Sirmione

I do love Lake Garda and Sirmione in particular is a lovely old place.

Just got back from a tour staying at the pink hotel on the right edge of the photo. Well we were based there but were out touring for five of them!

Although I've been there 5 times one place I never got to see was the Grotte di Catullo. It sounds like a grotto but it's really a Roman Villa or rather the remains of one. This time I made it & it's an amazing place, it's absolutely huge.

It was difficult to visualise what it had looked like until I saw this noticeboard and then later went to the museum to watch a video about it. 
This is what it would have looked like. You can see how the villa was built on a sloping site which was no mean architectural feat. 

It was quite hazy day but you can see what fantastic views that family must have had from their home. 

The height of these arches was immense.

Remains of a brick tiled floor.  You can see the depth of those floor tiles on the side.

Well I've probably bored you enough with these photos.

A coule of days before I walked along the lake edge below the villa and these photos are of the limestone strata where people were sunbathing & going for a dip. This gives you a better idea of what those fabulously wealthy villa owners looked out every day at.

Well I have to go back there again but for a holiday!!!!

Isola del Garda

I've been missing from blogging as I've been on my travels again. Starting with the Inner Hebrides early May, Rhodes mid May & then Venice, Milan, Verona & Lake Garda in June. It's taken me ages to catch up with work & housework but hopefully things are getting back to normal. Well as near as it ever gets to normal in our house. I'm not the tidiest of people!

The photo above is one I took on a boat as we were leaving one of the the islands in Lake Garda, Isola del Garda so that's why it's a bit skew whiff. I do love that house and it's wonderful Italian & English gardens. It's so peaceful there.

The current house isn't that old really, but it's history goes a long way back. Cutting it short Gallic Roman tombstones were found on the island & around 1220 St Francis of Assisi built a simple hermitage there as he believed it was an ideal place for his monks. By 1797 Napoleon suppressed the monastery and later it became a state owned property.

By 1860 it had been given to the army and then it was sold to private owners. I won't go into the detail but the villa was built in Neo Gothic Venetian style and is currently owned by the Cavazza family who live there. They open the house to the public and rent it for occasions such as weddings in order to restore and maintain it. 

My favourite bit is the terrace. This is where we ended up having some nibbles. There were bits of bread to dip in the olive oil produced from the family's olive groves, local cheeses, olives, water, orange juice and a glass of delicious white wine. 

Just imagine having your breakfast or any meal up here. This is the terrace (I think they called it the loggia) looking up from the ground level.

The design is lovely.

The ceiling is wonderful too. However the guide explained that it wasn't painted in situ, it was taken from a building and placed there!

The views are fantastic.

Unfortunately the day we were visiting was a little hazy for taking photos of the lake, it was really hot too but up on the terrace it was shady and a little cooler.

These are some shots from the gardens. I had to keep on the move with the group and keep an eye on some elderly passengers so the photos were taken really quickly and are not the best! 

Sadly the tour came to an end so quickly and we returned by boat to Desenzano, our base for the week there.