Quiet Hours on Lake Garda

The holidaymakers were asleep, no ferries on the lake. Even the morning refuse collection hadn’t started yet. A few cars drove by, otherwise, silence still reigned this morning in Limone on Lake Garda. After an enjoyable evening in the old town of Limone sul Garda, I’m back at a beautiful viewpoint at dawn, high up on the Gardesana road.

Before that, I had passed the old harbour. A completely different impression than the evening before: boats still bobbed just as lazily in the harbour basin, but the old town’s alleys and café terraces were deserted and empty. The sight of the boats, Mediterranean-style houses, and the towering rock faces above them reminds me of a stay in Manarola in the Cinque Terre, as well as a trip to the Amalfi Coast – there’s an additional thematic connection there regarding citrus fruits.

As dawn broke, the light changed. The artificial, orange-coloured lighting receded into the background and soon disappeared completely. The sun will still take a while to emerge over the 2200-metre-high Monte Baldo massif. Therefore, the landscape in this fjord-like, north-south oriented section of Lake Garda is now bathed in diffuse light and warm pastel colours.

The land awoke. I always enjoy being out at this time of day. After this exhilarating start, I eagerly looked forward to the rest of the day. Would I make it to the Limonaia del Castèl museum today? But first, I had to carry the equipment back to the campsite, then I’d earned myself a coffee.