Today we ventured to Limone Sul Garda, where lemon trees are housed in unusual contraptions along the roadside and in town presumably to offer them the best growing conditions. The town itself, by the lake anyway, was filled with tourists and every conceivable lemon souvenir imaginable. Magnets, keychains, limoncello, lemon shaped air fresheners, lemon plaques and lemon nameplates. The path through town narrowed the further in you go and, not being great in crowds and slightly panicky, we head up and away, into a more residential area where we come upon a lovely osteria with no view of the lake, but with wonderfully simple food and kind service nestled in among citrus trees, pomegranates and bougainvillea. The garden of Eden itself.

Back home in Riva del Garda, during a break in the rain, we strike out for apertivi hour where Louis Armstrong and that wonderful era of jazz music plays in the dark, moody lounge.

Back at the flat there are cd’s of the Airbnb owners and we play Ella Fitzgerald, the London Symphony Air on a G String (heart wrenching) Mark Knopfler and early Beatles over bread, cheese, olives and artichokes.

It is our last night at the lake, for several months anyway, but we are certain our return next spring is imminent and are grateful for the incredible time we’ve shared in this marvelous place.

We’ll miss how the small cobbled paths lead like tendrils up from the lake towards the stately neighborhoods less touristy, the shadow of the mountains standing tall around the town and wandering in wonder daily at our fortune at exploring and experiencing such beauty.

One more full day in this fabled land of magic tomorrow, can’t wait to hold on to each moment left…