Driving from the Dolomites to Malpensa airport is quite a distance so we decided to break the journey into two driving days. We spent two nights on the northern side of Lake Garda in a charming town called Riva del Garda. Parking here was a bit of a challenge; the public lot was showing as "full" so we passed it thinking there would be a place where we could just make a U-turn and park instead at our hotel. But to our dismay, for the next 13 kilometers we drove through a series of narrow tunnels bored directly through the rock until we reached the next town, Limone Sul Garda. It was a Saturday so the heavy car traffic (and extra challenge of bicycle traffic) through the tunnel series meant that we really couldn't pull to the side and turn around anywhere until we arrived in Limone. We were able to finally flip a U-turn and made our way back through the busy tunnels until we found the hotel and were allowed to check-in and park a bit early. Whew, time for a glass of wine!
We had lunch on the main piazza overlooking the lake, and I had a nice glass of Lagrein, a wine which is made from grapes native to the South Tyrol. I'd never heard of it before this trip but now it has become a favorite. To burn off some of our pizza and pasta lunch, we climbed the 110-foot campanile (bell tower) and had a bird's-eye view of the city and lake far below.
The next morning was super breezy. We took the ferry back down to Limone Sul Garda to explore a bit. The 45-minute ferry ride was much more relaxing than driving through the tunnels! Because it was a windy Sunday morning, the lake was packed with kitesurfers, windsurfers and wingfoilers. I'd never seen wingfoils in action before but it looked like they were having a lot of fun out there.
Limone Sul Garda is a very romantic little town right on the water. When we arrived it was early on Sunday morning and we had most of the town to ourselves but as the day progressed it got more and more crowded with tourists and locals enjoying the sunny Sunday weather and charming ambience.
As the name suggests, the lemon has been a significant part of the town's economy since the 1800s. Terraced lemon groves were built into the hillsides and the mild winters on the lake allowed lemon trees to flourish. Although the lemon groves mostly vanished during the mid 1900s a few have been restored and one, the Limonaia del Castel, belongs to the municipality and is a living museum with mature citrus trees of all types. Even though many of the lemon groves have given way to tourist hotels and development over the years, the shops in town are dedicated to selling lemon-themed products - soaps, oils, candies, limoncello, lemon-print textiles, magnets, you name it. Come to Limone Sul Garda for all your lemon needs!
We enjoyed a cocktail while waiting for the next scheduled ferry back to Riva del Garda. A limoncello spritz for me, of course. Strangely, the cafe was called Bar Waikiki, so....aloha, I guess?
For our last day in Italy, we drove ourselves to the historic city of Bergamo. The Città Alta ("upper city") is perched high on a hill and surrounded by 16th century walls. Constructed by the Venetian Republic to defend against the Milanese (and the French...and the Spanish...Venice had a lot of enemies), the walls surrounding the old city are now a UNESCO World Heritage site because they are so well preserved. A funicular links the lower city to the upper city.
In the heart of the Città Alta is the Piazza Vecchia. Vecchia means "old" and I should emphasize that Bergamo is quite old, with a history that pre-dates the Roman Era. Back in Roman days, this square was the site of the forum. And it has continued to be the seat of political power in Bergamo over the centuries -- there are several palazzos and churches in this square. The Palazzo Nuovo ("new palace") was once the town hall.
Two remarkable churches are crammed into the Piazza side-by-side. In most Italian cities the Duomo, or cathedral, is the most important church of the diocese -- it's usually the most ornate and decorative church in the city. However in Bergamo's case, the Duomo is a bit overshadowed by the older - and more ostentatious - Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore right next door. Prior to 700 AD this was the site of a Roman temple, then a smaller church was built here in the 8th century. But in 1133 the citizens of Bergamo made a vow to build a basilica in the spot if the Virgin Mary would protect them from the ravages of a terrible plague. Apparently Mary held up her end of the bargain, and work on the basilica continued for the next several centuries.
It is truly a masterpiece. We've seen a lot of churches in our travels, and it takes a lot to impress us. Nearly every square inch of the interior of the Basilica is gilded, painted, carved, or embellished in some way. When taken as a whole it seems really over the top -- almost too much, but when you take the time to get up close to the details it really is incredible. This is just one of a series of dozens of gorgeous wood panel inlays in the choir.
The Città Alta is very walkable and we spent the better part of the afternoon just meandering through the crooked streets stopping for both gelato and pastries along the way. Hey, cut us some slack -- it was our last day in Italy so we indulged a bit!
Spending the afternoon in this historic city was a great way to end our trip. We really enjoy the northern part of Italy, and hope to come back this way very soon. Arrivederci, Italia!
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