Pedalo fun

10th June 2008

It’s all about the lake. The Etruscans farmed here and Hannibal fought here. Lago Trasimeno is the largest body of water on the Italian peninsula, 54 kilometres around. A vast expanse of luminous water, changeable with the light and seasons; sometimes milky pale and silver, or azure blue and shimmering in the lazy heat of noon. Ringed by misty mountains it makes a perfect backdrop for the fortified town of Castiglione del Lago. The way the town juts out on a promontory means that it is almost completely surrounded by water and seems to dominate the lake. This is the landscape of Perugino and for landlocked Umbrians, this inviting cool blue water has the magnetic pull of an ocean.

Along the shore there are lakeside restaurants and bars, little grassy beaches and sandy lidos. In summer there is all the buzz of Italian beach culture with swimming, sunbathing and pedalo fun. Call me old fashioned, but I love a bit of pedalo fun, especially with young children. I have always found the combination of manic aquatic cycling coupled with the risk of accidental drowning to be highly entertaining. Meanwhile, blue and white ferries glide through the languid waters on route to the lake’s three tranquil islands Maggiore, Minore and Polvese.

The best thing I ate

Cake

I must admit (and it will come as no big surprise) to a greedy love of cake in all its many forms. The cake, or cakes, in question were jubilant birthday offerings to celebrate the sunny age of nine.

Underneath fluttering bunting and pastel coloured balloons, by the side of the limpid lake we shared a festa with the tall one’s Italian friends.

Italian birthday cakes are blousy, flamboyant affairs. There is none of the sturdy weight of the English counterpart. Under the elaborate decorations the Italians favour light puffs of sponge sandwiched with softly billowing custard and cream, more like a deliciously corseted trifle.

The real stars of the show were the miniature tarts and ‘bombolloni’ that had also been made by Michele, a young and gifted Castiglione based baker, in his laboratorio. They looked so pretty it was hard to choose. Cute and kitsch, vanilla scented mouthfuls of pure extravagance.

Where to get it:
GMB Castiglione del Lago

Posted at 12:02 PM in The best thing I ate, The landscape | Permalink

Comments

Ciao tutti
Thanks for all the comments, we love them. They are what keeps this blog 'live'!

Hello Desi and My Melange, pleased to meet you.

I'm so glad everyone like the photos, I love the lago, I've heard if dissed in comparison with Como and Garda, but I say, why can't they all be beautiful!

Don't worry Nell there will be plenty of gelato!

Maryann, Can you spot my fake tan all the way from New York?!!!

Posted by: amanda | June 19, 2008 at 03:12 PM

What breathtaking photos!! Now I have a photo to go with the many descriptions of the lake in *Under the Tuscan Sun* And those treats look to die for.....

Posted by: My Mélange | June 18, 2008 at 06:39 PM

Hey guys, how are you? I only wanted to let you know that I'm again online after a little problem with the internet connection :P
Ciao!!

Desi

Posted by: Desi | June 18, 2008 at 05:47 PM

Gimme some cake!
-your orange butted sister lol

Posted by: Maryann | June 16, 2008 at 12:52 AM

It is Fathers Day in Canada today and I'd like to wish Julian and all the fathers out there a Happy Fathers Day today you rule supreme.

Posted by: Antonina | June 15, 2008 at 03:14 PM

See... THAT is why I want to visit there. Those photos are really amazing. I saw someone say "stunning" above - GREAT word choice!

The pastries aren't bad, either!

Posted by: Cherrye at My Bella Vita | June 12, 2008 at 02:09 PM

Hi Amanda,
Yes we've been getting more than our fair share of rain here. The water level in the lakes have gone up noticeably, as I'm sure Trasimeno would too under the same circumstances! The problem now are the mosquitos -- how I dread those insects!

Posted by: rowena | June 12, 2008 at 11:41 AM

Hi, thanks a lot for the comment, I'm glad that you appreciate my blog, because I feel exactly the same for yours; I found you yesterday (always thanks to Joe's blog) and I wanted to ask if it's ok to add your blog in my blogroll, you just anticipated me :P
Let's keep in touch, thanks again and have a nice time, ciao!

Posted by: Desi | June 12, 2008 at 11:02 AM

Photo's of lake breathtaking,visceral almost magical.The cake and dolcie I gained weight just looking at them,but was there no gelato to be had. I so miss having it rich lemony or fresh strawberry flavor.

Posted by: Antonina | June 11, 2008 at 03:50 PM

Looks good enough to eat.
Good thing that pastries are rather expensive in Positano. I'd be quite a few kilos overweight otherwise...

The Lake is fabulous. How it changes with the fall of the light and wind !

Posted by: Scintilla | June 11, 2008 at 01:00 PM

Wonderful pictures of the lake! I love Italian pastries too. I love going to the local shop on Sunday mornings and surprising my kids with a trayful of pasticcini.

Posted by: milanese masala | June 11, 2008 at 11:42 AM

Oh, Lake Trasimeno is even more beautiful in your photos! I am so sorry I couldn't meet up with you on this trip. I would love to on the next one.

Posted by: Jeni | June 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM

Wow fantastic photos, the views are just brilliant!!

Posted by: anne | June 10, 2008 at 09:21 PM

These photos are stunning. I need to take a little vacation...soon!

Darn the low dollar. :(

Posted by: nyc/carribean ragazza | June 10, 2008 at 02:30 PM

Oh, I recognize that lake :) Beautiful photos. I would definitely be up for visiting that town today, as well as sharing in a few bombolloni :)

Posted by: erin :: the olive notes | June 10, 2008 at 02:23 PM

Of course I made my own too! Home-made birthday cake is the law in this house. Nigella's 'Old- Fashioned Chocolate Cake' with adapted icing (my kids don't do dark chocolate, yet!) so I make the icing with mostly milk choc and a little 80% to give it a boost. Whole lot gone in one greedy go!

Posted by: amanda | June 10, 2008 at 01:01 PM