Riva del Garda
We arrived in Italy on a Monday, late afternoon. Blue skies, hot temperatures; a real summer day. Now, this is more like it! I have had my fill of cold, rainy, damp, or cool weather. This SoFlo transplant is in desperate need of some SUMMER!
We are staying in a small village called Varone (Not the city of VERONA), just up the hill from the town of Riva del Garda. This is northern Italy where the border is shared with Switzerland and Austria. It is very mountainous here with elevations reaching 11K feet – you can still see snow on the mountain tops at the end of July.
Lake Garda is a huge lake surrounded by several small resort towns; Riva del Garda being one of the larger and more popular. In addition to Lake Garda, there are a few other popular lakes buried in the surrounding mountains, all of which are bustling with tourists and locals from the many nearby villages and towns.
Back to the task at hand, getting from Venice airport, where we landed coming from Bordeaux to Riva gel Garda. It will be about a 2-1/2 hour drive. No problem.
I am sure by now you know that anytime I say, “no problem” or “easy peasy,” there is going to be drama. As we close in on the town of Riva del Garda, we find humans everywhere. The place is crawling with hundreds and hundreds of people, walking in the street, screaming by on Vespas or scooters, bikes and cars everywhere. There is bumper-to-bumper traffic exacerbated by road closures all over the town, mostly due to new building construction everywhere. It takes us over 1 hour to get to the rental office to pick up our key to our flat, which is about 3 miles uphill from the town of Riva del Garda. We drive in circles for at least 30 minutes of that time, with the GPS sending us around the round-abouts only to be foiled by another road closure. Finally, exasperated and annoyed, we park and walk into the square where the rental office is located, secure the key and with key in hand, we walk back to the car and proceed on our merry way to the flat. By this time we are tired, hot and in such need of a bathroom that we are both close to tears.
It is 90+F and even at 4pm, the sun is blazing. Normally, the temperature in this part of Italy is a moderate 75-80F in the daytime and 65-70F in the night. Unfortunately, we learn quickly that we have chosen the 2 weeks for our visit in which this area is experiencing a record-breaking heat wave and dry spell.
On to the flat. We arrive, figure out where to park and decide to treat ourselves to the bathroom before we bother with the suitcase. We find the flat to be on the 3rd floor, 6 flights of stairs, no elevator. Hot, tired, in need of a bathroom. OK, who can run up the stairs fastest. We are supposed to have 2 bathrooms, and I am crossing my fingers, and other body parts for different reasons, that the advert is correct. In we go, every man/woman for his/herself to find the bathroom.
RUT-ROAH! Something is very, very wrong. We open the flat door and are hit by a blast of heat. Can they possible have the heat on?? First things first – yay! There are 2 bathrooms.
We both come out and realize the heat is still on. Oh no, my friends, we check the thermostat, which reads 90F only to find the heat is not on but neither is the A/C. UH OH – there is no A/C switch! It then dawns on us, unlike most places in the US, most places in Europe do not have A/C. They do not have A/C because it seldom gets this hot in these parts and the buildings are incredibly old – never retrofitted for A/C. Did I mention we are here in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave?
Great, we have a couple of “oops” going on here. The flat we rented does NOT have A/C, we are going to be here during a record-breaking heat wave, and we are on the top floor of a 3-story building, 6 flights of stairs and no elevator. But, there are 2 bathrooms! And, thank the gods and goddesses overseeing grape vines, Italy has good wine.
I pour some grape juice and Jim drags all our luggage to the third floor. We unpack, have dinner and go to bed dreaming of cool mountain breezes. Unfortunately, sleep does not come easy this first night. We are so spoiled!
PS, I forgot to mention, our flat is beautiful. We have a lovely wrap-around terrace where we can sit and admire the stunning mountain views. Given we are up the hill from the madness in Riva del Garda, we will enjoy peace and tranquility in our little village of Varone, population 500.
Here are some nice views from our terrace
Varone (not Verona)
We awoke the next morning to a forecast of 93F and full-on sunshine. Jim is exploring the many rooms and closets in our flat and low and behold, the luck of the Irish produces 2 oscillating fans! What a find, Jimmy Flynn. Almost as good of a find as the one you made 34 years ago! LOL (that would be me, people).
