A Surprising Discovery in Gardone (October September30, 2026)

After our walk through Valle delle Cartierewe wanted a more relaxing day. One of the excursions that Inntravel recommends is a vist to the town of Gardena Riviera. They mention two places that could be of interest but we really would just focus our attention on the botanical garden. This is a 1.5 hectare garden that was created in 1910 and developed until 1971 by Arturo Hruska. The notes tell us he was a dentist and avid naturalist. I think it is this second aspect of his life that should be focused on. What he built is remarkable. There are 500 species of plants here from all over the world. If you know your plants you will find all sorts of things to marvel at. Even if , like me, you know next to nothing you will enjoy yourself as you stroll the twisting paths amongst the lush plantings that are everywhere.

If art is more your thing than plants then you will fare just as well as there are scores of sculptures throughout. The garden is a feast for the senses. There are places to just sit and relax too. I am not going to attempt to truly describe what we saw. We spent a couple hours just enjoying our time in this quiet bit of property admiring what was created and now is sustained by the Andre Heller Foundation which took ownerships in 1988.

We did explore a bit more of the town after leaving the garden but that was the highlight of the day for us.

Photo taken Sep 30, 2026 at 10:21 AM

Photo taken Sep 30, 2026 at 10:22 AM

This will give you a sense of how the paths twist and turn through the numerous art works, pools of water, plants, and the few buildings. Photo by Judy.

--September 30, 2026 at 10:22 AM.

We are visiting the Heller Garden in Gardone. Built from 1910-1971 by Arturo Hruska this is a 1.5-hectare garden. In 1988 the Andre Heller foundation took ownership.

--September 30, 2026 at 10:22 AM.

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Paths wind through all sorts of plants , sculptures, and water features.

--September 30, 2026 at 10:30 AM.

A Buddha in a water feature. Contemplative in this quiet lush spot.

--September 30, 2026 at 10:35 AM.

Anguish by South Korean artist Seo Young Deok is a good representation of how dad looked and felt the afternoon he slammed his head into the limestone wall of a building on the island of Gozo during the storm just about two weeks ago. In this setting, I wonder why the sculpture is feeling anguish.The piece is made of bike chains.

--September 30, 2026 at 10:43 AM.

Ken by Totem created by Keith Haring. Photo by Judy.

--September 30, 2026 at 10:47 AM.

I can certainly agree with the idea this fellow seems to have about diving into the water. I can’t describe the wide variety of plants and sculptures here. Hundreds of species; scores of sculptures. It’s a remarkably maintained space.

--September 30, 2026 at 11:19 AM. 

Topiary. It’s the same one viewed from the back on the left and the front on the right.

--September 30, 2026 at 11:30 AM. 

Adam and Eve by Niki de Sant Phelle. Photo by Judy.

--September 30, 2026 at 11:30 AM.

We watched these turtles for a minute or two.

--September 30, 2026 at 11:35 AM.

Should this large dog be facing the lake if it is meant to guard the town of Gardone Riviera from the lake? It is impressive no matter what is actually being guarded. Mom is off in the shade on the right. We are waiting for the ferry to arrive and return us to Gargnano.

--September 30, 2026 at 2:26 PM.

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On our way back to Gargnano. It is about a 40 minute ferry ride. If you are in a hurry and want a less expensive option than the bus system is definitely the way to go, and on the busses you get to see the small towns you passed through as well, but there is something special to be said about taking the ferry and I’m glad we chose to do so going both ways. After all, we certainly are not in a rush.

--September 30, 2026 at 2:47 PM.

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Into the Mountains and Calle delle Cartiere (September 29, 2026)

The morning dawned overcast. That is a first for this trip. We found our way to the local bus stop and took an easy ride down to Toscolano-Maderno just about 3 miles south of here. The plan today was to explore a little into the mountains and valleys that surround Lake Garda. We were going to climb up into Valle delle Cartiere (Valley of Paper or Valley of Paper Mills perhaps). The valley was a regional center for the making of paper for some 400 years from the 16th through at least some of the 20th century. Numerous buildings remain and there is a museum dedicated to the history of the valley. But we would just note those in passing.

