The Plan
Lake cruise to Isola Del Garda.
The News
Today was to be a leisurely day. We didn't have to be ready until 1pm when we had to catch the boat to the private island of Isola del Garda.
This is the largest island in Lake Garda and has been owned by the Cavazza family since the 1880s but the current own is the daughter of the Duke of Somerset who married into the family in the 1970s and was then widowed. She has seven children all of whom are still close by.
The journey took nearly an hour. We arrived at the private harbour ...
... and were greeted by our guide. He spoke excellent English, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
There are several carved tree trunks on the island. They were created by a local artist from trees that had died.
We were then shown around the incredible gardens which are maintained by just four gardeners. They must work quickly because the gardens cover several acres.
Most climbed the stairs to the terrace and the private apartments, but the two of us who had difficulty with stairs were treated to a golf cart ride up to the main outdoor seating area. As you can see from the photos below, waiting there was not a problem.
Even the ceiling fresco was amazing. We were then treated to wine or fruit juice once the others caught up with us. Then it was either stairs down to the harbour or the golf buggy, in my case.
We had a lovely couple of hours on the island and then it was back on the boat for an hour of gentle cruising on the lake. We managed to survive.
We were then forced to endure another delicious meal in the hotel. So after such a tough day, I went to bed whilst Jan went to the roof terrace to join the others for a chat.
And then there was a thunderstorm overnight ... but I slept through it.
No comments:
Post a Comment