After spending time in Tuscany and Cinque Terre, my buddy Mike Louthan and I, along with Nathaniel Smalley, headed to the Dolomites for five days. We started toward the Dolomites from the Venice area and we headed north toward our destination. About 90 minutes later, we stopped in Pieve di Cadore for our first real views of the Dolomites. The town, located in the Province of Belluno, is known as the birthplace of the famous Renaissance artist Titian as well as being the natural gateway to the heart of the Belluno Dolomites. Here was our first glimpse of what was to be a characteristic of the Dolomites Region: huge mountains towering above Italian towns, both large and small. From our vantage point, the craggy mountains jut into the sky and clouds and contrast greatly with the town below. The primary mountains that can be seen are the Marmarole and Spalti di Toro.