Getting into the vallley is a nice experience. You gradually travel upstream along Torrente Toscolano along a reasonably quiet paved road. You pass through several tunnels that I assume have been there in one way or another for hundreds of years. What a task it must be to make even a sort tunnel before the age of high explosives. To be sure gunpowder-based explosives existed but that probably couldn’t help in a huge way.But what do I know: nothing really. In a little more than a kilometer you start to see the old buildings. Some of them are clearly derelict but others have been re-purposed and are still in use today. It is a pretty enough spot that I can imagine, if the cafe is any good, people come here for a view and a bite to eat. There is a parking area within a couple hundred meters aftr all. But our goal was to walk so we moved on down the road.

In time we crossed the stream again, flowing rather farther below than we expected, and soon we would tackle the major ascent of the walk.

The big climb travels 670 meters in length gaining about 75 meters in angle of ascent as it goes. Most of that climb, about 500 meters, is along a path through forest on a proper trail. The trail does switch back and forth some but really it is a steady climb up the shoulder of the valley wall. Along the way you climb up well over 100 shallow steps to gain elevation. THe grade is certainly more than 10%. It’s a shame the path is so heavily forested because you really have no views as you leave the valley floor behind. When you clear the forest and start travelling up a rough road to cover the remaining distance to the top you still do not have views: just a steady climb. We found a shrine up there and soon began our descent down through a village whose name I do not know.

Construction sounds banged and boomed in this tiny high village. We didn’t even check to see of the local bar was open for cold drinks. It wasn’t really inviting. We pushed on ahead down a decent road that passed by plenty of homes as it gradually descended. Things changed to a dirt road, then track, and then a dirt and stone trail. Down we went.The grade was gentler but the footing a bit tougher. But we were in the mountains and off hard surfaces. That was nice even if the walk wasn’t going to live in our memories for scenic views. Over 2km we steadily descended back towards the bridge we had crossed a few hours earlier. In time the path widened out to a better quality track but it still was never really scenic. We were getting our work in.

Eventually we found our way back towards the complex of buildings that includes the extensive paper museum. We had hoped to get a bite to eat but they seemed rather swamped with patrons and just one fellow servicing tables. We managed to get some Magnun ice cream bars.

Down the road back to town. The sun was out and the afternoon ws warm. We were ready to be done. We found the bus stop and had a modest wait before catching the bus back to the stop by the hotel. An afternoon of rest before finding tasty pasta and pizza dinners at a restaurant in the heart of Gargnano (the place we had been the night before seemed closed), and then an easy walk under surprisingly well lit streets back to our hotel ended our day.

Photos

Torrente Toscolano. It sounds impressive with the translation I believe would be Stream Toscolano. But it is clearly a lengthy stream rising up into the valley we are about to explore.

--September 29, 2026 at 9:40 AM.

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One of many buildings, some no longer in use, that is centuries old. I believe this one with its one remaining tall chimney started as a paper mill back in the 16th century. We are in Valley delle Cartiere where paper making was a major industry for close on 400 years.

--September 29, 2026 at 10:10 AM.

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Dad is standing in these ruins of buildings.

--September 29, 2026 at 10:22 AM.

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Crossing Torrente Toscolano. There is an old bridge up there.

--September 29, 2026 at 10:39 AM.

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Near the start of our climb up a large number of short steps along this trail up the valley wall. Photo by Jonathan.

--September 29, 2026 at 11:04 AM.

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We are in the middle of a steady steep ascent. The notes suggest it’s about 670 meters long with about 500 meters along this stepped forested path and the rest on a roughly paved road. I think we gained 75 meters in elevation. Because the path is forced, you do not actually have expanse views of the valley down below.

--September 29, 2026 at 11:16 AM.

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After the big asscent we passed through the remote village whose name I do not know. Construction was making an awful racket. We should’ve seen in the bar was open to at least get a cold drink. We pushed on ahead instead down a road, gravel road, a trail that eventually became more of a wide dirt track. Down we went over 2km dropping 200 meters or so. At this point we are nearing the bridge we crossed a few hours earlier.

--September 29, 2026 at 1:06 PM.