We decide to test our luck and explore the village of Varone. Joy to the world! Around the corner from our flat is the Varone village square upon which sits a (1) beautiful, old Catholic Church with a large bell tower, (2) grocery store, (3) Chicago-style butcher with dry-aged steaks, homemade sausages, a collection of beautiful cheeses and a separate room with shelves of Italian wine for sale, (4) post office, and (5) an outdoor cafe and bar. The locals are gathered and a lively discussion is going on, with laughter and the melodic sound of the Italian language – hands and all – with everyone talking and gesturing at the same time.
We visit the butcher first, introduce ourselves (his English is amazing!) and learn that he and his wife are from Sardinia and have owned the butcher shop here in Varone for many years. He loves to “chew the fat” 😂. (Sorry, I had to say it). Next, we meet the grocer. His English is not so good but then, neither is our Italian. Between his halting English, our abominable Italian, and sign language, we figure it out. Then, we check out the church and find Sunday Mass is at the civilized hour of 10AM.
We fill our shopping bags (which I brought from home!) with meats, cheeses and groceries for breakfast and dinner and stop at the outdoor cafe for a prosecco and glass of wine. Living local is just divine.
Ok, I forgot to mention, the church is next door to our bedroom. The bell tower begins its beautiful chiming promptly at 7:30AM every day. The bells are belting out the Ave Maria, which goes on forever. It is beautiful to be sure but talk about an alarm clock! No worries, it is too hot to sleep anyway!
Our friends, Ursula and Alfred, will arrive from Munich the next day. They will be spending a few days in Riva del Garda (RDG) to hang out with us. The drive from Munich to RDG is only 4 hours and so they make the drive down to see us. We are looking forward to their visit as it has been a while since we have seen them, and it will also be nice to see some familiar faces. We have known them for 25 years and so it will be wonderfully comfortable to hang out.
The Dolomites: Part I
We picked up Ursula & Alfred at their hotel early in the morning and started our trek up the Dolomites. For those unfamiliar with this mountain range, some quick background.
The Dolomites are a mountain range in the eastern section of the northern Italian Alps. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their unique landscape and geological features, according to our guidebook. A fun fact, they are called the Dolomites as a nod to the French geologist, Monsieur Dolomieu, who studied the unique rock formations of this mountain range and is given credit for “discovering” these rocks, so they bear his name. The rocks are almost white in color, creating an ethereal aura about them. At sunrise and sunset, the mountains are bathed in sunlight and the rocks take on a reddish color known as Alpenglow. One can tell from pictures of this phenomenon that the effect is just stunning. I will never be there early or late enough to witness this effect of the sun as the drive to and from the summit is harrowing, to say the least. The Italians describe the roads up to the Dolomites as spaghetti roads. Now that is what I call “painting a picture” with words!
The highest peak is Marmolada which touches the sky at 11,000 feet. There are several peaks in the 10K range, and the Dolomites boast several large national parks and many lakes (all formed by glaciers). They border Austria and, in their past, they were considered part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. As we drove through the many towns, the Austrian and German influence is dominant. There are hundreds of Swiss-chalet type buildings, and one expects that Julie Andrews is yodeling on the porch of a nearby chalet.
The Dolomites are renowned for skiing, mountain climbing, hiking, and cycling as well as hang gliding (OMG, we saw some nut job hang gliding! I mean, what the HELL is he/she thinking???) and BASE jumping. I had to look this one up – it is the act of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend “safely” to the ground. The types of things from which one jumps are mountains, buildings, bridges, and antennas. Antennas? Really?? One last valid point to be made. Please note that the definition of Base Jumping puts “safely” in quotes. Are you kidding me? If I had any notion of trying Base Jumping, once I googled it and found a definition putting “safely” in quotes, the base of my jumping would be from a bar stool to the floor. Anyway, back to the beautiful Dolomites.
Tourism is obviously the #1 economic resource. Given the proximity to Germany and Austria, much of the tourism comes from these countries. The primary languages spoken in these parts (including Riva del Garda and much of northern Italy) are German and Italian. English is a third choice. We observed that many of the local Italians speak German as fluently as their native tongue, Italian.
We stopped for lunch on our way to the summit. The temperature was an incredible 75F. Once we got to the pinnacle of our trip, it was an awe-inspiring experience to stand 8,000 feet in the air, admiring creation. It really takes your breath away (and not just because the air is so thin, although that is certainly a side effect of being this high up). The pictures cannot do this vista justice. You will just have to see it for yourself!
In the meantime, hope you can admire the view from my camera lens!
Ursula & Alfred left us after a few days to return to Munich. They are both retired these days and so they have a very full social and travel calendar. We enjoyed the time we shared with them, and we all promised to make it happen again somewhere on our respective world travels.
