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Faith Mackenzie travelled on our 'Butterflies of the Dolomites' holiday and submitted this entry to our writing competition.
Titania's Fritillary by Alan Miller
This was a very enjoyable trip, facilitated by congenial, generally knowledgeable participants, and competent leaders who had considerable expertise in this field, and were tolerant of the small eccentricities of individuals within the group.
The programme encompassed daily visits to a number of scenically spectacular locations (not hard to find in the Dolomites), including the Sella and San Pellegrino passes and the Panneveggio National Park. These different mountain environments - lower meadows or high passes - were selected as potential habitats for a variety of butterflies, and the activities were planned with an eye to impending weather conditions. The latter was moderately kind, with some local showers, and overnight snow and hail on high ground, which at times deterred both butterflies and humans from luxuriating in the meadows. A number varieties of moths, and butterflies were spotted, caught and identified, as the group leader's report will indicate.
The participants were housed in a traditional hotel, which offered excellent locally sourced cuisine and comfortable accommodation. As Samuel Johnson noted, in earlier times, 'There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced, as by a good tavern or inn.'
Each day the tour leaders purchased a range of local 'goodies' for lunch. This was consumed as a picnic lunch, taken en route, during the day's excursion. Hardly 'Dejeuner sur l'herbe', but nevertheless enjoyable. The programme was sufficiently flexible to allow individual participants to pursue their own interests, within the constraints of the group planning and organisation, and the activities offered were well matched to the proclivities, and fitness level of the majority. There were no major mishaps, barring unavoidable flight delays, and this was a very pleasant, well organised, and memorable week's activity.
Read more about our 'Butterflies of the Dolomites' holiday.