Liz and Frank: Sirmione on Lago Garda

Our next task was to get our luggage across to the Venice bus station Terminal, to pick up our "rental car". Not all that easy - as the Venetians have built this new very large and extremely expensive bridge over the Canal to the Bus Station - however not one ramp - strictly all steps, up and down, very difficult with pulling even the normal load of luggage. In fact as one person in our group had said - Venice is really only for the very fit and healthy, if you are ageing or have a handicap - don't even think about it, really not sure what their elderly do - leave I guess..

*****

To sum up Venice, we were so pleased we went back again, however, were really more thankful we had visited 36 years ago, we had stayed on the Lido, as you can park your car there, and caught ferries across - so much more pleasant, and a lot less people. Anyway, now to pick up the car from Hertz - also not easy, piles more steps up to their office and car pick-up garage from the Bus Terminal for our bags and our muscles, only to be told the car was back down those same steps - which one we said - the reply was it's the Volvo wagon with it's boot up down there - no marks on it as it is brand new, here are the keys, and again we descend these damn steps avec luggage. Of course it took some time to work out how this thing worked, mirrors and piles of new toys, but eventually we headed off through the bus station - hit the highway and headed straight to Lake Garda, Italy's largest and cleanest lake. The town of Sirmione was our venue for the next two days.

Whew, we made it, absolutely no trauma from the moment we left Venice, and on our arrival at the gate, our hotel had advised the Guard they were expecting us, and he downed the bollard and let us through.

We drove across the bridge and through the gate

I had checked out the reviews on Tripadvisor, and booked us into the Hotel Pace

How charming it was, and our hosts - and the breakfast, wow !!

It's cafe was on the Lake Garda's waterfront.

After unpacking, we needed to drive the car to the Hotel's parking area- a little drive away through the one way system "via lights" .

After parking the car, we walked back toward the main Piazza in town to check out the Trattorias

And en route called into a church - San Pietro in Mavino - we felt great we had arrived so safely in Sirmione!! This church was built in the Lombard era, and was reconstructed in 1320 - the bell tower from 1070. Three apses enclose the double sloped structure.

The irises were in bloom

Inside there are frescoes from different eras

Not far from the church is the house the Opera Singer - Maria Callas lived in during the 1950s - charming, it is all apartments now.

It was time for a late lunch, and celebration in our peaceful surroundings

We had a super Pizza and some italian vino at "il Girasole" (the Sunflower)

Sirmione has been famous since ancient times for it's health giving spa water. The peninsular on which it stands sticks out into the lake's water about 4 kms. In Roman times villas were built here - and in 13th century a medieval castle - the Rocca Scaliger, was built by Mastino 1 della Scala, Lord of Verona as a berth for Scaliger fleet and as a fortress for the Scaligeri family - the rulers of Garda.