Back to Varone
I am constantly amazed at the many wonders that exist in tiny little towns. In the past, our travels took us mostly to large cities, Rome, London, NYC, etc. We come to expect that the most gorgeous fountain in the world is around the corner from our hotel in Rome.
On this trip, we have chosen to experience what living local really means and so we have purposefully chosen small villages and towns where we can store our suitcases and live like locals. We are discovering that beauty and/or forces of nature can be found in the tiniest of villages. For example, in our tiny village of Varone is the geological wonder, Parco Grotta Cascata!
Parco Grotta Cascata
Parco Grotta Cascata is a 13-minute walk from our flat. If you do not go out walking or fail to read the tourist pamphlets, you will completely miss that it even exists. To miss it would be a horrible shame as the Parco Grotta Cascata is a geological wonder.
Why? Well, the technical reason is that lots of crazy stuff happened to make this geo-rarity, blah blah blah, fast forward to more “modern geological times.” Bottom line, a natural gorge formed as the limestone rocks were eroded over 20,000 years by waters from Lake Tenno roaring down and excavating the rock on the wall of the waterfall, causing it to diminish further and further and rocks and piles of debris collapsing downward. It is all “way over my head” (sorry, had to say it), so to observe this magnificent force of nature, stand in the gorge while the water slams down 330 feet right in front of you; slam being the operative word. Bring a poncho or spend 5EU to purchase one at the ticket counter. We did neither of these things and left soaking wet, which was fine because we were scorching hot from our walk to the park.
Can you feel the cold water washing down on you? This is a video Jim made while the water was crashing down in front of him! Hope it works….
This area has also been developed into a park and botanical garden. On the way to the gorge, you walk through stunning garden displays of flowers, succulents, grasses, trees, and on and on. Each botanical wonder is clearly labeled with both its formal and casual name.
La Berlera
After a few days of endless sightseeing, I consulted with Jim regarding Friday night dinner. It is quickly determined that the “Flynn kitchen is closed on Friday” and we will go out to dinner. We both want something close by and nowhere near the sea of tourists in Riva del Garda. Enter Google search for restaurants near our village of Varone. Jim comes across La Berlera, which advertises “elevated dining.” We said to each other, “this is a village of 500; how can there be elevated dining here?” We thought, well, they must be referring to their being “elevated” in the mountains – like at a higher elevation. Gosh, we are such damn snobs!
Well, Ohhhh Myyyyy goddddds! La Berlera absolutely knows the meaning of elevated dining and fine wine! However, the prices resembled something you would pay at a Denny’s in the US! This place must be on the Michelin list of fine restaurants; if it is not, it should be added pronto.
La Berlera is stunning. It is built into a mountain side and the building consists of a few small apartments rented as B&Bs. There is an indoor restaurant room that is like the inside of an elegantly done mountain cave with high ceilings. There is also an outdoor dining area on a cliff overlooking Lake Garda and the towns below and it is surrounded by vineyards. La Berlera is owned and operated by a young couple. She operates the front of the house and purchases all the wine and he is the executive chef. She comes from Peru and he was born in these parts of Italy. The restaurant is elegant, candles, white table cloths, lovely silverware. When it came time to order, Lizette helped us select wine, walking us through the parings that would work best based on our tastes and dinner choices. She sounded like a wine encyclopedia! I asked her if she is a sommelier and she laughed and said: “Sommelier, this is a big word for me, I am just very enthusiastic about wine.” So cute! We had a fantastic meal, a great bottle of wine and went home astounded by our good fortune at having once again found a wonderful place to eat within a 13-minute walk from our flat (we ate there again before we left Italy). Our culinary luck has been incredible considering we found great restaurants in the small towns of Chippy (Alberto’s), Kilorglin (10 Bridge Street), and now, Varone (La Berlera).
It is amazing what wonders can be found just around the corner of your apartment in a tiny little village if you just take the time to search Google and be adventurous!
Well, kids, the kitchen at the Flynn abode is once again open and I’m getting “hangry” clues that we should get to the business of eating dinner. So, until our next adventure in Italia, ciao for now!
Dolomites: Part II A different point of view
We finally got some rain last night. It cooled things off for a bit and cleaned up the air; all of which is really pleasant and outside temps are about 80F, with a nice breeze blowing through. So we decide to take advantage of the beautiful weather and continue exploring the local areas.
