From a cockerel to a swan

Yesterday was horrendously wet; today it's currently dry but very windy. I am in the bedroom looking at the tree just outside the garden. I am sure it is leaning closer than it was before. Would it hit our house if it fell, I ponder. 

And this, you see, is why the world needs the app I suggested years ago, and that nobody except me thought was a good idea. A 'How big is it?' app. You'd just point it at whatever and it would do the hard geometry and tell you the answer. 

In the meantime I'll avoid standing in front of the house.

So, back to Lake Garda.

Because it was a family holiday we spent most of the time in the lake or the pools. The lake temperature was on average 23 but it felt warmer because it is so shallow for so long.

Younger Son doing a handstand gives a little impression of how far out you could go without getting out of your depth. It was wonderful for the children and the grown-ups once we'd remembered to keep our legs up when swimming to avoid grazing them on the sand below.

What was unusual - to a sea swimmer anyway - was the presence of swans and ducks. After my cockerel experience I was wary of the swans at first but they are well accustomed to humans and associate them with food.

Swimming in the lake was lovely but the place was very busy. Looking around the circumference of the lake we could see there were no gaps; it all appeared built up. Understandable I suppose: everyone wants to live on the lakeside. But not what I'd been expecting. 

It got very crowded on the beach but still didn't justify the disregard for personal space shown by the lady who plonked her green towel down next to Husband!

The highlight of the trip for the children was the ride on the pedalo. 

So good they did it twice, the second time I was persuaded to go along. I had refused point blank to go on the slides in the swimming pools. I've always avoided them but with the grandchildren putting me to shame, sliding down into the sea, and jumping off the pedalo, I plucked up my courage. It wasn't until we'd always run out of time that I thought, "No, don't be a wimp, you can do this. What's the worst that can happen?" "Don't answer that!"

So I did it. It was terrifying just climbing up the ladder on a wobbly plastic contraption out at 'sea' but I got to the top, took a deep breath, and began sliding. Very slowly. I deliberately pressed my feet against the side so it wouldn't be fast, and then I was in the water. And the good news is: I came back up again. To cheers and a round of applause.

Having done it once I thought, "Right, I've got to do it again, otherwise I'll lose my nerve again." Back up wobbly slide and then down. There was no holding me back this time: I was wet and couldn't stop myself whizzing down and around the bend into the sea. 

I can't say it was the highlight of my trip - apart from having conquered my fear - but I did it. And, thus inspired, resolved to go on the slide at the pool. Here, unfortunately, I let go off my nose at the wrong moment and got a right noseful, thus putting me off again! Hey ho. There's always next year.

* * * * *

The campsite was a fifteen minute walk from the little town of Peschiera del Garda, called the Venice of Italy. (No, that can't be right. The Venice of the North. No, that's wrong too. Okay, called, The Place a bit like Venice.)

A town once reliant on its fishing industry, tourism is now its lifeline.

A town full of restaurants and gelateria!