We have chosen another gorgeous balcony in Lajen, Italy to enjoy some of the local wines. Haus Aspenblick also came with a bus pass which cut down on our driving in the mountains!We enjoyed “Our Mountain” views from the apartment as they changed with the sunrise, sunset and passing clouds.Lajen, Italy was first written about in 993 but its history goes back to cave paintings and the Romans.Lajen’s Walther von der Vogelweide is a famous local minstrel from the Middle Ages (1200’s). There is a walking tour with his poetry displayed, like on this lovely sculpture. There is also a museum in town which we enjoyed learning more about this raconteur.Near by we went to Bolzano to visit Otzi-The-Iceman, a 5300-year-old mummy from the Bronze Age. This is a sculpture interpretation. We had visited Otzi here in 1998 before the museum was built.Another day trip to near by Passo Sella for a panoramic view of the Dolomites.The Dolomites were spectacularly beautiful with the fresh snowfall. We could enjoy the food at a hutte, even if it was not a conducive day for hiking.Back in Lajen, the cows have come home from the alpine pastures! There is a special fall festival to celebrate this annual event.A parade with a float reenacting the hay harvest. Also floats passing out new wine, schnapps, roasted chestnuts, and other local crops:Törggelen is the local food culture of this time of year.The bull whip performers (ala Indiana Jones) were amazing.The town square turned into a beer garden! A fun band, good food, and nice time to gather with friends and family. We are glad we stayed in the small village of Lajen.