There are several different roads one can take up into the Dolomites. Our research revealed that each has its own natural wonders, including beautiful lakes, and charming medieval villages. The route we decide to follow today is along the western side of the Dolomites (we previously drove up the eastern side of the mountains with our friends, Ursula and Alfred) where there is located a large cable car type vehicle at the top, which will take you to the next peak and a nice place to have a drink and bite to eat.
So, off we go to venture up into the skies in search of what beauty might lie within yodeling distance of our flat. We are about 20 minutes into our scenic ride, which I have been thoroughly enjoying from the passenger seat, when things start turning south, so to speak. Well, I should have studied Google Maps a bit closer prior to agreeing to this outing. I look at the car GPS and here is what is in front of us: Spaghetti roads!
Unlike our experience in Ireland, at least these roads were built to handle 2 life-sized automobiles. There was no need for the “stand off” as to which car was going to move over to let the other pass. The hairpin turns are a bit on the stomach-turning side, but if you close your eyes, you won’t see it coming. So I’m going to just sit back and enjoy the view. I went to Mass this morning so if things go badly, the worst case scenario is Purgatory for me.
There are dozens of charming towns and villages all along the mountain, some of which have developed around beautiful mountain lakes the color of turquoise or a brilliant blue, depending on where the lake is located on the mountain. The sunshine is like diamonds on the surface of the lakes. I want to stop and see if these really were diamonds, as diamonds are my best friend, but Jim assured me they were not diamonds, just an allusion; wishful thinking on my part. Boo-Hoo! He is such a buzz-kill, that Jimmy Flynn! -:) Maybe he just needs to approve a diamond purchase! Ha!
After many ooh’s and aah’s, we eventually climb to the top of this peak where the cable car vehicle is located. We park, in an empty parking lot, walk to the cable car where there are no lines, get up to the ticket counter which is closed tighter than a drum.
Uh Oh. It is Sunday! Nothing is open on Sunday, including the cable car because the restaurant is closed on Sunday. Anyway, being that it is not ski season, no one is going to the mountain top to take a cable car to a restaurant on a another peak, especially when they can be enjoying the sun, beach and cool waters of the mountain lakes. No wonder there were so many people hanging around “down there” and not “up here”. Oops!
Well, as I have already said, the scenery is to-die-for (not literally) so sharing the view through my iPhone lens. Hope you enjoy. (Note the empty cable car! lol). The lake you see here is Lake Tenno.
Back down we go, once again driving like we are riding down a slide of spaghetti noodles. It is worse going downhill because managing your speed is a real chore. We eventually reach Varone, safe and sound. Dinner and wine on the terrace while we stare lovingly at the mountains we have now driven up twice. We are feeling very good about ourselves.
HA! Then came Arco… For now, ciao bellas, it is cocktail hour (it is always noon somewhere!).
Arco!
Arco is a very popular tourist town and for many good reasons. There is a lot to see and do in Arco, starting with the Castle of Arco. The Castle of Arco was built sometime after 1000 AD. It sits very high up above the town of Arco on a sheer limestone cliff jutting straight up like a menacing wall, protecting the ancient castle. The castle is a ruin with only some restored walls still standing. There have been a number of restorations done on the castle. In the process of trying to restore it on one occasion, the workers discovered beautiful frescoes of knights and court ladies dating back to the medieval times. You can see these if you climb to the building above the Castle. We did not do this and here is why…
One can get to the Castle of Arco by climbing up a very steep path, some of which is walkable and some of which is rocks. It is a winding path to the top and requires a relatively good level of fitness to get there. The walk measured about 800 feet in elevation on my iWatch and it is straight up. The walk to the Castle takes about 30 minutes or so and by the time you reach the top, your heart is pounding fiercely in your chest, you are panting for a breath and your legs are burning like a son of a gun. I mean, BURNING! We did this little joy walk on a 90F day. By the time we got to the castle, I looked like I was trying out for a wet T-shirt contest and NOT in a good way!
But hey, it’s not just me, I saw 12 year old kids a sweaty mess and trying to catch their breath after climbing to the top. LOL.
Once you get to the castle and you are again breathing normal, you look around and again your breath is taken away. The view is spectacular. Stay as long as you can. The walk down is only marginally easier. But really, don’t miss it because it is worth the walk up.