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We tried to get a snack at the cafe at the museum devote to the Valley delle Cariete’s history in paper making. Too busy. We snagged a couple Magnum bars. Then it was time to retrace our path down the road with its tunnels back to the town of Toscolano-Maderno. The sun is shining now upon the stream that flows into Lake Garda. In time we will catch a bus back to the stop near our hotel.

--September 29, 2026 at 2:23 PM.

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Walking Along the Edge of the Mountains (September 28, 2026)

It’s called a suspended walkway by the walking notes. It is a paved path built into the side and I suppose out beyond the rock face. It’s a great feet of engineering and part of a pathway that is designed to eventually circumnavigate lake Garda. I sure hope that there is pathway on surfaces other than concrete. Of even more importance would be pathways not next to the primary road that seems to connect many villages on the western shore, the quietest part of a couple kilometers we walked. As we passed along the outside edge of the tunnel, motorized traffic was going through the tunnel which muffled the traffic sound. Left photo by Jonathan; right photo by Kenneth.

--September 28, 2026 at 12:27 PM .

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Today we were going to move a bit farther away from the hotel. One of the walks starts in the town of Limone sul Garda and heads north towards another town. It does this on what the notes all describe as a suspended walkway. We did not know what that meant though I was imagining some type of bridge and certainly nothing as long as it would turn out to be. We wanted a shorter walk with modest elevation gain and loss after the failure of yesterday. This walk also would give us the chance to use public transportation which we hoped would be fun and different: it was.

We had our adequate breakfast and got our stuff together for the walk to the ferry dock about 1.2km distant in the heart of Garganano. We gave ourselves plenty of time to allow for anything to go wrong, so we had about a half-hour of just sitting on benches by the lakeside Promenade and the ticket booth waiting for the 9:50AM ferry to motor on in. It was a lovely morning so this was not a problem for us. The ferry arrrived and we were soon on our way at a blazing speed of perhaps 14MPH (I realize that is quick for a boat). The lake wasn’t quite as glass-smooth as the day before but the gentle sways didn’t bother us. We moved past the mountains looking at how structures were built to the water’s edge and then up into the mountains. It is a rugged shoreline. We were crossing to the eastern shore and a tiny little town of Brenzone (Brent-zoh-meh) for a very short stop. Along the way we picked up the eFoil rider shown below. I think his home port was here. We then continued north, through a narrower part of the lake heading back towards the western shore as we motored towards Limone. At this point we started to see the remarkable road building that has been done to connect the small towns on the western shore: lots of tunnels with plenty of visible ventilation holes and perhaps places to let the driver catch a glimpse of Lake Garda as it zips on by down below.

The walk itself is pretty because Lake Garda is there to make it so. Even though it was a bit hazy it is a lovely place. We walked along the paved path that is built into the mountainside for a bit over a kilometer before deciding, perhaps just 600 or so meters from the end, to turn around. We weren’t going to see anything new but a municipal border.

On the way out we stopped at a food truck selling cold drinks and gelato. I enjoyed a nice tart lemonade. I hope the lemons came from here, because a few hundred meters further we saw another food truck selling cold drinks and snacks. Both of them are very well placed to gather up business from walkers and cyclists. We did not stop at the second food truck on our way out, but when we returned, it was definitely time for some chips and cold Fantas. We still had an hour to wait for the bus so returning back to the first food truck, which meant going down a bit of a hill, for gelato was certainly a treat we enjoyed.

The bus was a little late in arriving, but it did arrive: packed full of people. All the seats were full, and almost all the spaces where people could stand. We’re already full. We had just enough room to squeeze in. Fortunately, for us more than enough people got off a couple kilometers later on down in the town of Limone and we could take seats. The bus zips through the tunnels we saw on the ferry ride out. It stops at towns along the way and is clearly a major means of transportation for locals especially students. We were back in Gargnano pretty quickly and I am pretty sure we could’ve gotten off at a stop much closer to the hotel than the one we had chosen. But that just means we had an extra 1.2 km to walk back to the hotel. A large part of what makes this walk interesting is the getting to and from the walk itself.

One last little note: we found a restaurant in the harbor just north of us a couple hundred meters for dinner. We got two pizzas and two salads. The crust is very thin and the toppings are spare, but they are flavorful. I would say the pie is about 14 inches in diameter. We enjoyed this seemingly simple and fairly quick meal. Very nice change from the previous dinners at the hotel here. 

