When you have the “summer blues”, so you are reminiscing of the amazing trip you and your boyfriend had in March, in Northern Italy. So, just in case you needed an excuse to pack up and head to Italy, here are a few reasons to further convince you. Lake Garda is just the most majestic beautiful place, as Italy’s biggest lake sandwiched between Milan and Venice, it is the perfect destination. Where we stayed the lake was about a 5-minute walk from the hotel and the views were breathtaking. Great for taking long walks along the lake and looking at the shops or having ice cream and taking in the view.
Exploring North Garda the first place we went to was a town called Riva Del Garda, which has picturesque views of the mountains and lake. The town square was colorful and over-looked by a clock tower, hosting attractions like the Mag museum. I could have spent all day here just admiring the views and exploring all the shops around the square.
Then we got a boat across to Limone, which is Italian for ‘lemon’ and was once renowned for growing lemons. The town had a harbor with various little shops winding along the shore. Filled with shops selling and the lemon-flavored products you could think of and house accessories with lemon patterns. After 3 hours exploring Limone, we took the boat across to Malcesine a town located to the bottom of Mount Baldo and got splendid views of the Scaliger castle.
The next day we ventured to the South part of Lake Garda, to another little Italian town called Lazise, with a medieval castle ruin entrance. The town has small lanes filled with shops cafes and hosts a market once a week. The colorful harbor a great place to get a boat ride to take you to different towns around the lake. Walking further leads to a waterfront piazza, great to take in the views or observe the wildlife. Sirmione-crystal clear waters,
Then, we went further north to Sirmione, which is set on a peninsula stretched out onto the Lake. The place was probably my highlight of the entire trip. It is truly breathtaking, boasting the Scaligero Castle surrounded by a moat, with a fairytale appearance. Whilst we were there a couple were having their wedding photos taken overlooking the beautiful thirteenth-century castle. Walking past the castle, through winding streets, which were occupied by what seemed like endless ice cream parlors. Just to the side of the castle leads to a little rocky beach, a great place to take in the view and watch the swans. I could have easily spent the entire week here eating ice creams, drinking wine and exploring the majestic town of Simione. But after half a day here we headed back to the hotel to enjoy pizza and wine. When in Italy!
A trip to Italy would not be complete without venturing to see the ‘Floating City’. Venice was amazing, even though in the off-peak season it was still relatively busy, the splendid city is truly one of a kind. From looking out over the Rialto bridge to going to see the bridge of Sighs, to a romantic gondola ride down the canals of Venice, one day was not enough. We went up to the top of St Mark’s Campanile to see great views of Venice, where despite there being hundreds of canals and bridges, you can not see one. Even just having a latte macchiato in the square admiring the architecture of St Mark’s Basilica was amazing.
The next day in Italy we headed to see the home to Shakespeare’s tragic love story on the streets of Verona. Die-hard romantics will flock to the city to see Juliet’s balcony and her statue and write letters asking for her advice in finding love and lovers will leave their names on padlocks and throw the keys in the river. Also, we went to see the house of Romeo and Juliet’s tomb. The city also inspired two of Shakespeare other plays, so clearly, something about the city captured his creativity. After following the trail of love we went to see the open-aired amphitheater, where you can sit on the concrete and see a performance under the stars.
On our last day in Italy, we went to see the dolomites, 3000m high to see winter wonderland high in the mountains between Italy and Austria. Exploring the Dolomites, we saw acres of jagged pinnacles, sheer rock faces, icy glaciers, and lush forests. From deers in the mountains to the ice sculptures the villages the dolomites were beautiful. Even relaxing and eating apple strudel and hot chocolate in the winter wonderland were magical.
Travel, Oceans and Sunsets 