Arco is also known for its windsurfing on Lake Garda and rock climbing on the walls of the cliffs near the city. The annual Rock Master event is held in Arco and is an international climbing event, so very popular. Mountain biking is also a top activity with international bikers everywhere. The town itself has no less that 50 to 75 physical fitness clothing stores, selling mountain climbing gear and clothing of every type, along with biking, windsurfing and other fitness related paraphernalia. We saw a store that repurposes your worn mountain climbing rope by taking it and making belts, handbags and other useful gear. How cool is that?
In addition to all of this physical activity, Arco has a number of other sights worth visiting. There are 2 major squares in Arco. On the main square sits the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, a Roman Catholic church which is said to house the remains of King Francis II (don’t know who he is but he is mentioned in all of the literature on Arco – I wasn’t moved enough to research his importance). Anyway, this church is considered one of the most important Renaissance-style churches in this area of Italy. It was first built in 1100AD but then destroyed and rebuilt in the 1600’s. There are a number of major artworks in the church, an enormous main altar and 8 side altars. Its bell tower is 200 feet tall. Thankfully, there is no opportunity to climb to the top of the bell tower!
Arco also has beautiful botanical gardens, lots of restaurants and gelaterias and plenty of opportunity to sit and people watch while enjoying a Campari spritz!
By the way, this is very important information. In this part of Italy, there are 3 types of Spritz.
- Apperol Spritz made with Aperol and prosecco
- Campari Spritz made with Campari and prosecco
- Non-alcohol spritz which I think is just club soda
Do not ask for any other combination to your spritz. No splash of soda, no fruit of any kind, no wine instead of prosecco, etc. You will only confuse the wait staff and bartenders and they will stare at you in disbelief as they cannot understand why anyone would mess with a perfectly good thing. Leave it alone and just go with what history dictates on this one. Trust me.
Same goes for your coffee. 3 options:
- Caffe Expresso, decaf or not
- Cappuccino, decaf or not
- Macchiato, decaf or not. By the way, macchiato means “stained” and so it is called because it is literally a caffe expresso “stained with milk”)
Last bit of important information.
You order your coffee either at the coffee bar or sitting at a table, where there is a waiter who will bring your order (table service). The coffee bar is quicker and you do not pay a service charge. If you sit at the table, the waiter brings your coffee and therefore, there is usually a 1 or 2 Euro “coperto” or fixed cover charge per person sitting at the table. “Coperto” means “covered” and it is a charge by the restaurant which is meant to “cover” the costs necessary for your table service, such as the lines, silverware, plates, glasses, etc. It is NOT a tip for the waiter.
Next time you eat a meal or have a coffee/drink at a table in Italy, take a look at your bill and you will likely see the “coperto” listed separately on your bill. The amount of the coperto can depend on the restaurant. A cafe will likely had 1 or 2 euro per person to the bill. A finer dining restaurant may add as much as 4 or 5 euro per person to the bill. In one very touristy town here, Jim and I paid 8 euro! per person for pizza, salad and a diet coke for each of us.
Wow, that was a major diversion from talking about Arco! These are the fun things you learn when living local.
Back to Arco….it is a really interesting town with a diverse menu of activities available, interesting sights to see, a walk along the river and take in the botanical garden, if you are into beautiful flowers and trees. Unless you are crazy and do a lot of rock climbing, you can take in Arco in less than a day.
Hope you enjoy the view from my iPhone lens. It doesn’t do it justice, really, so you may just have to make your way to Northern Italy! And I’m still struggling with inserting pictures into this blog. so sorry!
Verona
Verona is a large city in northeastern Italy. The city proper has about 260,000 inhabitants and the metropolitan area about 720,000 inhabitants. It has always been a very important city given geography and proximity to the River Adige. It dates back to about 500BC! There are a couple of cool things we learned about Verona.
- In the 13th and 14th century, it was ruled by the della Scala family, and became very prosperous and powerful. Scala means “ladder” and so there are many little hidden gems and monuments preserving the della Scala era of Verona’s history.
- The Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, takes place in Verona and you can visit Juliet’s balcony.
- There is a very well-known opera season in Verona and the opera takes place in the Roman amphitheater which still stands in all of its glory in the city’s largest piazza, the Piazza Bra.
- Verona will host the closing ceremonies of the 2026 Winter.
- All of Verona is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of all of the rich and ancient architecture.
There is so much to see and experience in Verona. We spent only a day there and did a walking food tour, which was fun and informative. In retrospect, I would have set aside 2 or 3 days to explore Verona and take different walking tours each day. There is just so much history here and it is hard to take it all in just in one afternoon.
