ITALY
8TH August
We must now get into Italian mode and learn a few basic phrases!
Lake Garda 9th August
Beautiful and peaceful Lake Garda. We take a picnic down to the edge and take in its beauty. The largest and most visited of the three Italian lakes, it does not seem too busy today as we stroll down by the lakeside promenade. We are on the north side of the lake, the mountains dropping sheerly into the water. There is a certain serenity here and decide to stay a bit longer.
Sitting writing this by the lake in the late afternoon and watching the sun disappear behind the mountains, a soft cool breeze inviting us to stay. We spot sail boats in the distance taking advantage of the ‘Ora Del Garda’ wind. The medieval castle behind us is one of the many dotting the shoreline.
Martin decides to take a dip in its crystal cool waters. We then head into town in search of some food! We have a nice dinner of pizza and walk along the lake at night. We find a queue outside a gelateria to try out the ubiquitous Italian ice-cream. I agree that it’s the best but Martin’s still not convinced!
Verona 10th August
Had an eventful night. After snoozing happily for a couple of hours, we are awoken by a loud knock on the car window. Dazed, we realise it’s a policeman, blue flashing lights and all, asking us (in Italian) to move on (well, this is what we presume he is saying!) It seems that the Italians are not as relaxed as the Spanish when it comes to sleeping spots! Driving through mountain tunnels by night we manage to find somewhere to park and hope we are not asked to move again!
In the morning, we decide to head towards Verona, with a pit stop for an oil change, driving around the lake. Once there, the streets are lined with shops so I am in heaven! We very luckily find a parking space not too far from town and wander in, coming to Piazza Bra first. The huge Roman amphitheatre at its centre has an opera playing tonight, which we can hear from the square. We stop at a pizzeria for dinner-well when in Italy!
We decide not to spend long in Italy and drive right through the north to Eastern Europe in a few days.
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Martin & Nicole