Photos

My room does have a little view of Lake Garda. Take what I can get.

--September 28, 2026 at 7:39 AM.

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We are a few minutes out from the ferry dock at Gargnano. You can see the mountains just coming right down to the waters edge. They certainly build right into the cliff walls.

--September 28, 2026 at 10:02 AM.

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That fellow came out from where we are heading to. At least that is what I think he did. I think it’s an eFoil. He is holding a wireless throttle control and makes turns by shifting his weight. Photo by Jonathan.

--September 28, 2026 at 10:08 AM.

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We were not entirely sure what the structure was until later in the day when we were returning from Limone to Gargnano. It’s part of an extensive tunnel system. We learned that while crammed into a public bus that was taking us back to Gargnano. We boarded a couple kilometers north of Limone and it was standing room only jam packed. Many got off in Limone. The majority of people on the entire trip were, according to Mom and Dad, high school students all on their phones.

--September 28, 2026 at 10:48 AM.

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Limone is a very busy, packed place. We started ascending out of town on narrow streets and the crowds did ease. But there were plenty of walkers and cyclists doing the same thing as us so crowds were still in evidence. Looking out and back.

--September 28, 2026 at 11:22 AM.

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Gargnano - Our First Full Day (September 27, 2026)

It is creeping towards 6:00AM and I have been awake for a rediculously long time already. I tried just laying in bed listening to the waves of Lake Garda lap against the shore a few meters away; didn’t lull me back to sleep. I tried listening to some podcasts to ease back into sleep but that did not work either. I suppose I am just awake for the day after 6 or so hours of sleep.

In two hours the sun will be rising over the eastern shoreline mountains and we can go to breakfast. That has been dissapointing here. I don’t expect all hotels to have varied large assortments of breakfast items let alone a chef dedicated to making you a personalized omelette. I do expec food items that should be served hot to actually be hot. That also applies to drinks especially in a country where coffee and espresso drinks are supposed to be vital to cultural existence. We are not reaching that level here. THe scenery is pleasing to the eye; the sustenance is sufficient but that is about all that can be said and even then I feel I might be stretching the point.

We planned to tackle the skinny loop walk that would let us see what is just to our north. But that plan fell apart as we climbed the 10-12 meters up a narrow alley. I was feeling crummy. Just not good in several ways. We changed plans and instead returned to lake level and ventured into, and not much beyond, the heart of Gargnano. Finding the coffee place along the way and having properly hot cappucinos help improve our mood. The numerous small shops along the way were interesting. You aren’t doing this walk to immerse yourself in nature (there may well be trails high on the cliff sides). For an adjusted plan and all things considered we did alright.

The afternoon was spent resting. At least that is what I did. Mom and Dad did check out the “beach” the hotel has mentioned but if there is a sandy spot on it they did not find it: stones, stones, rocks, and stones.

Dinner on the lakeside patio. We clearly are not the right appreciative audience. Even though it sounded like the lamb I had the first night should have taken longer to reach me (they noted that it takes 25 minutes to prepare) my beef steak with mushrooms definitely took longer. From sit down to departure we were there 90 minutes and the bulk, the vast bulk, of that time was spent waiting. We had appetizers too but the break between those and our main courses was not short. I enjoy a liesurely meal. But there is a difference from leisurely and just slow. I enjoy the afternoons doing the Sunday barbecues at home but that also feels more rewarding and, to be honest, I think I make better food more often than not. Perhaps we lack some proper meassure of sophistication but we are looking forward to eating dinner outside of the hotel the next night. We just need to avoid getting squished by the traffic.

Photos

Sitting on a bench on a lakeside promenade waiting for Mom and dad to return from a little exploring. I am feeling beaten down by the bug that I caught. We haven’t, and won’t, do much of the walk that travels a northern loop beyond Gargnano.

--September 27, 2026 at 11:15 AM.

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A beach of stones with a view of Lake Garda. This is given special notice by the hotel staff. I suppose because it’s also their boat launch area.There is a lakeside bar too. If you want to get wet, wear water shoes. The lake bottom is rocky too. Photo by Jonathan.