We did get some pretty cool pictures of the arena, the tombs that are located near the center of the city and a few della Scala sightings! Enjoy!
Before we move on to Sirmionie, remember our friends Ursula & Alfred? Well, Alfred is a pilot and instructor of some renown in Munich. He has his own plane and when he is not instructing, he is flying for fun. Well, it just so happens that he chooses to fly over Verona on the very day we are there! How fun is that? We had no idea of course, until Ursula sent these pictures. While he was up there flying, Alfred took aerial pictures of Verona. What a great surprise and fun thing to add to our experiences. Enjoy Verona from the sky!
Sirmionie (pronounced sir mee OWN ee)
Sirmione is located on the tip of a long, narrow peninsula extending into Lake Garda. It is town with its origins in the Stone Age. It is a tourist hot spot, with beautiful gardens, thermal spas, and beaches. There is no end to the shopping, cafes, and people watching in Sirmionie (this is where we stopped for a quick lunch and the coperto was 8 euro per person) and worth making the time to enjoy. We are here in the height of tourist season and there are people and bougainvillea everywhere!
When you first enter Sirmionie, you encounter the Scaligaro Castle (pictures below). It has been completely restored and is just stunning to see. You can go inside the castle for a fee; we took a pass and were satisfied with the view from our side of the moat.
The other spot we were anxious to see is the Grotte di Catullo. These are the remains of a Roman villa dating back to the 1st century BC. It sits at the tip of the Sirmionie Peninsula with panoramic views of the lake. We were told it is very large and takes about an hour to tour. We did not get the opportunity to tour the villa, but more on that later.
Sirmione has a number of very old churches and anything else you would expect to see in an old medieval town. One of the churches we visited, San Pietro, was built in 1070AD and contains beautiful frescos that have been amazingly well-preserved.
After a few hours of roaming around in the scorching heat, rubbing shoulders with thousands of people, and a 2 hour drive ahead of us, we called it a day, drove back to our flat and went for happy hour in our Varone village square. Ah, the aloha of home sweet home, there’s nothing like it!
Oopsie-Doozies Dayz-ies
Tell me, what is living without the occasional Oops!? The thing about Oops! is that they are the same no matter where you go. We had a few Oopsie Doozies several days in a row.
Let’s start with our trip to Sirmione. We booked a 3 hour walking tour in Sirmione, with plans on seeing the Roman ruins, the castle and some of the art. We booked the tour and paid our 90 euros. We set out 2 hours ahead of the scheduled start time of the tour. Sirmione is about 90 minutes from our flat and we thought it a good idea to add the extra time. Unfortunately, construction and a terrible accident on the road to Sirmione put a real monkey wrench in our timeline. We arrived 40 minutes late and the tour had taken off without us. OOPS! Out 90 euro, tired and frazzled, we sat down to lunch, walked about 1/2 hour and got back in the car for the 2 hour drive home.
On the way to the car, we stopped for a water and couple of colas for the road. We are driving out of the town of Sirmione, someone cut us off in the round-about with 6 exits and Jim had to hit the brakes pretty hard to avoid an accident. The cola, sitting in the cup holder in the back seat, popped out of the holder and hit the ground “just right”. The lid punctured and cola started flying all over the car! Jim jumps out, cars lined up behind him to get into the round about, grabs the cola which is still exploding, and tosses it on the nearby grass and jumps back in the car. Thankfully, no ticket for littering was issued. Jim and the car were soaked with cola making the ride home a rather sticky proposition. OOPS!
I don’t think we were meant to go to Sirmione. LOL Jim is not LOL-ing about it yet but he’ll come around!
The next day, I asked him to drive us back to Arco for a few pictures of the castle from the ground and for lunch at a little joint making great pizza. No problem. We are looking for parking, Jim decides on this one spot and then decides to look around for something with a little more shade. It was 90F this day. After spinning around, we find nothing shady except for a spot that limited parking to 1 hour. We decide to go back to our original spot, which we did and found it had not yet been taken. Great! We park and walk to Arco. After a bit of roaming around, some gelato, pizza and a cold drink, we head back to the car. On the windshield is a huge piece of paper. It is a ticket for 30 euros. Turns out this spot also had a 1 hour parking limit and we failed to notice the sign! OOPS.
I don’t think we were meant to go back to Arco. LOL. Again, Jim not yet laughing.
