Gaver and the opening of the new bank building Bagolino
Ponte Caffaro has two rivers which meet at Lago D’Idro. We checked that the Chiese was running earlier in the week at Val di Fumo. Today we thought that we should make sure that the Caffaro was in good shape. By doing this today we could kill two birds with one stone. Io hasten to add that killing birds with stones, or any other projectile for that matter, is not permitted without a properly signed permit here in Italy. Bird killing was just a figure of speech and not a new hobby. The second bird was to attend the opening of the fine new building which our bank has erected in Bagolino.
The Cassa Rurale is a cooperative bank which began when a group of local people in Darzo needed to buy a harvester. These enlightened people could not afford a harvester as individuals so joined together to buy the machine and the cooperative bank was born. The bank continues this enlightened pattern in which the depositors, borrowers and communities come first and last to this day.
After the tedious preamble above lets get on with it. We drove past Bagolino and towards Gaver, a small local ski resort, and parked in an empty car park. My camera has given up the ghost after the daily abuse on the trail and so I am reduced to the camera in my telephone to photograph our tour of inspection.
The signposts were a little confusing so we trotted off down the road.
The meadows between the road and the river looked soft and inviting. We drifted off the road and down towards the river on the meadows.
The snow on the mountains looked very inviting, something for another day I think. The soft inviting meadows became softer and softer as we walked on. The meadows became wetter and wetter as well.
At the valley’s end is a small hydro power station where we could retrace our steps or investigate a possible alternative return route, no choice then. We crossed the river and enjoyed a fabulous stroll down the other side of the valley. It was quite a relief when a footbridge turned up so that we could get back to the car without needing to paddle.
The middle of Bagolino was closed to traffic today so that marquees and open air bars could be enjoyed in a car free environment. As I said earlier the Cassa Rurale is a cooperative bank which returns stuff to the community. The festa was part of this return. After the blessing of the building and cutting of the tape anyone who wanted to do so could wander about the new building to look at it. After the ceremony a small drink, a chat and a stroll before the polenta and a glass of wine. As we ate our polenta we were serenaded by a musical duo. Can you imagine any of this from Barclays, HSBC or Lloyds?