Category: Germany

Muslone: Thunderstorms

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I grew up in Europe, therefore thunderstorms were not such a big thing. They happened all the time, especially during the summer after a hot day. The last 24 years, 7 month and 26 days I lived in California and experienced only 2 thunderstorms. 2! One of which was a dry storm that ignited many wildfires. The other one was a “real” thunderstorm with flash & lightning and lots of rain. It happened during the day, and many people stopped working, ran outside and wanted to be part of this unique spectacle.

So here we are now during a heatwave in northern Italy and last night we were blessed with a thunderstorm! Sitting outside on the terrace, playing cards until a sudden wind gust blew away an “Ace” and the first drops made us pack up and move everything inside.

The storm lasted a few hours and today, after another hot day that we spent with Saskia in Toscolano Maderna, another thunderstorm is just about to roll in. The birds a quiet, the air is filled with what seems to be electricity, a few people pack away their umbrellas and then: BOOM

Muslone: Saturday

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My niece Saskia arrived today, staying for a few days, and as a special welcome the town of Gargnano put together a little festival: a stand-up rowing competition…..

Gargnano (up on the mountain on the left is Muslone)

It seemed like the whole town was there: life music, dancing, full restaurants, cheerful people – the races started at 9pm which is typical Italian style…

Rowing like that is difficult, rowing around a boje during a race requires serious skills

Muslone: Sunday

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It should actually be titled “Malcesine: Sunday”, because that’s where we went with a small ferry to spend the day. It was wonderful! Small town, cobblestone streets, old castle, narrow alleyways – everything you wish for in an Italian fairytale village…

Arriving at Malcesine harbor
Unusual growing locations for trees and vines
Lunch: Caprese, tagliatelle con porcini, prosciutto di Parma with melon
Dinner at home: prosciutto di Parma with melon – some people can eat that stuff 3x per day…

Opera in Verona: 💃🏻

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We did it! We went to Verona yesterday, which is 1.5 hours away from Lago di Garda, floated around town, shopping, wine tasting, people watching, etc.

Verona is a wonderful town, founded 2500 years ago and becoming Roman 400 years later – beauty everywhere you look
Some of you might know that I’m a big fan of writing instruments and paper products – discovering a Fabriano store in Verona is like paradise ❤️
Winetasting at “Signorvino” was very nice with wine from Sardinia and Veneto! We enjoyed it a lot, but I’m not sure how much the air conditioned room played a role in it…
The tiniest store I’ve ever seen, roughly the size of a Queen sized bed!
Edith in Verona [citymap with the Amphitheatre / circle]
The oldest store we’ve seen that day
Since my suitcase is still stuck at customs in Germany, I’ve a good excuse to do some shopping 😬
Dinner before the big event: Gorgonzola gnocchi and salad…
After dinner we went to the Amphitheatre to watch “Carmen” 💃🏻
Inside staircase with Ted, who looks like he’s shrunk 🧐
This theatre seats 22,000 people, it’s huge! And the acoustic is so good, none of the singers nor the musicians need microphones. Our seats were high up / far away, but we could hear everything: the castanets, the flamenco dancers steps, the soft sang love declarations, everything!
The opera started at 9pm, finished at 1pm – that’s when lots of people go out to dinner. All the restaurants are open and the town seems like a beehive! We were home in bed at 4am! What a long day it was and what a great adventure! 💃🏻

Keystones

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With all those wonderful arches everywhere, it is a special treat to also see lots of amazing keystones!

Who invented keystones? It is true that Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Assyrian civilizations used arches for underground structures such as drains and vaults. However, it was the Roman civilization (1000 BCE – 500 CE) that first began using a keystone (also called a capstone) in their arches.

A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone at the apex of a masonry arch or typically round- shaped one at the apex of a vault. In both cases it is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch or vault to bear weight.

Muslone: Tuesday

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What an amazing day! Hike, eat, drink, swim, eat more, way more and be happy!

Hike from Muslone to Piovere along incredible stone walls, which are a UNESCO heritage site. They were built to change the steep hillside into terraces to be able to grow olive trees
Steps and stairs and a handsome hiker
Handsome hiker again – he pops up out of nowhere, every time I try to take a photo!
A happy gigantic fig tree in Piovere
Our hike was rewarded with a pleasant lunch before it got really steep and hard on the way back
But steep and hard was rewarded with awesome views! And here he is again: the handsome hiker!
I just love this view ❤️
No comment – he gets closer and closer…
I think I should give him a name. How about Ted?

After the hike from 9am till 2pm we just took a shower, a nap, and off we went to Sandra’s gorgeous swimming pool for a 2 hour float – perfect!

Followed by more goodies 🍷🍝🌶🍷

Muslone: Monday

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Lots of “ohs” and “ahs” today when we visited Oleificio Tavernini in Gargnano (www.oleificiogargnano.it), a wonderful place to buy wine and olive oil products, that are produced right there on site. We got shampoo, soap, wine, more soap, oil, shower gel and – not to forget – soap! Our hosts Beate & Harald and Sandra shared those locations with us and we were glad to have our private tour guides today to make sure we’ll find our way.

Most products had almonds, lemon, orange, chestnuts, lavender or pure olives as their main ingredients – difficult to choose from!
Same for the wine and olive oil selection – too many choices…..

Another stop was at “Aquisto”, a store that sells bags of all sizes made of old sails! When I walked into this store, one of the handbags called my name , so I had it have it! Check them out at “www.kevlove.it”

And our last stop was at Sandra’s house, where we stopped by when dropping her off on the way home. Not only is the house a true gem, a 500 year old sheep barn that she remodeled into a beautiful vacation home, but her garden made us not want to leave anymore

And last but not least: magic Gargnano

Ted, Beate & Harald, Sandra