We left the snow capped peaks of the Dolomites yesterday morning, heading for the sunny shores of Lago di Garda, or Lake Garda. It is the largest lake in Italy, and is located half way between Milan and Venice. The lake has numerous small islands and five main ones, the largest being Isola del Garda, where in 1220 St Francis of Assisi founded a monastery. The lake has been the site of many famous battles, dating back to the year AD 268, when the Romans defeated the Alamanni. Mussolini established his Italian Social Republic in a villa on the shores of Lake Garda in 1943. Our accommodation was located in Bardolino, on the eastern shore of the lake, and rather than take the shorter Autostrade route, we headed for the westward mountain pass, and then followed
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