highway we traveled on, connecting Italy and Austria through Brenner Pass. Those rows you see in the foreground are all cultivated grapes.

Peace