POSTCARD NO 3:
LAGO DI GARDA
What a jewel of a place!
Lago di Garda is the largest of the string of beautiful
Italian lakes at the foothills of the Alps.It lies at the
eastern end between Brescia and Verona.Parts of the
lake have a micro - climate that is Mediterranean.
You can see olive trees, palms, vineyards, oleanders
and the lemon groves for which the region is famous.
It has been for centuries the northern - most point in
Italy where lemons could be grown.
For me the most striking coast of the lake is between
the towns of Salo and Riva on the western side. Tall
limestone cliffs go down almost to the water. Small
villages and ports dot the water's edge. Between them
you can see fine 18th and 19th century villas with
exceptional gardens of giant grandiflora magnolias
and old linden and cypress trees. The most striking
feature of this part of the lake are the "limonaie",
the lemon-growing terraces which back onto
limestone cliffs to draw the last bit of warmth from
the rock. Tall pergola- like structures,which were
covered in winter to protect the lemons from frost,
tower over the trees.

The best way to appreciate the beauties of the stretch
of the lake is to see it from the water - something
I warmly recommend.

Given Lago di Garda is famous for it's lemons
I thought I would give my recipe for Limoncello,
Italy's famous lemon-based liquer.

LIMONCELLO
4 organic lemons, not sprayed
1 litre Vodka
1 cup castor sugar
500 ml water
juice of 1 lemon

Peel the skin off the lemons, being careful not to cut
any of the white of the skin, as this will make the
Limoncello bitter.
Put lemon peel and 2 cups of Vodka into a jar and let
it stand for 4 days.
Make a syrup with the water and sugar. Let it cool and
add it to the lemon peel and Vodka.
Now add the remaining Vodka and lemon juice and let
it stand in a dark place for one week.
Pass it through a siv and let the Limoncello stand
again for another week before drinking it.
You can keep it in the fridge and serve it chilled.