‘Where in the World…?’ Update: BIG MOUTH in Italy

I “lost” a copy of BIG MOUTH in the Los Angeles International Airport the day my family boarded our flight to London. Not only was that book found, it has been taken on holiday to Italy by a reader named Cristina. (Read Cristina’s email to me on my “Where in the World . . . ?” website.)

Cristina tells me that the book is on the shores of Italy’s Lake Garda at this very moment. I may be of Italian ancestry, but I must admit that I hadn’t the slightest clue of Lake Garda’s existence before Cristina emailed me, which is exactly why this “Where in the World…?” game is so fun to me. Now I have one more reason to visit Italy: Lake Garda is gorgeous!

Lago di Garda, as I’d be calling it if my ancestors hadn’t emigrated to the U.S.A. two generations ago, is the largest lake in Italy. Located in Northern Italy, about halfway between Venice and Milan, it was formed by glaciers at the end of the last ice age. After seeing the gallery of photos on Wikipedia’s entry for Lake Garda, I can see why this place is a major tourist destination with exclusive hotels and resorts along its shore. Isn’t it stunning? The lake has five islands; I’m not sure where BIG MOUTH is along their shores. But I do know, thanks to Wikipedia, that the lake’s wildlife includes the “Trota del Garda” or “Carpiù”, a species of salmon exclusive to the Garda and a few Swiss alpine lakes. I’m not much into fishing, but I’d definitely like to visit this lake. Perhaps the Halverson clan will go there during our year abroad. We definitely intend to hit several European countries while we’re here, although we haven’t decided which ones yet. While we mull our options, I’ll be happy knowing that Big Mouth is on holiday there, relaxing on the shores of Lago di Garda, in the hands of an eager reader. Buon viaggio, Big Mouth!

“Where in the World…?” tracks copies of BIG MOUTH and HONK IF YOU HATE ME as they are “lost” in public places around the world, then found and read and “lost” again. You can read the stories and see a map of the finds on www.DeborahHalverson.com or www.BigMouthTheBook.com.

*Photo of Lake Gardo (Lago di Garda), Italy, taken from the Riva del Garda by Markus Benet, 9/26/04. (Source: Wikipedia Commons)