Lake that smells like a sea

Well, during our long 3 weeks in Turano we had days off of course and of course we didnt spend them in Turano)

Normally we spent only our first weekend, and here im going to stop) If you are staying in Turano you have only to ways to get out of there: to Cima Rest - village on the top of the mountain where there are more cows than people - and Gargnano - tawn on Garda lake. Do i have to say where did we go?))

We took the first bus at 6 am and at 7 were in the tan already. Of course place was sleeping at that time but we didnt care, we misse civilisation that much that the first thing we did - we found internet cafe) After we went to the center, walked around, and went to the lake.

You know, for me it was first italian city after Milano and personally i loved it much more. It wasnt that turistic, it was so small and cute that from the first moment there you can understand that you are in real Italy. I loved ts medieval architecture, but most of all i loved lake. OMG i really couldnt believe that it was lake, it was so clean and smelled like a sea! Even if waterwas cold for italian we swam there a bit, just because it was impossible to resist)

Gargnano isvery small place, so we decided to WALK to the catsle that was between Gargnano and Toscolano. What a mistake it was: two quite blond girls isomething short walking dawn the highway - oh god, i think after it i started to dislike italians.

Well, we didnt find castle, but we came to Toscolano, that was bigger than Gargnano, fooler of tourists and nicer in general) And there was a historical moment - i ate my first pizza. It was so delicious,so good, so tasty, i cant describe it. Also we took bottle of white local wine that was also amazingly good!

After very long walk and wine we decided just to go back by boat - was a nice idea, very fast and very nice view) And guess what we did after coming backto Gargnano - ate Gelato (told you, we loved food).

Actually i think that Gargnano is one of the best place on Lago di Garda: it is so small, nice, so cheap and calm, that it could be perfect for relaxing. I loved this place

Middle of nowhere or Kid's environment camp Legambiente

As you can remember the aim of my trip was volunteer work in the kid's camp in misterious place called Valvestino.

What is the best way to describe where was this place? Well, in Italy there is huge lake calles Garda. Near Lago di Garda there is small and pretty nice tawn Gargnano. And if you take a bus (that goes just twice a day) and drive for an hour or even more somewhere in the directions of mountains, pass Valvestino lake and if you are lucky enough you will reach place called Turano. Exactly there me and another volunteer from Estonia spent three weeks =) Why 3 when i was supposed to be there for 5? I think this place is so nowhere that parents are just scared of sandind their children there (i was, when  i arrived).

It is quite easy to describe his place Just imegine medieval tipical italian village, add there maximum 100 inhabbitants, one bar/shop, two churches (that ring every 30 minutes ALL the time) and here it is - Turano! Actually we lived not exactly in there, but in a small house 10 minutes walking away on mountain-nice, right)) And it wont be enough to say that i was scared of beng there: no heating, no internet, no TV, no phone (yeah, i didnt have connection) - and it is for me, for Moscow-girl. And yes first days were awful, i had literarly nohing to do, weather was awful (because we were surrounded by mountains).

But than kids came, we started to do some activities, we walked till thenext villages, and i really started to enjoy it. Nature around us was just wonderful, the other volunteer was really cool girl (Klaudi, i miss you!) and day by day i learned from our italian cook not only how to cook italian food (what i did and what im proud of now) but also how to do nothing - this italian talent, that we, ppl from north, simply dont have).

I have to write a bit about our work) Actually we didnt do a lot, just helped to play with kids, were looking after boiler, i was helping on the kitchen (because i wanted to learn and because our nice cook Marco and me became good friends, but oh god, he was so italian!) We had to look for a work to do just to do something and it was a bit boring, but i have nothing to complain)

Oh, and me and this estonian girl, we just found each other - we loved to eat (we even went to the other village just to pick some cherries), we loved to drink, what else did we need?) Yeah, we had very nice evenings there, ireally do miss it now.

On our last night there Klaudi's friend came and we had really strange night with limoncello, russian music and a lot of glowworms around. The next morning we went to Milan from where Klaudi and her friend went to Turino and i headed to another holy italian place Asso...

Milano, dream city

I finally understood that this trip was an excellent idea on my way to Milano: at the moment when I saw Italy on the sunset from my plane.

In Milano I only planed to visit Cenacolo Vinciano, because it was my dream since I heard about it for the first time, well, I think it is really useless to describe my filings about it - it was just amazing, but it isnt for everybody)

But before going there I decided to visit castle of Milano. Honestly, I expected to see something like Louvre or Hermitage, but there was a real medieval castle! It was another my dream that came true in Milano! Near this castle there is quuite nice garden, but you can find this nice garden close to every palace in Europe)

After I went to see Cenacolo Vinciano (as i wrote before) and than i headed to the main Milan's landmark - Duomo. On my way i passed several street full of shops and russian turists who were fighting for discounts - how i love my country XD

But soon i saw Duomo and, well, It is very hard to describe it: just imagine the most beautiful cathedral that you can and it will be Duomo di Milano. When you look at it it seems like it is made from light and clouds. From the inside it wasnt as much beautiful as from outside, but what i was really interested was going upstairs to the roof! To do it you can use stairs or elevator. Memorising my Hamburg experience with going upstairs i decided to do it by stairs again - guys, i almost died there! But the view was amazing, well, i believe that e best point to see the city is the highest point - and in Milano it is Duomo)

What else did i do there? I tried my first Gelato Italiano that was an orgasm for my mouth and italian panini,after wich i forgot about ones ate in Moscow) Also i got totally lost without any people around me, but i ended up near some veeeery old church need which my host found me)

At the evening my host tought me how to cook Fritata di Macaroni (if i have good mood ill share with you one day) and also we talked about food a lot (as you can see i LOVE food) XD

What can I say about Milano? It was the first italian city i had seen and of course i loved it at that moment with all it's tiny streets, endless number of shops, too many tourists, and too many cars? what was really charming. But now i can say, that comparing to other italian cities Milan is too commercial, you cant feel real italy there, what is really important for me.

Dusseldorf

Very slowly I will write here about my big Italian journey. But firstly I have to mention my first stop that I had in German city Dusseldorf (on my way to Italy I had stop there for 10 hours).

Dusseldorf met me with awful weather, I even didn't want to leave the airport (which is simply amazing). But walking around airport for ten hours didn't attract me, so I bought some worm clothes (because it was +13 and rain outside!) and went to the city. I have to say that while planing going to Italy I didn't think what to do in Dusseldorf, that's why I arrived to city without any Idea where to go or what to do.

What did I see in the city? Buildings, churches, bridges - everything so typical for Germany that I was totally bored with it. But also I didn't see any history in this city, any spirit, what for me very important.

Totally disappointed I decided to do only one stop before going back to the airport : I wanted to see Rein (river).

Maybe weather influents me a lot or for germans historical center and "zentrum" are different places, but when I saw DuDo from the river side I almost fell in love with this city. Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to enjoy that place, but I did have enough time to change my mind about the city.

At the end i understand that Germany isnt "my country". Ive seen 4 different cities and so far liked only Berlin, but Berlin isnt Germany. For me Germany is too right, everything is in the order, is very clean. At least Im russian, i need some mess in the world around me)