| ABOUT US / MEET YOUR HOSTS! |
 Daniela and Stephen at the peak of the Tognola, with the Pale di San Martino in the background, and the town of San Martino di Castrozza down below.
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BENVENUTI! WELCOME!
Hi! My name is Daniela Anderson, and I want to welcome you to Italy and my beloved mountains, the Italian Dolomites, which are located in the Italian Alps just 68 miles from Venice, Italy.
 The charming Tyrolean ski resort village, San Martino di Castrozza (1450m), has been my maternal family's vacation home for over fifty years, and I spent my childhood summers here, running through meadows, exploring woods and climbing rocky peaks. As an adult, my love affair with "my mountains" has continued to dominate my life. My young son, our family's next generation, has already embraced his unique and special heritage. Because of my passion for these mountains and my desire to share them with others, I created The Alpine Adventure Agency, which specializes in dream trips to the Italian Dolomites located in the South Eastern region of the European Alps. It is my goal to immerse my guest in the culture completely – to leave you breathless with emotion at the rugged beauty of your surroundings, and feel the warmth and charm of the towns and the people in your hearts. I want my guests to have unique experiences they will remember the rest of their lives, and go home with Italy in their souls. As the daughter of an American father and an Italian mother, I am fortunate to be bi-lingual in Italian and English. I was born and raised in the greater Washington DC. area, but was fortunate as a child to be privately schooled both in the United States and in Italy. A lifetime shared between two countries and two cultures has placed me in the unique position of being able to provide you with the dream vacation of a lifetime because I take you over as a member of my family in smaller, intimate groups, and not as a tour operator herding a group in a mega-tour environment. I immerse you into Italian culture in towns that have not been destroyed by commercial tourism and where my life-long friendships with the townspeople in the towns we visit allow our groups to go to special places and participate in unique activites not offered to the casual tourist traveling on their own. You truly are welcomed in the places we visit with open arms and enjoy a very personalized experience on our trips.
 The Pensione Hermann / Ermanno (Daniela's great-grandmother and grandmother's hotel) in Merano, Italy. Merano is located along the Brenner Pass on the border of Austria and Italy in the Sud Tirol - Alto Adige region of the Italian Alps. Photo: Courtesy of Daniela Anderson.My Italian heritage is interesting (at least to me!). My grandfather and his family have had an established presence since the early 1700's in Genova (near Portofino) on the Italian Riviera. He became a Colonel in the Italian alpine army which is how he ended up in the Alps where he met my grandmother. She was born and raised on the Brenner Pass bordering Austria and Italy, in the thermal spa town of Merano, high in the Alps located in the Alto Adige - Sud Tyrol region just above the Dolomites. She was born Austrian, because Merano would not be seceded to Italy until after WWI. My mother and my aunt, also born and raised in Merano, were born Italian citizens because the town at that point was Italian territory. To this day, almost every person born in this part of Italy grows up bi-lingual in Italian and German, and Austrian and Italian influences intermingle and are found in all aspects of life: food, customs, architecture, traditional costumes, art and music.
 It is my grandmother and mother's family who began to vacation in San Martino di Castrozza so many years ago and helped to create the increasingly visible and involved presence my family now has in the town today. Because of my lifelong friendships with the townspeople of San Martino di Castrozza and the neighboring valleys, guests participating in our Italian Dolomites and Alps vacations get to go to special places and participate in unique activities created specifically for our groups.
My background in Tourism, Fiber Arts, Fine Arts and Art History, the Culinary Arts and Linguistics enables me to gift our guests with our unique, professionally organized events, workshops and vacations as well as lead these tours as a licensed guide in the regions we visit. I have worked as a docent, fine arts instructor and tour guide in respected art galleries and museums in PA, MD, VA and Washington D.C, beginning at the age of 15 working for the Smithsonian Institution, where I led a variety of demonstrations for visitors to the Museum of Natural History as well as the National Zoo. I also have organized and run art programs and cooking schools both for children and adults in New York and Pennsylvania. I hold a B.A. in Fine Arts and Art History focusing on the restoration of Italian frescoes from the Renaissance period. I minored in Italian language and literature and Russian Literature. Having grown up bi-lingual, I started tutoring and teaching Italian grammar and conversation back in college, and one of the most enjoyable activities which I incorporate into my vacations are the optional, fun evening sessions I personally lead on "Italian for Travelers." It is a great chance to get together after dinner in a relaxed atmosphere, share an espresso or other refreshment, and learn some basic Italian! In addition to speaking fluent Italian from birth, I also have studied Latin, French and Russian. It has been very rewarding to be able to share all of the areas in Italy that are near and dear to my heart with my guests. Our greatest joy is seeing the smiles on your faces, and being able to welcome you into our Alpine Adventure Agency family. The personal, ongoing friendships that have developed over the years with many of our guests is the most beautiful gift of all.
My family and I look forward to helping you create your dream vacation. Welcome to Italy...we can’t wait to meet you!  The view we see when we walk out our front door in San Martino di Castrozza, crown jewel of the Italian Dolomites. Photo: Daniela Anderson.
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 Ken, Daniela and Stephen at the peak of the Tognola. The Pale di San Martino are seen in the background, with the town of San Martino di Castrozza down below. Photo: Sandie Berarducci.
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 Daniela, age 2, plays in the meadow of the Fontanelle, San Martino di Castrozza. This is the family home belonging to Alessandro Simon, our full-time consultant and outdoor/ nature photography instructor.
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 Daniela and her sister as children in a meadow of the Fontanelle on the outskirts of San Martino di Castrozza.
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 Daniela and her sister as children playing in the meadow under the legendary Sass Pordoi. |
 Daniela and her sister as children, playing with Haflingers in Passo Rolle, just above San Martino di Castrozza. Haflingers are a breed of workhorse that originated in Avelingo (Hafling in German) a village just outside Merano, Daniela's mother's and grandmother's hometown.
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