A Bear, a Lion and a Poet

The first thing I noticed when we approached Lake Garda, in Lombardy, was the sound of cicadas. They buzz and chirr so loudly in the trees at this time of year that I could hear them through the closed windows of our van. I immediately thought of the movie "Call Me By Your Name," which features cicadas in some scenes, and in fact that achingly beautiful film -- one of my favorites -- was made in this region. A few scenes were even shot right on Lake Garda.

The ride here was smooth enough. We left Stresa with six fellow passengers and a driver at 11:15 a.m. and arrived about two and a half hours later. We traveled mostly on modern superhighways and through tunnels, tunnels and more tunnels. There were tunnels that branched, tunnels that merged, tunnels with windows onto spreading valleys, tunnels that ended only to begin again almost immediately. I wouldn't have minded the tunnels except I was trying to read a New Yorker and we didn't have light in the van, so every time we entered a tunnel I had to stop reading until we emerged into daylight again. It made for a choppy reading experience.

We got to our hotel in the community of Gardone Riviera and checked in -- that's the view from our room, above -- and then Dave settled in for a nap while I went out for a walk and to find lunch.

Gardone Riviera doesn't seem to be as centralized as Stresa, but there is a little commercial street right around the corner from our hotel, so that's where I went. (The hotel above isn't ours, but it's nearby and seems to be under renovation.)

I stopped in a cafe on a lakeside square and had a beer and an unexpectedly large sandwich called a mortazza, with mortadella, grilled zucchini and mayonnaise. That's fine, because I was starving.

I sat wondering why there's a gigantic statue of a bear in the square. Are bears a common element of local wildlife?

And then I came across this lion (I think?) near the ferry dock on the lakeshore. Googling just now, I've concluded both animals are the work of sculptor Davide Rivalta. Do they live here permanently, or are they just passing through? Not sure.

I walked a short distance into the hills above the town, and ascended a street appropriately called the Via Disciplina, which definitely required discipline to climb. I tried to go to the botanical garden, but they only accept cash for admission and I didn't have any, so maybe Dave and I will head back there today. The cicadas were out in force!

The bronze figure seated on a bench at the end of that video is located on the lakeshore just below our hotel. It's a sculpture by Alessandro Verdi called "The Lonely Scholar" (Il Solitario Studioso) and depicts poet and writer Gabriele D'Annunzio, who lived in Gardone Riviera.

Last night we had dinner in the poolside restaurant at our hotel, and then came up to the room and watched the Bond movie "Goldfinger." I read a New Yorker article on the way here about the renewed popularity of gold prospecting in the western USA, and it mentioned "Goldfinger," which made me realize I hadn't seen it in ages. It was entertaining and didn't require any emotional or intellectual investment -- perfect vacation viewing!