We tried to pay the ticket on line, which the instructions say is possible. No luck. So, we go to the Italian post office to pay the ticket. The post office is an authorized payment center. There is a short line (3 people). Unfortunately, only one clerk and the grandma and great grandma who were at the counter when we got there, were still at the counter 35 minutes longer before whatever the Hades they were doing, got done. Jim wanted to leave early on and I convinced him to just be patient and we would get our turn shortly. Unfortunately, again, my position did not pan out as grandma and great grandma had 35 more minutes of business to complete. OOPS! This experience at the post office is further delaying the laughter factor of getting the ticket. Ugh.
Then there was the time we paid for parking in Verona using the machine on the street. You have to put in your license plate number, how long you will be and pay by coin. We have a rental car and so naturally, Jim doesn’t know our license plate number. He goes back to the car, takes a picture of the plate and comes back, pays for the parking and goes back to the car to put the paid parking ticket on the dashboard so the policeman knows we paid. He can’t unlock the car. That is when he noticed he was trying to get into a Mercedes parked right next to ours, same color, same sedan-like model. OOPS! So, back to the machine with the correct license plate number, another output of coins and a correctly paid parking ticket on the dashboard! LOL
All Choked Up (and beat up)
This is not such a funny story but it has a good ending. On Monday, Jim and I were on the terrace of our flat in Italy enjoying a glass of wine and a nice dinner, which included a really good, fresh salad. All of the sudden, I started choking, and then I could not breathe! Jim jumps up, flips me around on the seat and starts administering the Heimlich Maneuver. I can’t recall exactly how many times he grabbed me underneath my chest and pushed but it was probably 3 or 4 times. All of the sudden, this piece of lettuce projectiles from my mouth and I am gasping for breath.
Anyway, it all ended well and I am happy to say that the Good Lord did not punch my ticket yet and I guess I have proof that Jim really is not trying to drive me off a mountain cliff!
However, I have a new mantra, which is the morale of this entire story. THE HELL WITH LETTUCE! EAT GELATO! 😂
What do you think? Good advertising slogan for Gelato?
A woman projectiles a piece of lettuce as she nearly chokes to death. Her husband hands her a tub of Gelato and a spoon and says, “don’t get choked up over having to eat a salad, eat Gelato instead”.
I can see the millions rolling in as my ad is plastered all over the world and here is the little culprit that will make us advertising millionaires:
Oh, but we are not done for the day. That same night, I get up at about 3AM to use the rest room. It is pitch black in the flat. As I’m heading back to bed, my face makes contact with the door jamb. Hurt like hell, but no harm/no foul. Until I wake up the next morning, look in the mirror while brushing my teeth and darn near choked to death, again! My eye looks like I made contact with the business end of Mohammed Ali’s right hook! It really looks like someone punched me in the head. So, lots of eyeshadow and mascara later, it looks like I’m going for the “smokey eye” look, which Vogue tells me is “in” these days, and all I had to do was take a walk to the loo in the middle of the night.
Horrible luck. But hey, at least l didn’t choke to death at dinner that night and my husband saved my life. So, all good aloha coming my way!
We have had a few other little “oops” but nothing worth belaboring. It’s all about living someplace new. Learning new stuff, making mistakes and going with the flow. Of course it is often easier said than done, but we give it the good old college try.
Palazzo Lodron
We went to a beautiful winery today, Palazzo Lodron. The vintners are Austrian and the house and vineyard sit on land that has been in their family since 1456. Their history includes descendants such as Prince Archbishop of Salzburg, who rebuilt the entire palace and added a beautiful private family chapel. Today, the descendants of Count of Lodron still live in the Palazzo and maintain it the historic home. The wife of the current Lodron family member, gave us the tour of the home and the vineyard. It was so special!
For many years, the family leased the vineyard to a local person who decided a few years ago that he was no longer interested in leasing the land and growing vines. So, the Lodron family reclaimed its vineyards in 2016. They started producing their own wine in 2018 and the yield is still really small – about 8000 bottles a year. Their first vintage, released in 2018, scored 96 points with Decanter. The 2nd vintage scored 94 points. They produce only red wine, all Bordeaux blends and one Rosato that is really big for a rose. This approach is very different in Italy, where grapes grown produce Italian wines, not Bordeaux! They family is very involved with the wine production.
The family’s ancestral home is full of remarkable history. Today, the family lives in the Palazzo but also allow the land to be used for wedding and other Italian festivities. A number of family members were visiting on holiday when we were there for the wine tour and so we got to meet children and grandchildren, nieces, nephews and the most adorable black Labrador Retriever puppy I have every laid eyes on. If you travel to this part of the world, be sure to book a wine tour to visit the Palazzo Lodron. It is worth the time and the wine is amazing.
