Today was exhausting. After many errands at the farm to get the meat for Easter dinner, the farmers market for other provisions, and then off to the flower shop for flowers for the house, it seemed a day of errands and preparations. I dropped a few things off at my uncle's house he requested and stayed for a visit, even though he and family will be at the Casa for Easter dinner tomorrow. When I left, I decided to take a nice walk around Italian Lake since my late aunt and Uncle live right across the street from the lake. Good to clear the mind, and it was a nice day to get out and go for a walk.
Italian Lake is around a 10-acre park in Harrisburg Uptown neighborhood and built around the 1930's. The lake is a manmade lake, formal gardens in the summer, a Japanese Harmony bridge and a beautiful fountain "Dance of the Eternal Spring, that emerges from the center of the lake. Antique style streetlights and a bandstand for summer performances are also featured. The fountain itself has a huge backstory. In 1909 Milton Hershey made a verbal agreement with Giuseppe Donato, an Italian sculptor from Philadelphia, to make a garden fountain for the lawn of his mansion in Hershey. But once completed, Hershey refused the fountain's price tag of $30,000, and refused the fountain. It remained uncrated and in storage at the Hershey Railroad for two years. Even after Hershey lost the court case Donato filed against him, Hershey still wouldn't feature the fountain and ultimately gave it to the city of Harrisburg where after two locations, the fountain and dancing nymphs ended up at Italian Lake where's it's resided since 1971. It sure is a pretty park and waterfowl to be seen.
I can remember when my aunt and uncle moved back to PA and settled in the house across the street from Italian Lake. My mother and her regaled me with the stories when they were small kids, my grandmother would get the whole family dressed, all 6 kids and her and my grandfather in their Easter finery, and would leave Bellview Park where they lived, and head to Italian Lake, where it would be mobbed with city folk out and about strolling around the lake and its paths in their Easter ensembles and hats. The park itself would be overflowing with blooming bulbs.
My how times have changed.
Love Italian Lake. Bit of trivia, the Zembo Shrine Auditorium across the street was one of the settings in my first book, The Body on the Lawn.
ReplyDeleteOne day I'm reading those books of yours.
DeleteIt's a beautiful spot alright. Enjoy your Easter feast with your Mom and relatives tomorrow! I bought a lovely bouquet of yellow tulips today for a spot of Spring colour on my table.
ReplyDeleteIt is still very pretty, I was only surprised by the lack of flowers they used to have. But fowl and birds abound.
DeleteBudapest, smudapest, now this is beautiful! Different strokes as they (whoever they are) say.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the birds you like. There used to be a pair of swans there for years when I lived in Bucks County but didn't see them today. I was told that one of them had their necks snapped by kids!!! The lake can't seem to get together another pair since. What a shame.
DeleteHave a lovely Easter.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe.
Happy Easter Dora!
DeleteBy far my favorite spot. Scenery is beautiful and it's the best place to sit down and clear your thoughts, even though, Capitol Park is just around the corner from my apartment building. I miss them when I move.
ReplyDeleteYou and your colorfulness, and hats will be missed too!!!
DeleteWhat a quaint little neighborhood park. Amazing shots of that crane. Yes...Easter is not what it used to be. Heavens forbid anyone dress up for anything anymore. I would have loved to have seen those Easter promenades. I googled the place and it's very nice to read that during the summer months they have free Sunday concerts there in the outdoor pavilion.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why people are afraid to get dressed up anymore or hold onto traditions. It can be depressing if you think about it. The last concert I saw there was before I moved to Bucks County...it was the Harrisburg Symphony.
DeleteThat old Easter tradition of around the lake must have been a sight. I'm glad you gave yourself a break to do it, too, even without your Easter bonnet.
ReplyDeleteMy mother has an old photo from the Easter promenade at the lake. It was great to see and it was mobbed. I will have to try to locate it.
DeleteWho said I didn't wear a bonnet?
A pretty park and a nice stroll. A flashback memory, one of the handful of 45's my mother owned, was a recording of The Easter Parade song. Played every spring when I was wee querling.
ReplyDeleteA nice song for the day! Do you still play it?
DeleteThat reminds me of a park and lake that could be in one of the neighborhoods on the Main Line here in Philadelphia. What a nice place to escape and that bird is glorious. Makes me wonder why we can't have more parks and green spaces, instead of developing every inch?
ReplyDeleteThat crane made my whole day. I stood and watched him hunt fish in the lake. He wasn't concerned with me getting as close as I did. I love moments like that.
DeleteThere was me thinking you were about to tell us about a trip to Lake Garda or Lake Como or one of the other Italian lakes. You caught me out there.
ReplyDeleteLake Como is ON THE BOOKS!!!!!!
DeleteThat's a beautiful place. Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!!!!! I love the crane photo and what a quaint house your uncle has.
ReplyDeleteyes Time changes - faster it seems
ReplyDeleteobviously the name "Italian Lake" makes me smile, but in a good sense. It's a very nice place!
ReplyDeleteI thought that might tickle you! But I have something else that could take away even more.
DeleteI can't help feeling every other blogger lives in a nicer place than I do. I'm getting a complex.
ReplyDelete