So, after a few more days of idyllic rural isolation, we are back to the 21st century and the internet!
Our last few days in Tuscany were spent relaxing in the sunshine (in fact it has been particularly hot - up to 38 degrees on Thurs & Fri), reading and cooking. We didn't even make it to Florence as planned, although there is so much to see there that it almost certainly deserved longer than a day trip. Next time...
Saturday morning, I suppose that must be day 21 - three weeks in, three weeks married! - packed up the car and got moving early as we were hoping to make it to lake Garda in time for lunch. Unfortunately hit our first major traffic jam of the trip (a miracle really) and so instead stopped off in Modena.
The city was pretty but empty, a trait we had found in many Italian towns this visit. Apparently this is typical for August - our cookery teacher had exained that until recently, pretty much all Italian businesses would close for the whole month. Still we found a nice restaurant for a buffet lunch washed down with a delicious cold local beer, before setting off again.
Driving along the western edge of lake garda the views were amazing - picture postcard towns, sailing boats, mountain backdrops... just gorgeous. The road was great driving too. As we ascended the valley we came to Trento and found our way to the hotel.
After a week self catering we were looking forward to a little luxury and our hotel did not disappoint. The main building dated back 500 years but we had been upgraded to a suite in their brand new block. With 3 balconies affording us magnificent views over the mountain, we were extremely happy
Whilst the restaurant looked well worth a visit, the glamorous guests arriving in black tie convinced us that we were not in the mood for fine dining. Instead we headed out in to Trento in search of a pizza only to find another seemingly deserted city. On the verge of giving up, we finally found the main piazza bustling with people as befitting a Saturday night. Pizza and beers bought, we headed back to the room and finished the evening watching tv (in english!) on the sofa.
B&J xx