A: This entry is for three days ie Jan 1-3.

New Years Day was spent fairly quietly with Marthese and Elias packing to head to Florence the following day . Mick cooked us a delicious pasta lunch with meat/ vegetarian sauce and then Elias made himself scarce while the rest of us really enjoyed watching Mamma Mia that Beth brought for us from home.

The following day we farewelled M and E who walked the 1.3 km to the station for the train for Florence. They will spend a few days there and then two in Naples to see Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius and the remainder (including Marthese's birthday) in Rome. It has been so much fun having them and Beth with us for the last part of our trip over Christmas. It was about a year ago that Mick and I thought about them joining us in Italy and now we have actually done it. We will miss them, and also Beth when she leaves us in Rome soon, and particularly the sound of so much laughter when the three of them got together. Mick and I realise just how fortunate we are to have had such an opportunity to spend so long in this wonderful country. Having Marthese, Beth and Elias join us has been the icing on the cake.

The rest of the day Mick and I went for a walk and checked out a couple of churches that we had not seen before. It being Monday we could see San Zeno and San Bernadino only from the outside and the latter church had some lovely frescoes in the cloister. There was a nativity set on the small grassed area inside the San Zeno church which also has a lovely cloister that we imagined the monks walking around saying prayers.

We had lunch with Beth in the interesting- sounding "Retro Bar" but it was not quite as we expected and a little disappointing. (M: One of Trip Advisor's few bad recommendations -although I guess everyone can have a bad day. The decor was very "inner city" and what was on offer looked ok, but a few things we were offered were not available by the time our orders were taken, and service seemed a little offhand and slow) As I type this I realise that this has been a rarity in Italy! However they do serve soy coffees.

The next day Beth still didn't feel like a trip - even the comparatively short one to Vicenza which we suggested as an alternative. She wanted to be sure she was well for the Contiki tour in a day or so. Mick and I took the two hour bus to Malcesine which is on Lake Garda- Lago di Garda.

M:

Most of our trips had been on the train, as regular readers will be aware, but bus was the simplest way to accomplish this trip. (Well, other than the very expensive option of having a driver for the day which Michela offered us. 20 euro for the two of us was a lot better than 120!) The terminal was outside the railway station, and we bought our tickets literally inside the station before heading outside to wait for the bus. The great irony was that having walked the distance to the station the bus then stopped about 150 metres from our flat! We were pretty soon out of the city and onto country roads, through the seemingly endless supply of vines with which Italy is endowed.

A:

For the last hour or so of the trip the road winds around the lake with the mountains in the background, making for stunning scenery. The bus got us there exactly on time and on arrival we got a map and a coffee as usual. (M: The driver seems to be something of a local entity - being kissed by female passengers as they boarded, waving at various passers by, and even doing the odd delivery!) Then we went up the mountain- Mount Baldo- in the "Funivia" or cable car and we were standing in snow at the top- this was so exciting and so beautiful! (M: This link will give you some live webcams - just check local time. Aussies are 10 hours ahead in Oz summer.) The day was clear and crisp and we could see for miles back down to the township. There were people preparing to ski and a lot of children learning. It was so good to see snow and stand in it at last as this is something I have wanted to do while in Italy. I had thought we may see it in Bolzano, but we only saw it from the distance there.

M:

The cable car trip was quite stunning, marred only by the somewhat inexplicable need to wait half way at the change of cable cars. The car was there, but instead of being scheduled to leave as soon as the first car arrived, there was a 10-15 minute wait both ways. Oh - and dogs get to come in the cable cars too!

A:

The small castle in the town warranted a quick visit and it had some information about the lake itself and the flora and fauna connected with it. (M: The building itself, perched on the lake shore, with crenellations and tower, could have been cut out of a fairy tale, and on a day like today, it looked its best.) After this we had a toasted sandwich in a small cafe which was as new looking and clean as the one we'd had our coffee on arrival. Both places had a pristine and well equipped bathroom and I am forming an opinion, correct or otherwise, that the further north in Italy you go, the more likely you are to find such a thing (at least connected to restaurants and bars.)

The bus got us back to Verona just before 5 and after some initial packing, final washing of clothes and emptying the fridge, the three of us went back to the fabulous restaurant all of us had eaten at on the second day of all five of us being together- Osteria Casa Vino, five minutes from our unit. We had another wonderful meal and enjoyed three courses each. I think the key to a really great restaurant is excellent food combined with top class service and this place has it in spades. We were glad we arrived just on 7.30 because there was room for only two more couples and the place was full apart from a reserved table. The owner gave the late comers a card for her sister's restaurant in the Piazza Bra nearby. On return to our unit we did as much packing as we could before turning in for our last night in this lovely and memorarable town.