Day 11 – Gardone Riviera

Leisurely start to the day. The night was cold as we were high up in the mountains. Tina found a mound of snow that had not yet thawed whilst out walking the dogs. Woody bounded into it whilst Bobby tippy toed through it however they both seemed to enjoy it in their own way.

As we travelled down the mountain the sun came pouring in and the temperature rose. It was the first time Tina had taken off her cardigan all trip. We soon stopped to get some provisions so that we will not be short over the weekend.

We then took the scenic road west of Lake Garda. Fantastic… mile of mile of road tunnels wending their way next to the shoreline. The Lake is enormous and we could not see the end point. As we travelled along we would come upon small villages, many hotels and restaurants. A real tourist area.

We had chosen a free parking area close to the shore and when we arrived we found that it was being developed so we could not stay here tonight. A short distance away was some coach parking. Upon enquiring we were told that €10 would allow us to park for the remaining part of the day and the night. I wasn’t going to argue.

Later in the afternoon we took the scooter down to the local town, Maderno, some 4km away. We sat and had coffee in a roadside cafe just as some of the locals were doing. Tina loved looking around the souvenir shops. She purchased a gift for Summer that we know she will love. Tonight we have spent a quiet time in the van… me catching up with some paperwork and Tina reading her book on the Kindle. Its hard work enjoying yourself on holiday. I am so pleased we were able to get to the Lake. We may visit another of the Lakes tomorrow.