John Edward Cooper’s Notes
Wednesday 20 June 2012
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[2012] [Tuesday 19 June 2012]
 08:32:09 Just after boarding the coach in Assenza  08:39:08  08:40:23 Malcesine  08:40:53 Malcesine  08:52:59 Approaching our first tunnel  08:54:19 Torbole, ahead — Monte Brione, left  08:54:28 Torbole  08:55:04 Old Custom House, Torbole  08:55:12 Torbole  08:56:46 River Sarca flowing into Lake Garda  08:58:14 Delay while skirting round Monte Brione  09:00:12 Riva del Garda  09:00:38 Riva del Garda  09:04:40 Riva del Garda  09:05:46 Bastione, Riva del Garda  09:08:50 One of many tunnels on the west side of Lake Garda  09:09:32 Leaving one tunnel, about to enter another  09:10:42 Gallery-cum-tunnel  09:18:20 Limone sul Garda, bypassed on this trip  09:26:16  09:32:18 Impasse! The truck and the vehicles behind it reversed out of our way, though.  09:35:56 White stone pillars, indicators of citrus cultivation  09:43:28 Church of San Martino, Gargnano  09:44:20 Gargnano  09:46:02 Going along the Via della Libertà, Gargnano  09:56:50 Toscolano-Maderno  10:00:00 Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli, Gardone Riviera We had a refreshment stop at Gardone Riviera, where we also boarded a boat which took us across the lake, passing to the west and south of Isola di Garda, to the peninsula Sirmio.  10:35:10 Lungolago D'Annunzio, Gardone Riviera  10:39:06 Lungolago D'Annunzio, Gardone Riviera  10:41:40 Lungolago D'Annunzio, Gardone Riviera  10:41:52 Boarding the boat in Gardone Riviera  10:48:06  10:55:54 Isola di Garda  10:58:00 Isola di Garda  11:19:08 Sirmio peninsula  11:23:22 Roman ruins on Sirmio peninsula  11:23:46 Roman ruins on Sirmio peninsula  11:28:10 Sirmione  11:29:26 Sirmione  11:29:58 Sirmione We went ashore at Sirmione, and Lynn led us through the castle, and on through the town, to where the “trenino elettrico”, which took people to the Roman ruins, Grotte di Catullo, had its terminus.  11:34:18 13th century Scaliger castle, Sirmione  11:37:18 Stall selling fruits, lemon-like but huge  11:38:20 There were more people waiting than there were seats on the “trenino”. Janet did get a seat on the first one to arrive, attempting to save a seat for me; but a mean, selfish old bastard from our party ignored her and sat there, so she got off and we caught the next one.  11:55:32 Little train “il trenino elettrico” to the Roman ruins, called “Grotte di Catullo” It was very hot, so first we had a drink at the bar that was there just before one got to the ruins. Janet ordered a Coca Cola Light and I a small (“piccolo”) draught beer. The Coca Cola Light came in a 500ml plastic bottle (mostly it’s in 330ml cans), also we were served with a little basket of potato crisps [chips] which I thought was very civilised. The sparrows around here, and indeed in Assenza, were very tame, and came for scraps. I shook out the paper lining the basket after I’d finished the crisps. Again, as in Assenza, the male sparrows had brown heads. Because this was the only bar in the vicinity of Grotte di Catullo and was thus a bit of a “tourist trap”, we expected to be stung with high prices; but in fact it cost us only €6.50, the cheapest so far.  12:04:14 First, some refreshment  12:10:12 Male Italian Sparrow (Passer italiae), different from our sparrows in having a brown, not grey, crown  12:13:02 The females to my eyes were indistinguishable from our own Passer domesticus.  12:22:42 We saw many two- and three-legged olive trees. (We deemed them to be Ents.)  12:23:14 On to the nearby Grotte di Catullo  12:25:18 Grotte di Catullo  12:27:16 Grotte di Catullo  12:30:02 Grotte di Catullo  12:32:56 Grotte di Catullo  12:33:48 Grotte di Catullo  12:34:44 Grotte di Catullo  12:36:34 Grotte di Catullo  12:39:10 A passing hydrofoil  12:57:24 Back on “il trenino”  13:01:56 Walking back from the “trenino”, the way we’d come earlier  13:04:16 Walking back the way we’d come earlier  13:05:26 Walking back the way we’d come earlier  13:06:46  13:07:14 Walking back the way we’d come earlier  13:08:04 Walking back the way we’d come earlier  13:08:56 Walking back the way we’d come earlier We were a bit short of time for fully exploring the ruins. We got the “trenino elettrico” back, walked through the town, and headed for the bus station, where the coach would pick us up. Strictly, it wasn’t allowed to pick up there, but it did so as a favour so we wouldn’t have further to walk. Ca.1.30pm, we set off, resuming our tour of the shore of the lake.  13:51:18 Peschiera del Garda  13:56:06 “Gardaland” theme park  13:57:38 Passing through Pacengo di Lazise  14:00:12 “Movieland” theme park  14:03:42 Castle in Lazise built by the Scaligeri, 13th–14th century  14:03:56 Castle in Lazise built by the Scaligeri, 13th–14th century  14:08:48 Entering Bardolino We had a stop in Bardolino, and Janet and I found a pavement bar. So I drank Bardolino in Bardolino! Again, this was served with a little basket of crisps, and not only that, some peanuts too.  14:12:40 Bardolino  14:15:20 Bardolino  14:15:50 Bardolino  14:17:08 Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, Bardolino  14:17:58 Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, Bardolino  14:18:56 Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, Bardolino, looking back to the Church of San Zeno  14:26:26 Drinking Bardolino in Bardolino…  14:59:54 …at the Bottega del Vino We went in the “Dom”, the Church of San Zeno, before rejoining the coach.  15:03:14 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino  15:04:02 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino  15:04:22 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino  15:04:36 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino  15:05:06 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino  15:05:50 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino  15:05:58 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino  15:08:26 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino We lit candles here, as we had done in Assenza. When we left the church I realised that I didn’t have my walking stick, so went back for it. I didn’t want them mistakenly to attribute a miracle of healing there! I had difficulty locating it at first, because all the pews looked the same. I snapped a final photo.  15:09:50 Church of San Zeno, Bardolino We set off again, ca.3.15pm, and resumed our circuit of the lake.  15:17:54 Approaching Garda village  15:18:58 “The Crocodile” promontory just west of Garda village  15:21:14 Garda  15:22:58 Travelling westwards on Via San Viglio  15:30:20 Torri del Benaco  15:31:50 14th century Scaliger castle, Torri del Benaco  15:33:08 Torri del Benaco  15:39:38 Line-painting on the road somewhere in Brenzone We got back to the hotel, ca.4pm. Transferred today’s photos to the computer system. Edited 33 of yesterday’s photos using Photoshop (16:29–17:58). Also wrote the two post cards, bought the day before yesterday: to Mum and to Chris. Ca.6.30pm we went down to the restaurant for dinner. Later, despite my feet, now sore and swollen again, we went for a stroll, posted the cards, and went to the bar further along the promenade from one we went to the day before yesterday; I thought they might have “dunkel” Weißbier, but they didn’t. Janet found the seats uncomfortable, so after one round we resorted to the first bar for the second round. Back at the hotel room, Janet discovered that her pyjamas that she’d left under the pillow had gone! She went to Reception. It seems the bedding was changed today. Edited the remaining 24 of yesterday’s photos (21:17–21:57). When Janet was in bed, I resumed reading Leaving Alexandria. [Thursday 21 June 2012] |
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