Dolomites Lago di Braies Run, Venice Art Tip, and New Logo!
Recommended Run:
Lago di Braies Lake Loop
If beautiful mountain lakes are on your radar, there's a chance you've seen a version of this photo before. If you go at peak hours, however, expect something like the scene at the Louvre's Mona Lisa vying for this shot. However, a run around the lake's perimeter in the morning or evening offers some solace with prime views the entire way. We love the Lago di Braies lake loop as a run because it's one of the flattest loops in the Dolomites. Circle the rolling singletrack once, or twice for a longer run. We then recommend having a swim or grabbing a beverage lakeside at the cafe adjacent to the lake. You can also rent rowboats near the cafe!
One loop around the lake is 2.2 miles with a little over 300 feet of elevation gain. Public transportation will take you right to the trailhead. Check out the FATMAP gpx file and elevation profile of the route.
Travel Tip: Venice Art Installation
Last time we were in Venice, Lorenzo Quinn's "Support" sculpture had us mesmerized. Featuring two giant hands emerging from the Venice Canal, it was meant to warn against climate change. Another sculpture of his involving hands opened earlier this month when his "Building Bridges" sculpture debuted at the Venice Bienalle.
In a recent Vanity Fair article with Lorenzo Quinn, he was quoted as saying “I want everyone to be able to relate to my sculptures...hands are familiar, of course, but also acceptable worldwide, removing the issue of censorship and taking away the element of race and gender. If I want to communicate with everyone, I have to do it through a universal language.” Each pair of hands represents six human values in total and is designed to represent building connections: friendship, wisdom, help, hope, faith, and love. The sculpture is located by the entrance of the Arsenale in the Castello District of Venice.
We love this installation for many reasons, but as a travel company it resonates with us because we believe in the power of travel in helping people build connections across cultures and borders. We will definitely be hitting up a sunrise run to check it out before our Dolomites Runcation. Will you join us?
Featured Adventurer: Vanessa Wolfe
Have you noticed our sweet new logo? Our featured adventurer this week is the winner of our logo contest! Check out our Q+A with Vanessa Wolfe, a runner, designer, and proud aussie owner!
Q: How did you come up with the logo design and what inspired it?
A: Well, it is hard not to be inspired by all your beautiful photos…my main goal was to integrate the rifugio and mountains into a geometric form that would translate well across all collateral and work well in one color.
Q: How long have you been running?
A: About 10 years
Q: Favorite trail or race?
A: Golden Gate Trail Race (Summer!) Love the views, course and people!
Q: Favorite place to travel or bucket list destination?
A: I really want to make it to Athens, Greece to run the original Marathon
Q: Fun fact or anything else you'd like to include?
A: In my next life I want to be a librarian, in a really old library like the George Peabody Library in Baltimore. I love to eat warm tortillas and butter before I go to bed and I have a mini aussie that I have to persuade with treats to run with me because he rarely gets out of bed before the sun is up :)
Thanks Vanessa for sharing your creativity and talent with us! You can stay up to date with Runcation merch featuring the new logo on the products page.
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