Northern Italy

Actually it is never a good idea to try to drive to Italy over a 4-day holiday weekend (Easter). Especially as German school kids are off for 2 weeks. We still decided to give it a try and head towards Northern Italy, more precisely Garda lake, "Lago di Garda" in Italian, and maybe further South. Sometime during our drive, sourrounded by pretty much only German cars, we regretted traveling when everybody else was. But once we got over the Alps nice weather and spring-time scenery awaited us!

On our way to Italy, somewhere in Austria (actually, right behind Innsbruck).

Garda lake is a 55 km (35 miles) long lake in the North of Italy. It is a very popular tourist spot for Germans, especially South Germans. Understandably, it is only about a 4 hour drive from Munich! So, you get pretty much by in German. The lake is very famous for wind surfing and biking. This weekend it was still fairly cool there but spring was very visible, everything is in full bloom.

In the North the lake is sourrounded by pretty high, in April still snow-covered, mountains. The further South you travel the smaller the hills get.

The Italian cypresses give the whole lake a pretty southern flair.

Lago di Garda is sourrounded by lots of little towns, famous for little alleys ...

... and castles...

...here in in Malcesine.

Little town of Garda, where we stayed for a night. The further south you go on the lake the more "Italian" everything gets. The waiters understand less and less German. Though there were, as expected, a lot of German tourists, the atmosphere was still fairly "untouristy".

Nice Venetian style restaurant.

As it is only about an hour from the South of Lago di Garda, we spontaneously decided to visit Verona. We both did not know a whole lot about Verona and therefore didn't know what to expect. We very very pleasantly surprised. It is a very nice old Italian city with great sights, some Roman buildings, good shopping and nice little restaurants and bars. Because of the Easter weekend it was quite packed with people but we still managed to find an inexpensive hotel room. We had a great time just walking around and eating ice cream or a pizza or a having a glass of wine whenever we felt like it.

... nice churches and very old houses...

... palazzi...

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... and an interesting cemetary (if you don't know yet, Nathan is really interested in cemeteries of different countries/cultures).

How true!

As Verona is the "romantic city of Romeo and Juliet", we tried to follow their traces through the city. Nathan in front of Romeo's house... (the house as such was not too exciting)

and with Shakespeare in front of Juliet's tomb.

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The Piazza Delle Erbe, the main place in Verona. By day...

... and by night.

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Verona also has a big colloseum-like arena. Unfortunately, as other nice buildings, under construction and covered by billboards.

On our way back somewhere in Austria.