--September 27, 2026 at 3:46 PM.

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Gargnano - Our First Full Day (September 27, 2026)

 if you read my Blog post An Update and a Promise you already have an idea of how some of our time was spent in Verona. The long travel day with quite a few hours of waiting in two different airports before we even got to Verona did not have us in a good mood, but we finally got to our hotel. Well, dad‘s health was improving and Mom and I were ill. That’s why I would spend the next day sleeping. That would be when they discovered the great mall.

The second full day was a bit better and you can see some of how we spent that time in the previously mentioned Blog post as well as in the photos down below.

Then we had another travel day to get to the town of Gargnano on the western shore of Lake Garda. That turned out to be an over 2 hour Long drive which didn’t start anywhere close to on time since there was a problem with the car service not having the correct address for our location. Yes, these things do happen and you have to roll with it, but they should not happen and they put a damper on anyone’s mood. However, we got to the hotel - Gardenia al Lago - with just enough time to spare  for us to be able to have lunch. As we would come to learn the hotel serves all its meals on the patio right at the lake’s edge (I suppose they make exceptions if the weather is poor).

Photos

Photo taken Sep 25, 2026 at 2:24 PM

--September 25, 2026 at 2:24 PM.

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It may be touristy with shops selling all sorts of things including €900 pens but it was nice to walk towards Ponte Pietra. Getting small, just right really, warm sandwiches made with quality meats and cheese from a little cafe certainly improved our day.

--September 25, 2026 at 2:29 PM.

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The Adige Rivers flows below us as we stand on the Ponte Pietra.

--September 25, 2026 at 2:48 PM.

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This lovely duck ambled by us, perhaps 2 feet away, as we wait for lunch to arrive at our outdoor table right by the water’s edge of Lake Garda. I sample a collection of starters that we shared: fried potatoes, which were perhaps the best form of french fries we have had this entire trip; a warmed slightly wilted, perhaps spinach with garlic that was quite tasty, even if it’s not the most visually appealing item; grilled vegetables, a couple of which we never could figure out exactly what they were; and a mixed greens salad. It hit the spot for all of us.

--September 26, 2026 at 1:56 PM.

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My room is small and has character but has no view to speak of. Mom and Dad have a substantially larger room with character and a small balcony to gaze out upon Lake Garda. Photo by Jonathan.

--September 26, 2026 at 3:47 PM.

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I suspect I was having another day or two to get a better shot of this full moon, or nearly so if I’m not able to get a shot tonight, moon rising over Lake Garda. The hotel seems to serve all their meals outside but they do have what appears to be a lovely dining room . Perhaps they only use it during inclement or chilly weather. At the time I took this picture temperature was about 62°F and the sun had set about 27 minutes earlier.

--September 26, 2026 at 7:37 PM.

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Malta - From the Hotel to the Sea (September 22, 2026)

How people interact with the world around them then and now. On the left our ancestors interacting directly with each other in conversation; right: a young woman tapping on her mobile phone chatting with people unseen. In the middle is Dad and I would say that while he uses a mobile phone he is closer to the people on the left. He would reach down and pet the cat if he could. I wonder if the young woman would notice it.

--September 22, 2026 at 10:01 AM.

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On Monday Dad was fighting an illness so we had a day to just hang out by the hotel. The town around the hotel is a busy one and there may be things to do but it is not a town that we feel is friendly to pedestrians. No doubt if you are used to the narrow sidewalks and stepping onto the streets with their two-way traffic and little room to squeeze by parked cars you will do fine. We are not those people.

On Tuesday Dad seemed to be well on the way to full recovery so we were able to do one final walk. We had thought about doing a boat tour instead and while our reasoning for cancelling that made sense hindsight suggests we’d have been better off doing that. Oh well. The walk could take us all the way to Xlendi but we were only going to do a portion of the 13km walk; somewhere between 4 and 6km I think. It would take us through the town and then along the coast. We were hoping for good views and a pleasant walk. We got the views.

