Italy -27 Lake Garda

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Before breakfast we watched our neighbours heading for the shower blocks in pyjamas and dressing gowns. We pondered whether we perhaps needed these as I am sure they would make showering easier in the cramped cubicles. But somehow I don’t see us as dressing gown wearers in the great outdoors. However needs must and I am sure they will be added to the list of to buy things when we return home. Some decent flip flop shoes might not go amiss either.

After breakfast we disconnected the electric to Suzy, switched the fridge from mains electric to battery, checked everything was Ok and set on our way for Italy. We have a ritual now of checking everything before we set off, toilet door closed, cooker door removed, step up and away we go. However we still forget something.

As we drove through mountain passes the flora changed – pink campion thickly growing by the roadside, purple heather which seemed strangely out of season amongst the trees and finally large blue Self Heal. The season seems so much more advanced as we head south and towards the sun. The roads wound round and round not the most enjoyable with road works peppered everywhere. We felt we were making no headway and Glenn found he needed to concentrate more on the driving than ever before. Austria was beautiful with tiny villages full of neatly painted houses. Sometimes a Madonna in Glory or a Madonna with the Christ Child, a neatly painted flower scene or Jesus carrying a child. Wooden crucifixes in gardens showing just how religious and Catholic Austria is.

We ate breakfast at Telfs in a small motorway service station. Clean tidy and with German efficiency we were welcomed and served a sugary croissant with almond and nut paste and two cups of cappuccino. 10 euros and 50 cents and worth every penny. The staff wore typical Tyrolean dress, plain white blouses with floral patterned pinafore dresses. The service area was set in the most pleasant of Austrian valleys. Many years ago I visited Salzburg, the Saltzkammergut and Vienna and loved Austria. My thoughts were no different now eating croissants and drinking coffee admiring the view. It makes you glad to be alive.

The houses were now more of the chalet type and the gardens had the log piles so necessary for the cold winter months. Balconies empty now would soon be full of geraniums in the summer. The castles were of what I call the Aosta style very distinctive to this part of Italy/Austria. Severe and austere in style well suitable for the landscape they sit in. Grey and foreboding.

Why is it when you are on holiday you feel as if you are going down with a cold? . My eyes were streaming and my nose bunged up. My chest was aching and I wondered if indeed I had a stinking cold on the way or just a touch of hay fever due to the grass fields we had been camping on or the pollen in the air.

We sailed- well not literally over the Brenner Pass and passed Innsbruck. I failed to take a picture of the ski jump just outside the town. By the time I had switched the camera on I was too far past it. This seemed to be the story of my photos on the way. Every time I saw something photogenic I switched the camera on only to be thwarted by a tree in the way or a lorry which just happened to pass by at the same time. David Bailey I am not!!! From the front it was equally impossible to take photos as my arm would not remain steady and I could not lean forward enough in the van to clear the windscreen.

Ever onward through tunnels until we came out on the other side – Italy. Italian trains, signs in both Italian and German, more Italian cars. No EU sign to photograph. It felt warmer and I saw pretty Bearded blue Iris flowering on the side of the road and fields of bright red poppies which stretched for miles and miles. . The roadsides were bordered with the lovely white laburnum that we do not see back home in Britain. Churches with tall white steeples and red roofs replaced by Italian campanile styles. The landscape was changing by the mile as we travelled south.

Lunch another motorway cafe – this time the scenery not so pretty and the service station less salubrious. Ham and cheese baguette and cheese and salami eaten in the van next to rows and rows of tankers and articulated lorries. We drove mile after mile of motorway with rows of cherry trees and vines as far as the eye could see. Eventually we came off the motorway and paid our toll of 11 euro not bad compared to French motorways and headed for Bella Italia campsite Peschiera del Garda our stop for the next week.

Our first thoughts as we drove in was that was going to be fine. We had had reservations as we prefer peace and quiet and the campsite was going to be too large to be peaceful. We however were prepared to put up with the noise, the hustle and bustle to be near the lake and able to use public transport. That might be boats on the lake or the train to nearby cities. The entrance area was manned by Marco who took our passports and issued us with a map of the site telling us where we could park. Very efficient but we started to have some reservations. We had read that some people liked Bella Italia, it was handy for the town and there were good facilities and large camping spaces. However others favoured Butterfly camping as it was quieter with less facilities and more cramped spaces. We drove round and round and struggled to find a space. All the good spots with views of the lake had gone and we guessed these had been booked for months and the only spaces for ACSI customers were the less good ones. The spaces looked cramped and eventually we just picked one that seemed OK opposite the Keycamp holiday tents and the mobile homes from another camping company. I kept expecting to hear “ Bing Bong – Good Morning campers “ from the tv programme Hi Di Hi. It felt like Butlins or Pontins. We could not get a signal on the satellite due to the trees around the site which was mildly disappointing as the blurb said that we should get a signal on Lake Garda . Where on Lake Garda I cannot say – but certainly not here on the south shore. Behind us were Germans who were spreading out their wares and moving into our space with their satellite dish and bicycles. Perhaps we Brits are too polite and say nothing and let them get on with it without complaining. We just sat and watched them as they moved into our space.

The campsite had everything you could possibly need. A gelatteria where we bought two ice creams – my favourite limone and Glenns banana, a shop, clean and tidy shower blocks, electricity and water behind every half dozen vans, washing facilities and laundrette, club and bar showing Liverpool v Chelsea on the big screen, three swimming pools and all singing and dancing clubs. Great for families but not so good if you wanted to get away from it all and have a quiet holiday. All around us were children shouting and babies crying and loads of teenagers on holiday. To get away from it we walked along the shore of the lake, swans, mallards and grebe swimming on the lake- it felt more peaceful and it was lovely to take up the Italian art of walking with style but no intention. The views across to the Dolomites were stunning and showcased the lake perfectly. The sun was shining and apart from the hustle and bustle which we did not like all was well with the world.

We walked to the town and earmarked several bars and restaurants for visits later in the week. We did stop at one for a beer and coke before heading for Camping Butterfly to see if it was any quieter. It appeared to be a much quieter site on the other side of the lake. There were Keycamp style mobile homes but less of them and the site was much smaller. It felt less Hi Di Hi. The camping plots were neater and felt much larger perhaps because they were clearly defined by small hedges between the plots and everyone kept to their designated spot. We agreed a move was on the cards and we checked if they had any spaces. Luckily they had and we booked in for the next day. We hoped that we had picked a good spot for Kathrein but could only wait and see. Who cared as long as it was quieter than Bella Italia.

After our visit to Butterfly we picked up provisions lettuce, salad stuffs, cherries and strawberries for tea, a fresh fruit tart, some bread, wine and catuccini biscuits.

After tea another passiagiata along the lake before a walk to the town and a glass of wine on the waters edge. Tonight hopefully a decent nights sleep although we don’t hold out much hope. Tomorrow moving on ....................well across the lake a short hop,skip and a jump. .

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