From Rifugio Croda da Lago (aka Rifugio Palmieri) it took us several hours to walk down to Cortina. We hadn't planned on being in Cortina and had not researched lodging options. Cortina being a resort town, we were worried we'd have to pay an arm and a leg for a room. We made our way to the center of town and found a visitor's center. For a tourism office, the lady was very unhelpful and acted like it was a bother for her to help us. So we just took a map with lodging options and looked for something close by that wasn't $$$$. Hotel Montana was only a few blocks away and only one dollar sign, so we went to check it out, half expecting to find a dump. We were pleasantly surprised at how nice it looked and even happier they had a room available for a reasonable price (and the staff was very friendly - the tourism office should take some tips from them!). After checking in and taking long, hot showers/baths we had a yummy lunch at 5 Torri (recommended by some hiker we met). We walked around Cortina, found a place for dessert, and found the bus station to check out our options for travel back to Milan. We liked 5 Torri so much we returned for dinner. Our last chance for Tyrolean food - the spinach and cheese Knödel was excellent. Cortina was very nice and would make a good base for exploring the Dolomites.

The next morning we took an express bus to Venice and caught the train back to Milan. The main attraction in Milan is Duomo, one of the largest cathedrals in the world. We toured the inside and climbed the stairs to the roof. The details and craftsmanship were awe inspiring! We walked around Milan, had one last dinner, and the next day flew back home. We had an incredible trip and hope to return to the Dolomites - what a gorgeous, stunning place!