It began with a Campari bottle. A classic design they’ve used for decades. Hmm. Curious. I googled it and found that the bottle was designed by Italian artist and designer, Fortunato Depero, in 1932. I also found out that he was the initiator of the Italian Futurist Art movement and that there’s a museum exhibiting 3,000 of his works in Rovereto, Italy: Casa Depero. There’s also quite an extensive and beautiful modern art museum associated with it: MART.

Where’s Rovereto? It’s way up in the northeast of Italy, north of Verona, northwest of Venezia, close to the northern shore of Lago Di Garda – Lake Garda – and not far from both Austria and Switzerland. Rovereto is in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. (The best bread I’ve found in Milano is from a deli with food of this region, Austrian-inspired.)

At noon, a cab ride brought me from Sirmione, where I had been for one day, back to the train station at Desenzano. Then I trained to Verona, changed trains and rode along the lake’s eastern shore and the Adige River to Rovereto.

So, here I am for three days, with museums on my agenda. I don’t have Internet in my room, so I’m sitting here at the library. I’m writing on my iPad and still haven’t figured out how to upload photos from here, so there aren’t any images for these few days and will be added later.

My camera is malfunctioning (!!!) and I have no control over the flash, the color balance or exposure (!!!) but I CAN still gather images. (I stopped into a camera store in the middle of tourist-ville today just to check on worst case scenario prices if I feel compelled to buy a new camera to use during the rest of my time here. Yikes. I hate to do that. Technology is pricey in Italy, and the exchange rate is terrible right now.)

The cab dropped me at my B&B and I immediately loved it: B&B Casa Bettini. On a narrow street in the historic area. Beautifully but simply refurbished. a perfect home base for these few days.

I dropped my bags and started walking, malfunctioning camera in hand. Rovereto is charming, intriguing, photogenic and historic. The city has much to offer a visitor yet it seems that there are only locals walking around. There’s the photographic exploration that I enjoy so much, the art and other museums, shopping for those so inclined, narrow passageways to explore, a castle and surrounding hillsides that create a beautiful environment. Plan part of your next Italian vacation here: as-yet-undiscovered Rovereto. (I checked and couldn’t find it mentioned anywhere on Rick Steve’s web site. Get here before he does!)

So I will gladly stroll this town ’til Saturday morning. It tickles me at every turn.

(Now I’m off to find a dinner of the typical foods of the area. Ciao!)