Being only about 35 minutes from Verona by car, we squeezed in two visits to Lake Garda.
Lake Garda is a stunning destination located in northern Italy. It is the largest lake in the country and is surrounded by picturesque towns and breathtaking landscapes. As a popular tourist destination, it attracts visitors from all over the world.
One of the main attractions of Lake Garda is its crystal-clear waters, which are perfect for swimming, sailing, and other water activities. The lake is also surrounded by beautiful beaches, where visitors can relax and soak up the sun. This was certainly the case in Bardolino which with all its holiday accommodation seemed completely geared up for tourists. Certainly we saw many people sunbathing or enjoying a swim. To get out of the heat of the day we took refuge in a hotel and enjoyed some cool lemonade.
The towns around Lake Garda are full of charm and character. We never quite made it to Sirmione, known for its medieval castle and thermal baths. But we did visit Lazise and Peschiera del Garda.
Both towns were similar in atmosphere and style, although Peschiera is the bigger of the two. There were plenty of old buildings, restaurants and bars, and each had its own harbour. During the evening in Peschiera, it was apparent just how much of the lake’s shore has been developed, as there were lights surrounding the lake for as far as the eye could see.
Although by no means a quiet location, Lake Garda looked very interesting and we do plan to return at some point in the future.
From Austria we drove through tunnels and over mountains. Our destination was Verona, a city in northern Italy’s Veneto region. It is also close to Lake Garda and only about 1.5 hours by train from Venice.
As cities go, Verona offers a wealth of attractions for visitors. We spent seven nights exploring the rich history, stunning architecture, and romantic sites. We also managed to visit Lake Garda twice during our week’s stay (see the next post).
However, it was very hot while we were there. So much so that we avoided taking our dogs out in the heat of the afternoon, instead enjoying the comfort of our air conditioned apartment. It did mean though that a day trip to Venice wasn’t possible as the dogs would have found it much too hot (like us, they are more used to a Scottish climate). But looking at it another way, we got to see even more of Verona.
Walking into the city centre, you cannot miss the famous Roman Arena. This is an ancient amphitheater that still hosts concerts and opera performances today. Indeed, on at least two evenings there were crowds gathering for performances, just as we were going out for a drink and some dinner.
Another striking feature of Verona is its architecture. We wandered through charming narrow streets, such as Via Mazzini and Via Cappello. These picturesque alleys are lined with boutique shops, cafes, and historic buildings, offering a delightful atmosphere for strolling and soaking in the local culture.
There are also a number of large squares. One of the most famous, the Piazza delle Erbe (photo below) is surrounded by medieval buildings, has a stunning fountain, and is regularly filled with market stalls.
One afternoon, before it became too hot and with the dogs safely in the cool apartment, we visited the stunning Verona cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Matricolare). This magnificent Romanesque-Gothic cathedral has an impressive facade but the interior is even more stunning. Going inside, you can really appreciate the work that went into constructing and decorating such an exquisite buliding.
We also visited the popular Juliet’s House with its famous Balcony. This 13th-century house is believed to have been the home of the Capulets, the family to which Juliet belonged, and is said to be the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet tragedy. It was perhaps the most touristy and crowded of all the places we visited, given the small space in the courtyard, but this simply underlines the continued impact Shakespeare has across the world.
Among the many other places we saw were the Castelvecchio, a medieval castle and museum, which offers a fascinating glimpse into Verona’s history; and the elegant Piazza die Signori.
In the evenings, the city centre is buzzing, with the many busy restaurants serving pasta, pizza, risotto and a range of local dishes which even included horse meat. Being vegetarian, we were ate a lot of pizza and pasta, but good as these meals were, we did find it a little repetitive and longed for something more spicy. Another popular activity in Verona is drinking Aperol Spritz. I know it is available in Scotland but somehow it seemed more natural to be drinking it in Verona.
Fortunately, like in Spain, the bars and restaurants stay open late in Verona, and so even at midnight, there are still people eating and others taking in the atmosphere in front of the Arena.
It was easy to get to the sites in Verona as everything was in walking distance. Also, because of the city centre’s narrow streets, people prefer using scooters and bicycles instead of cars. However, outside of the centre, driving in Verona can be intimidating because of the heavy and noisy traffic!
We had a fantastic seven nights in Verona and would recommend a visit to anyone who would like to blend Italian history, culture and cuisine.
With the morning spent at Vatican City we had only a few hours remaining to see a bit of Rome. Hunger called so we found a street cafe selling authentic pizza, and I have to say, it was awful.
Rome itself was bustling, even for a Sunday, but we didn’t really seem to find a city centre as such.
There were narrow streets opening into squares, lots of churches and old buildings, and busy main roads. I took the photo below as an exception to the rule. For some reason we had a couple of seconds without cars and scooters.
I never did find out what the big white building was but it was popular with tourists and locals alike. A couple of hours into a walk through Rome and we were getting tired feet. So we returned to pick up the coach, stopping for an expensive but totally delicious chocolate ice cream.
Reflecting on Rome during the return to the ship we both agreed that the buildings were impressive, but the place itself was grubby and didn’t really live up to our expectations.
The port of Civitavecchia is about an hour’s drive from Rome, so we were up early and boarding our coach shortly after 8.00am local time. Our drop-off point was just outside Vatican City, so as you do, we decided to pay the Pope a visit. Because it was a Sunday the Sistine Chapel was closed, but the rest of the Vatican was open for tourists.
After going through the security scanners we were soon inside this incredible building. Old, ornate, beautiful. I’m not quite sure how you’d describe it. It was definitely the biggest and most impressive place of worship (and much more) that I had ever seen.
From walking the inside of the main building we visited a display of artifacts in one of the many side rooms. This was another tour in its own right, covering jewelery, clothing and other religious items. With so much history and so much to see we found it difficult not make references to Dan Brown’s book Angels and Demons.
Some two or three hours later we emerged back into the Roman daylight to see that a massive crowd had gathered, presumably hear the Pope speak. We decided this was a good time to slip out into the city and explore a little of Rome itself….