We live in a busy world full of challenges and change. Our body and soul need silence and tranquillity. We need time to catch our breath, make sense of everything, switch off and be present to enjoy the beauty around us. A change in our environment often does wonders.

When we stopped in front of our holiday home near Lake Garda in Northern Italy, it looked like just the right place to quiet the mind.

The accommodation had a large porch surrounded by purple bougainvillaea. The cicadas in the surrounding olive groves provided background music. Early morning and evening, the church bell played the most beautiful tune, encouraging the local donkey and peacock to add their musical contributions.

Lake Garda

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, located between the Alps and the Po Valley. The high mountains, picturesque villages and lush nature contribute to a beautiful picture. I admired the well-tended gardens, lawns and many historic stone buildings that adorn the shores of the lake.

Swimming in the lake was a tranquil experience. The water is silvery clean and very refreshing. Families played in the water with a ball or rowed on a SUP or kayak. The sun sparkled on the water, and we could see the pebbles on the bottom.

We explored the area and visited the different villages by the lake.

Toscolano Moderno

The village closest to our accommodation was Toscolano Moderno. This village dates to Roman times and was an essential centre of paper production. It has a port from where boats took the paper to Venice. In the past, noble families lived here. Remains of beautiful villas surrounded by numerous lemon groves and lushes gardens full of purple bougainvillaeas testify to this.

Limone

The most beautiful village for me was Limone. Limone still has the atmosphere of a village, whose main activities until the last century were fishing and olive and lemon cultivation. We visited Limone on market day and were able to experience first-hand the sale of lemons and other local and handmade products.

The town of Limone stretches along the shores of Lake Garda and has stone houses tucked into the mountain slopes and decorated with plants and flowers. Many places overlook the lake, and you can enjoy beautiful views of Lake Garda if you are prepared to climb the stairs leading to the terraces.

Salo

Our last visit was to Salo, the largest city on the western shore of Lake Garda. I read that Salo has the longest promenade in Italy, and we joined the other visitors in going for a walk.

There are numerous cafes and restaurants, and we just sat down for a while and watched the world go by.

The narrow roads in Italy

The narrow roads in Italy challenged us. With a stone wall on both sides of the road to town, we just hoped for no traffic in our direction. Sometimes we were lucky, but other times Charl had to drive for long distances in reverse to make way for workers rushing to get to work on time. We have concluded that there is a huge difference between Italian and Swiss drivers!

One of these paths that passed close to our accommodation forms part of a Camino path. The many walkers encouraged Zander and me to venture part of the road between two churches. The views over the lake and many shade trees on the route created a pleasant experience.

Thunderstorm

One night a thunderstorm caused a spectacle in the sky above the lake. It was stormy, we heard glass breaking, and the wind turned over the potted plants on the porch. The sunbeds and umbrellas ended up in the pool. A dad tried in vain to find his children’s toys that they have left outside. He commented with a smile that they would have to do a treasure hunt the following day.

The next morning, a calm descended, and the sun shone brightly on the lake as a sign that the storm was over. I am sharing our holiday photos below.

I am grateful that we could experience the tranquillity of Lake Garda. As children, our family went to Hartenbos during our summer holidays to experience peace and a change in environment. For me, Lake Garda is the European form of a Hartenbos holiday.

regards

Emsia