Adventures of Humphrey

15 June, 2026

Buona sera readers,

This morning I woke at the very reasonable hour of **5:45am**, refreshed, energised and ready to tackle another mountain adventure.

The hoomans, however, appeared to have completely lost their sense of purpose.

Dad took me out for my morning constitutionals and then—brace yourselves—went straight back to bed.

Back. To. Bed.

I was appalled.

Surely there were mountains to climb? Forests to explore? Rivers to paddle in?

Apparently not.

At 8:45am I launched Operation Wake Up The Spare Hooman.

I nudged.

I sighed dramatically.

I stared at her face.

Nothing.

Not even a twitch.

Honestly, readers, if I didn’t organise this family nothing would ever get done.

Eventually, at the positively scandalous hour of **9:30am**, both hoomans finally surfaced.

We headed into town for breakfast and, as luck would have it, I met a lovely spaniel called **Bella**.

Now Bella was delightful.

We had a quick play on our leads, exchanged important canine information and generally got on very well.

Sadly, just as things were getting interesting, the hoomans interrupted.

Apparently breakfast was more important than my social life.

Typical.

The hoomans settled down and ordered not one coffee…

Not two coffees…

Actually, yes, **two coffees.**

I don’t know how they function without the stuff.

While we were sitting there, the spare hooman disappeared somewhere mysterious. She claims it was the toilet, but I remain unconvinced.

When she finally returned, I was so delighted to see her that I launched myself up for a greeting.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm slightly exceeded my coordination.

One paw accidentally scraped down the side of her face.

She yelped.

I immediately looked guilty.

Very guilty.

The sort of guilty that says, *”I didn’t mean it but I’m not entirely sorry because I was excited.”*

I spent the next few minutes sulking under the table while she inspected the damage.

Thankfully she forgave me.

Eventually we set off for today’s adventure.

After yesterday’s epic mountain expedition, today’s outing was a little gentler.

The trail was called **Giro di Pian de ra Spines**, which sounds impressive and is also impossible for me to pronounce.

Readers, it was beautiful.

Tall alpine trees.

Mountain views.

A crystal-clear icy blue river winding through the forest.

And best of all…

Peace and quiet.

The only downside was that I had to stay on my lead.

At least it was my bungee lead.

Dad occasionally unclipped me near the river and let me paddle in the water.

Oh my goodness.

It was glorious.

The water was icy cold and perfect for cooling my paws.

I splashed.

I paddled.

I pranced about like a mountain deer.

Absolute bliss.

We wandered through the forest for hours, stopping occasionally to admire the scenery.

At one particularly beautiful spot, the hoomans stopped for refreshments.

I stretched out on the grass and enjoyed some professional-level sunbathing while gazing up at the mountains.

It’s a hard life being a travel blogger.

Eventually we finished our walk and drove further up the road to a lake for an early dinner.

By this stage, I have to admit I was feeling a little lazy.

Yesterday’s mountain marathon had finally caught up with me.

Even adventure dogs need recovery days.

After dinner we headed back into town where the hoomans decided they absolutely needed a beer.

I found a lovely welcome mat outside and promptly fell asleep on it.

Apparently this wasn’t ideal for the waiting staff.

Personally, I thought I added a touch of elegance to the entrance.

As we all know, I improve the aesthetics wherever I go.

Then came the highlight of the evening.

Gelato.

The hoomans kept telling me what an exceptionally good boy I’d been throughout this trip.

Naturally, I responded with my most adorable expression.

The one with the big eyes.

The one that melts hearts.

The one that says, *”Surely a handsome traveller deserves a reward?”*

It worked.

I received the ends of both gelato cones.

Readers…

It was magnificent.

Sweet, creamy perfection.

My final gelato in Italy.

A bittersweet moment.

Tomorrow we leave the Dolomites and begin heading back towards Germany.

I will miss the mountains.

I will miss the forests.

I will miss the friendly people.

And I will definitely miss the gelato.

Back at the apartment, the hoomans watched television while I melted into my beloved sofa.

Tomorrow is an early start, so I need my beauty sleep.

After all, being this handsome requires maintenance.

**Buona notte!**

**Humphrey x**

*Explorer of Mountains, Conqueror of Gelato, and Defender of Sofas Everywhere*