BARDOLINO Revisited

For quiet strolls in the city, visit on Tuesday and Wednesday. Streets are uncrowded and bargains can be found in the local shops.

THURSDAY IS MARKET DAY--Since shopping is my FAVORITE activity, this was MY special day. Vendors display their wares from one end of town to the other. Shirts, handbags, ceramics, CD’s, spices and on and on.......Prices generally are VERY LOW--but check the quality....Many "IMPOSTER" products are displayed for sale.

CHECK THE GELATO--The gelato shops here are marvelous! Usually in Italy, you order two or three flavors in a small cup--this way you get a taste of the EXTRA delightful flavors. My favorite selection is albiacocca (apricot), hazelnut, and fragoli (strawberry). The fruit flavors here are particularly clear and sweet!

Quick Tips:

Lake Garda is fast becoming very "Touristy". Many German families come "over the Mountains" to spend their Holiday on the lake during the months of June, July and August. Be sure to schedule hotels well in advance, since Bardolino is the most popular city on Lake Garda. Most stores and restaurants print schedules, prices and menus in German, Italian and English.

Best Way To Get Around:

We found a hotel close to town and parked our rental car. Here, a car is merely a convenience (easier than the bus). If you want to visit the wine shops or the Olive Oil Museum or take a drive around the lake, a car is much more convenient. But if you only want to visit the city--Park the car!

Amid acres of vineyards and olive groves, Bardolino is situated near the southern end of Lake Garda where it widens and takes on a more Mediterranean atmosphere. Therefore, it has become the most visited city on the lake; and a wide variety of accommodations are available.

Just a 5-minute walk from the beach and city center, Hotel Cristina offers a comfortable relaxed ambiance. Our tastefully decorated room had a small balcony, which overlooked the courtyard and provided a marvelous view of the lake beyond. This proved to be a mixed blessing since the town’s main thoroughfare was only about 200 yards from our window. In order to get a restful sleep, it was necessary to keep the window closed.

Our room was on the secondo piano (second floor) which is actually the third floor since the Italians number differently (ground floor =1, first floor =2...etc.) Located a quiet and comfortable distance from the elevator, it afforded all the amenities we Americans have come to expect: Private bath with shower, hair dryer, direct dial telephone, air conditioning, private parking, in-room safe and satellite TV with remote.

We met new friends and chatted with the pleasant owners, the Manetti-Vrijenhoek family, in the relaxed lobby-bar. Flowers cascade from every window-box and the gardens and fountain areas are just steps from the front door. Two swimming pools (one with a waterfall) offer an alternative to the lake on warm summer days, and bicycles are available to rent.

For an additional charge of just $11.88 per person, per day, we chose the half-pension option with a huge breakfast buffet and dinner each night with your selection from 3 entrees. On Thursday evenings a Gala Dinner is served on the terrace with a strolling musician. note: Dining tables are assigned when you arrive. If your table is inside, ask for one on the terrace and they will do their best to accommodate you.

English, Italian and German are all spoken well here and generally there is no language problem. Reserve early! We booked 3 months in advance, but were unable to get a room with a large balcony overlooking the pools (and away from the noisy street). The hotel offers several package deals and excursions. Visit their website at www.hotelcristina.it

It was not quite 9:00 am when we arrived at the Oil Museum in Cisano, near Bardolino. Such a clear morning--the gray-green leaves of the nearby olive trees nearly disappeared against the pale morning sky. Olive Oil has been produced in this beautiful area of Lake Gard for over a thousand years, and the museum uses a series of exhibits to display the various methods used to extract the oil from the precious fruit. From the simple techniques handed down from generation to generation, through the history and evolution of current oil production technology.

There is an old wooden lever-press used by the ancient Egyptians; the heavy grindstones which were frequently turned by farm animals to crush the olives, and the huge screw-presses which represent even later development. Several unique displays further increase your understanding of the oil making process: Rare antique tools and harvesting devices, a collection of cruets and oil lamps, and antique maps showing the areas cultivated around Lake Garda during the early 1900’s.

The height of the Self-Guided tour is a reconstruction of a nineteenth century oil-mill that is still in working order. The classic water wheel turns the grindstone and processes the oil through a series of wooden cog-wheels. A video display (in English, Italian and German) also demonstrates current-day oil producing methods.

We bought one of our "best buy" souvenirs in the well stocked gift shop. A one-liter tin of extra virgin olive oil (first-press) for just $10 US. A fantastic bargain and well worth the space in our suitcase since it would cost about $35 at home.

PS--Before you leave, spare a thought, for those generations of hard working people who spent their lives in backbreaking and repetitive work on the old oil-presses!

The museum is located on the Lake side of Lake Garda’s Main Road, S-249
Admission is free.
There is a well-stocked book and gift shop and you can taste the various oils before you buy.
See the website at www.museum.it
Hours:
Weekdays 9.00-12.30 / 15.00- 19.00
Sundays 9.00 –12.30
Closed on Wednesday afternoons
Closed all day on Sundays in January and February and most important holidays

I could hardly wait to get back, -- Now, where was that little shop??? On our last trip to Bardolino, we’d visited a tiny shop that specialized in hand-made ceramics. Guiseppe, the artist and proprietor fabricates exquisite hand-made ceramic tiles, plates, markers, dishes, mugs, and pitchers. All are unique designs; hand-created and reflective of the taste of every mood and ilk. We visited his studio on a previous visit, but had not purchased anything. This year we were ready to buy!

Guiseppe’s "Laboratorio di Pittura e Ceramiche", (Studio of Pictures in Ceramic) is located at Borgo garibaldi 52. A quiet street, just steps from the chapel of San Zeno near the entrance to the historic winemaking city of Bardolino. Outside the shop we had noticed a series of tiles which were titled "The Wine Story"/i> which depicts the planting, cultivating, bottling and enjoying the Fruits of the Vine.

Walls of the shop were lined with hand created ceramic plaques, trays, dishes and mugs--each individually designed. Since we live in California’s Napa Valley, we were particularly taken with a patio tabletop created from a series of hand painted tiles. Unfortunately, the cost, combined with shipping was far beyond our means. We settled for a lovely hand painted name sign for our front porch.

Because of the extremely high cost of postage from Italy, you are much better served to select an item which you can carry with you. Guiseppe can paint items or personalized selections within 24 hours. Be advised that he does not accept credit cards (but there is a "handy" ATM less than a block from his shop). His work is NOT inexpensive, but if you are looking for a special, personalized souvenir, you will surely find a treasure in this shop! The name plaque that we purchased for our front porch cost about $115 US Dollars but is a wonderful remembrance of our visit.