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Lighthouse at Port of Desenzano
21th century
Passageway
The lake boatDesenzano - Spring 2007
"Desenzano del Garda, 39 Years Later"
We (myself, my mother, my oldest sister, and my partner) just returned from our 10-day trip to Italy.
We arrived in Milan (Malpensa) and drove to Desenzano del Garda were we stayed the entire trip - then we did day trips to our various destinations.
It was a great trip and a lot of fun to hear my mother and sister's memories of the area (we lived there from 1965-1968, I was born in 1966 in Vicenza).
"What Changed?"
After 39 years, it turns out that Desenzano del Garda has become quite the hotspot for young Italians and other Europeans looking for some fun on the weekend. Desenzano del Garda boasts the world's largest disco and has become a gay-friendly destination.
As we drove in from A4, my mother and sister were shocked to see the amount of growth Desenzano del Garda had undergone. The traffic was unbelievable (we arrived the weekend of Labour Day) and a mall now existed where my mother remembered only fields.
"Parla inglese?"
While I was told repeatedly that minimal Italian was necessary, I wish I had learned more conversational Italian. I was able to speak when dining or shopping but I often found myself wanting to engage the Italians more. And once you say anything in Italian, they assume you speak it and off to the races they go!
We also found that one thing still holds true...they do not like Germans. Many times we found they assumed we were German and their attitude was very different then when they knew we were American. They were not rude or disrespectful just less friendly.
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