The Hund and Cane

This friendly mountain dog appeared when we first stopped on the approach to Grödner Joch, right by where I took this shot. At first, his visage sent my friend scrambling to the other side of our car, but with some soft words he came over for a visit…and he was indeed a gentle giant with a thick, richly coloured coat and the weather-worn face of an old soul. Didn’t pay much mind to us travelers, this noble beast seemed to exist in his own world on this mountain plateau. Like a spirit animal, at the moment we were wondering which direction to explore, the calming nature of his visit gave us confidence we were on the right path. He was kind enough to pose for a couple photos before ambling away to vanish over a ridge.

If you are wondering about the title – although a perfect name for a pub – Hund and cane are the German and Italian words for dog, respectively. Appropriate in this territory of dual-linguistics.

Südtirol, Italy, 2014.