The new facilities are beautiful, but to get to the bobsleigh facility you have to cross a construction site. Traffic under control, perhaps smaller shuttles would have moved better. And if you need something the volunteers will take care of it
The Olympics is such a unique event that it is worth putting up with some inconvenience because the visibility on a global level is indescribable and it is difficult to think that the many foreigners who have gotten to know the Pearl of the Dolomites in recent days will not return for the holidays in the next few years. There is something magical in Cortina, like when the sun finally illuminated the Tofane while Federica Brignone enjoyed her gold medal and the tricolor arrows whizzed through the finally blue sky after a gray morning. It was hard work, but the result is extraordinary, even if it could have been done even better. Let’s see point by point what the Olympics in Cortina are like.
Traffic
From the motorway exit at Belluno to Cortina, after years of work and exhausting queues for motorists, the journey is easier thanks to the two tunnels that Anas has built and which handle the traffic. But even the much feared entry into Cortina was managed well, with intelligence and kindness. Those who arrive at customs and do not yet have the pass are assisted by volunteers: just demonstrate that you are a resident or that you are staying in a hotel in Cortina with a simple email and here is the daily pass. Then once you arrive in Cortina you can collect it depending on the area you live in.
Shuttles and directions
The traffic is the usual Cortina one, there’s no denying it, but no more chaotic than the weeks around Christmas. Public transport has been favored, those who want to reach the competition fields can do so on free buses. For example, those who have to go up to Tofana to watch the alpine skiing competitions can take the bus to the Cortina Sud Spectator bus, then after passing the controls they take the new Socrepes cable car (free) and reach the arrival area of the competitions after a walk of about a quarter of an hour. A little tiring, but to see the Olympics it can be done. If we want to make a note about the vehicles used for transport, perhaps it would have been better to use smaller vehicles, given that the mountain roads are narrow.
The volunteers
One of the nice things about this Olympics are the volunteers. They come from all over the world, they can be found around the city at any time of day or night, they are very kind and can’t wait to talk to the disoriented tourist. Kindness is not always accompanied by preparation on the instructions to be given and things do not go better if you happen to turn to a policeman who is not from the area. Here in this case we say that a little more schooling would have been useful, especially considering the few square kilometers in which we move.
The new plants
The Ice Palace, which hosts the curling competitions, is a real jewel not only inside. All the internal structures and finishes have also been completed and the impact upon entering is truly beautiful. The same thing can be said for the new “Eugenio Monti” bobsleigh track, completed in record time and greatly appreciated by the athletes. However, access is rather complicated, the impression is that of an open construction site with dirty roads and a lot of mud.
The fans
The invasion comes mainly from the United States, on all competition fields the Americans are the most numerous and noisiest. The presence of enthusiasts from Northern Europe is also very high. There are Italians, but they are not very many, but it should not be forgotten that for us this is a working period, schools are open and it is not easy to carve out holidays at this time of year. However, from morning to evening Corso Italia is teeming with people of all nations with the epicenter at the Bar Caffè Sport, the one that has the lowest prices and where the younger ones don’t miss out on beers and spritzes at all hours.
Home Italy
Right in front of the Hotel della Posta, CONI has chosen the elegant headquarters of Casa Italia, a meeting point also for athletes after the races. The Farsettiarte Gallery hosted Team Italia. On display in Cortina are de Chirico and Balla, but also Joseph Kosuth and Mario Ceroli, Herman Nitsch and Sol LeWitt. Casa Switzerland is always open to the public, in which there is also a Carling track. On Location, the American company that manages the hospitality of the Olympics (and the next World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico) has instead chosen the 5 Totti restaurant, behind Corso Italia, for its customers
