The Nomadic Mermaid: Lago di Garda

What a fantastic start to an Italian vacation. I would never have picked this place from a map, but I am so glad my host parents were able to introduce me to such a great area of Italy. Their home is located in a small village called Torri del Benaco on a hill of olive trees overlooking the Lake and the Alps. We are surrounded by dusty vegetation that reminds me of nothing I've ever seen before. My host dad (Michael) says that a good rule of thumb is that if something looks old in Italy, then it is. "This is not Disneyland" he says.

On our first night, I tried Italian geleto for the first time. I've had it three times total because it is fantastically addicting. The only reason I have not had it more is because the town is an hour walk from the house down a mountain.

We took an hour hike to their favorite pizza place today in Albisano. We watched the sun set on the lake and the colors turned into fantastic hues of blue and orange, and then eventually a deep purple. On our way there, Carola pointed out a home that they had considered purchasing that she leisurely mentioned was seven hundred years old. It had a spectacular view, but they decided against buying since it sat at the top of the mountain and the drive down the mountain was ridiculous (and Italian roads are poorly constructed as it is). Needless to say, the pizza was worth all the hiking. Thin, salty crust with perfect mozzerella and sauce.

For breakfast today, we had parmiganno cheese and salami. Yes, I said breakfast. After breakfast, Sophia and I went to Torri to go shopping at the market (ok...we really went for the gelato). They sold everything from socks to furniture. The Italian market is a long standing Torri tradition, especially for the Lake Garda area. Before shopping centers and supermarkets, locals bought their cheese and socks from markets in Torri.

Lake Garda is unique because it has several components in one location. Of course there is the lake and the Alps, and there is a heavy Venetian influence. In Torri, there is a castle that was built in 300 A.D. It is still in great condition and its main function today is to protect the lemon trees outside its walls from the harsh winter conditions. In the days of warring neighbors across the lake, the militia of Torri tried to carry a battle ship in pieces over the mountain to be sneaky. Unforunately, their plan was not so smart, and the enemies across the lake saw the battle ship and destroyed it before it ever made it to the water.

Italians are full of stories like this. They are very different people with many quirks and unique aspects of their social world that makes for a very appealing lifestyle to outsiders. Of course, I see that this Italian "la dolce vitta" cannot be achieved properly just by vacationing in Italy for two weeks, It has taken thousands of years to accomplish this distinction of what it means to be Italian. It pre-dates Romans, Etruscans, and Venetians. It goes back further than the Holy Roman Empire or Christianity. It is in the soil, the water, the air, the flowers, the mountains, the olives, and the grapes. I have no idea how to summarize Italy because it just is what it is. I have a feeling after Rome, Florence, Siena, Venice, and all the places in between, I will be even more unable to conjur the proper adjectives to convey what this place is and how much it means.