Mama Mia!

Brenzone, Lake Garda

Since we moved to Switzerland, there was one trip that we felt we had to take while here. Bob's maternal grandmother was born in a small town on the shores of Lake Garda, Italy, and her birthplace was a must-see. For Christmas, we surprised Bob's parents with a trip to the region, and we knew it would be a special experience together.

We started the trip by flying to Venice, arriving late on New Year's Day. It was a short EasyJet trip to Venice, and a long trip by public boat to the hotel in the dark (in time to celebrate my birthday at midnight!). We didn't have much time to spend in Venice, but it was enough to get a glimpse of the city, which is unlike any other. The weather was cold and rainy as we navigated our way through the narrow streets, began our quest for great Italian food, shopped for glass, and stood in famous St. Mark's Square.

From Venice, we drove to Verona to stay for a few days, as a launching pad to the Lake Garda region. The boys especially enjoyed pretending to be gladiators in Verona's large arena, perusing the markets, and finding Juliet's balcony. (It was very cute to hear Willem say, "Oh Romeo, Oh Romeo".)  We didn't expect it to be so difficult to find gelato, but it was January, after all. We were also tasting regional polenta throughout our trip (one of Bob's grandmother's specialties).

In front of the church in Brenzone

The most memorable part of our stay was our adventure to the town of Brenzone, to explore the beautiful lakeside town where Bob's grandparents once lived. It was amazing to imagine that they traveled from this small town in northern Italy all the way to Connecticut to start their family. We used NaNa's birth certificate to find the church where she was baptized and where her parents were likely married. In fact, the family names are very common in the town, giving us some kind of proof that we had found the right place.

Lake Garda is someplace we would love to go back to, especially in the summer. The small town of Malcesine was one of my favorites, with narrow cobblestone streets. Throughout our trip, we met many friendly and helpful people -- whether it was the priest who showed my mother-in-law the church, or the elderly gentleman who chanted "Bravo" to Willem as he ran by in his Italia sweatshirt. It is very special to know where your origins are, and I hope the boys can relish this part of their background.

Ciao!