We got ourselves confused a couple times by either mis-understanding the walking notes or, less charitably, the walking notes were just confusing. But we eventually made our way down to the sea where scuba divers were prepping to dive. THe water is lovely here and I believe they are diving shipwrecks which could be exciting I suppose. We plodded on along the path we thought we should take. We missed the easier path. We took the tougher route. Down the rough path, finally no paving but limestone and dirt, and worked our way slowly closer to the sea. It was rocky and the footing not ideal. Toss in the fact that the limestone and dirt are a uniform honey color and it becomes particularly hard to see undulations, dips, steps, in our way. It does so for me. I missed one and fell landing more on the left side/shoulder than not but I think my shoulder came through ok. My confidence: not so much. Mom and Dad had to wait a while while I collected myself and let my body calm down. But we were at another place where people were gathered to enjoy the beach. This was a place an Uber could come and pick us up for a drive back to the hotel and our intended end point. I think we had covered not much more than 4.5km. We were done.

Too many of the walks are under shade-free skies and on hard durable surfaces-not to our liking. We have had some challenges over the past week and sadly while Dad was recovering from the bug, it migrated to Mom and me. The next two-three days we felt pretty cruddy and since one of those days was the travel day to Verona that just made it worse for Mom, who got it first. Hopefully as I type this here just after sunrise on our first full day in Gargnano on Lake Garda we have all returned to something approaching proper health.

Photos and Videos

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I am not sure of the naming of the bay.Is it Ramla or Mgarr Bay. After we leave the artistic bench this is the region of sea we saw.

--September 22, 2026 at 10:54 AM.

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Steep descent down to the bay. Those ridges might help give this concrete one-car wide road more friction when wet.

--September 22, 2026 at 11:08 AM.

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Lots of people here getting ready to scuba dive the waters here. We paused for a bit to watch the scene. Then we pushed on and ended up taking the tougher route which was definitely not our plan. We should have followed the paths higher up on the ridge than the one we did follow, which was closer to the water and featured some awkward footing on limestone and dirt.It was a bit challenging.

--September 22, 2026 at 11:21 AM.

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An Update and a Promise

Left: just over 14 years ago Mom and Dad are standing on the Ponte Pietra . Right: On September 24, 2026 all 3 of us are back and I am once again taking their photo on this most-ancient bridge in Verona.

--September 25, 2026 at 2:53 PM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, CalTopo mapOpenTopoMap map We have been in Verona for the past couple of days. Mom and I have been ill for the past couple of days. Perhaps we are well on our way to recovery as we wait for our car service to arrive and drive us to Lake Garda and the town Gargnano. I do have a bit more I can say about Verona but it is going to wait until I have settled down there and am feeling more properly myself. That is when I will also write about our final walk on the island of Gozo which had a bit more adventure than we wanted.

For now I will share these two photos of us on the Ponte Pietra. We managed to use the bus system to get from our Best Western CTC Verona outside the city to Castelvecchio in Verona and from there did a tiny bit of exploring (very slowly as I certainly wasn’t well) and in time we found our way to the bridge. Getting back to the hotel took a bit more effort and we had a period of doubt when we thought we had made an error. It all worked out. However, if we were staying for any appreciable length of time I would figure out how to purchase bus passes via the mobile app. One final very much in passing note. We initially had not planned to stay at this hotel but at an AirB&B in central Verona. Had we done that we would not have disovered the grand shopping mall about one-half mile away from our hotel. Perhaps I should have taken photos of some of the stores. What really impressed us was the staggering large grocery and-a-bit-of-everything-else store. From vast amounts of fresh veggies, to a active bakery, plenty of clearly fresh fish, and swaths of all sorts of meats being prepared as you watched, and more. Impressive. Then we found a nice clothing store where I bought two pair of pants. They required some alterations and, lo and behold,there was a seamstress booth just a few shops down. She took my measurements and had the two pants altered in less than an hour. I doubt that there is a shopping mall in the USA which has a tailor/seamstress.

Photos

Dad and Ken on the Ponte Pietra. The bridge was built around 100BCE but all but the leftmost arch was destroyed in 1945.

--September 25, 2026 at 2:54 PM.

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This was a lovely little park to sit in and watch people go by. Well that’s what Mom and Dad did. I rested. We looked at Ponte Puetra. We wondered about the trees high on a bluff beyond the bridge.

--September 25, 2026 at 3:29 PM.

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