This experience was so remarkable, I decided to do a separate page on it. While traveling from Austria to Italy, we witnessed an amazing transformation. After it happened, Emma, our tour guide said it was a first for her in all the tours she had directed.
After staying at the Gasthof Purner Hotel for two nights, in the picturesque village of Thaur, near Innsbruck Austria, we left that morning for Italy. It was raining lightly as we boarded the motor coach. We headed toward the Dolomite Mountains to take Brenner Pass through the Alps.
As we climbed higher in altitude, after what seemed like thirty minutes of rain, I remember looking at the windshield of the motor coach. All of a sudden the rain turned into big snow flakes. The rain literally froze before our eyes. From rainfall to snowfall, within minutes, the tall Austrian Pine trees were blanketed in white. As you will see from the pictures below, at times it looked like a white-out. I wondered how Roy, our bus driver, could see to drive. On a few occasions we got into some pretty tight places, and his skills were put to the test, which left us all quite impressed. And yes, I was praying!
What we experienced that day in the mountains would be equivalent to a blizzard here in the United States. But it was truly magical! I had never experienced a snowfall in the mountains, and I felt as though I had witnessed something extraordinary. In one picture you will see the snow plow passing our motor coach.
As we began to descend the Alps into Italy, suddenly the snow stopped, and turned into a light rain, and within five minutes the sun came out. As if magically transformed before us, we saw green grass and palm trees! What a transformation. From snow to subtropical scenery within 2 hours time. Never had I experienced that before. Emma told our group that we had witnessed something unusual, and very unique for that time of year. Click on pictures to enlarge.
Leaving Gasthof Purner Hotel in Austria for Italy 
There was a light rain the morning we left the hotel 
Below is the door just outside my room
Leaving Austria headed to Italy
Entering the Dolomite Mountains via Brenner Pass
Leaving the Alps (and the snow) toward Verona Italy
