I left for the South Tyrol with the travel editor's instructions ringing ominously in my ears. We had, he moaned, had quite enough pieces about the South Tyroleans and their eccentric German ways. There would be no more snide comments about their strangely un-Italian view of lederhosen as a legitimate fashion choice, no more hackneyed expressions of surprise at the idea of Italians favouring dumplings and pickled cabbage over pasta and pizza. I was going to have to come up with something completely new to say about the South Tyrol.
Well, I'm sorry, but I've failed. They way I see it, anyone visiting this little-known (in this country at least) corner of the world for the first time will be struck by its sheer - well - oddness. As a first-time visitor, it is hard to avoid the initial impression of the South Tyrol as some big Disney-style middle-European theme park, complete with fairytale castles set against the snow-capped, jagged peaks of the Dolomites, and rosy-cheeked locals who look like they've dressed up for the day in national costume.
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