Another little wine story…
So, we are in this really cool grocery store – a Whole Foods on super steroids but without the exorbitant price tags. In the wine section, we spot this wall with computer screens and what appears to be gasoline hoses coming out of the wall. Opposite the wall is a shelving unit with all of these various sized plastic containers. Up walks this man, grabs a plastic jug, shoves the gasoline hose into the jug, punches a few digits on the computer screen and out flows, not gasoline, but wine! Upon further inspection, the “gasoline pumps” are connected to barrels of wine behind the wall. All you do is grab the size jug you want, choose the wine you want and pump away! Of course, Jimmy Flynn had to give this a go. On our last night in Italy we drink wine from a plastic jug which we purchased for less than 5EU from a gasoline pump device. It is a memory we will always have and hopefully, never repeat. The wine was “ok”. We didn’t finish it, so that says it all! OOPS 🙂
Our final days in Italia
Before closing the book on Italy and packing up to leave for Spain, we take one last, lazy day ride up the mountain to check out the city of Trento, one of the largest cities in the country. We didn’t stop in Trento, we were mainly just interested in taking the ride and getting a view of the city. We drove further on past Trent into the country and pulled into this tiny little town with really beautiful houses. Turns out the town is Spormaggiore, population about 1,250. At one of the only “main” intersections in the town, there is a crucifix, a fire hydrant and a bench, all clustered together. Directly across the street, is a wooden board with a poster permanently affixed, depicting 2 guys playing music while a bunch of young kids hang out watching. Below the picture is a small poster of Fausto Lochner, who may be one of the guys in the poster. The other guy may be Sandro Leonardelli. I tried to find out info on these 2 guys but there are slim pickings on the internet. According to one article I found, they are known for their beautiful photography of nature. The pictures I found representing a sampling of their work, are spectacular. The town of Spormaggiore hosted a memorial for the 2 photographers during which they posted all of their photographs in an exhibition set up in the streets of the town. Unfortunately, we missed it by a year…oops
Anyway, the whole scene was really very cool. Once again, venturing out for an afternoon ride led to a really interesting discovery. I am still scratching my head over the crucifix + fire hydrant + park bench. Whatever, they make for interesting conversation and fun memories.
Jimmy looks like a local, doesn’t he? A man enjoying a beautiful day in Spormaggiore, Italy.
Aloha to Italy
Our time in Italy has come to a close. We have really enjoyed this beautiful part of the country with lovely, warm people. The life is an easy pace, the food is absolutely amazing, the wine is some of the best in the world (I think) and the cost of living is much lower than in the US.
And the gelato is the best in the entire world, for real. I eat gelato every day. If I don’t get out of here and stop eating gelato, I’m going to look like an upside-down ice cream cone!
Me after eating my way through every gelateria in Italy!
Vespas, Vespas, Vespas (or, your chariot awaits, madame)
The Italians love their motorbikes, especially the Vespa. Everyone, regardless of age, seems to drive one. I have wanted one for 25+ years, ever since I saw my first Vespa in Positano Italy, on the crazy, wild roads of the Amalfi Coast. We were standing at a crosswalk, waiting to cross the street, and this handsome young Italian man whistles in my direction. Of course I was flattered and feeling pretty good about myself until I saw this little dog dart into the road, run to the Vespa driven by the handsome Italian man and leap for the Vespa which is moving, and off they go. I fell in love with the Vespa and vowed that I would own one in red! And here we are!
Don’t I look just like a local?
There is always the option to upgrade to a BMW-like scooter 🙂
You know I have to do this…
I cannot leave a place without sharing at least one or two funny signs!
When you enter a town, you will be introduced by a very large road sign. It is white and the name of the town is in black. When you leave the town, that sign is repeated, but with a little twist. it is cancelled by a red line through the name of the town. We were confused when we first arrived here. Why are they cancelling the town!? They aren’t, you are simply exiting. Funny way to say “you are leaving Molina”!
The other funny road sign is the double red. Are you stopping twice? Not entirely sure. I think it is just a “you better stop” sign. But the green and yellow lights are doubled up. Hmmmm.
Diversity makes the world go round. We are so fortunate to be experiencing all of the many differences and wonders in this world, some tiny and some magnificent and in tiny places. I wonder what Spain will bring?
Time to turn the page. Aloha Espana!