When packing for my trip to Italy, I thought I packed enough clothes to cover all the climates I would encounter at the various locations we would be visiting. Tuscany and Cinque Terre were unusually cool for the time of year but my wardrobe was up to the task. We were watching the forecast for our Dolomite leg of the trip and realized that we were ill prepared for it from a clothing standpoint. The Dolomites were experiencing very cold weather and lots of snow, so much so, that it was setting records not seen for 70 years. At first, I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be seeing those green valleys with those quaint villages amid the towering mountains. The ruggedness of the mountains covered with snow quickly changed my mind. On the day that I captured this photo, we had run into a big snowstorm as we neared one of the passes and ultimately turned around. No it wasn’t what I expected, but it sure was beautiful.