Hotel Astoria Malcesine

... it, that's a spectacular and different story. Everyday, every hour, every minute I am so grateful to be doing what I am doing. Even when it's just watching a movie while the wash is going, or killing time for 2 hours because the Italians don't eat until 8pm. I love it.

All of that said, for my daily readers, I do apologize for not posting when I could. You are welcome to come visit me in Verona and tell me what a terrible person I am ...

... But I've been drying everything out on the line outside. I don't think I've ever really done that before. It's kind of fun. Again, clearly still honeymooning. But this little taste of domestic life in the midst of my exploring has been just what the doctor ordered. Then on Friday I head to Venice, Saturday is the cruise and then a week of floating around the Greek Isles. I would have to say that life is pretty darn good.

So much so, that it is about to take the title of 'longest stay' while in Italy. I will spend 5 total nights here. Woohoo! I'm about to leave my fabulous hotel that I love to go to an apartment in the city, where I can live like a local with my own kitchen and everything. I am psyched! The only drawback is that it doesn't have internet. So I will do my best to bring my laptop with me and post updates while I'm in town picking up produce. EEEE! :)

Verona may just give you a run for your money.

I'm in a glorious hotel, drinking German beer -- courtesy Olga at the front desk. And I am right in the very heart of Valpolicella country.

I've decided that in Paris and Rome I was touristing (though I recognize I didn't see nearly enough in either) but Verona is going to be relaxing time. Which I also recognize is ridiculous since I go on a cruise in less than a week. But whatever, it's my trip, I get to decide what I'm doing. :)

... 8217; ballet class was in session.

We had a nice lunch of pizza at a restaurant on the square. A girl brought us frizzante water and we just nodded, smiled, poured, and began to drink. Our waiter approached the table and chuckled... “this is not yours” and picked up our glasses and put them on the people’s table sitting in front of ...

... quick visit to a local doctor. After playing charades and being translated by his daughter over speaker phone, he diagnosed me with Bronchitis and gave me a prescription for a few different things to make sure I got rid of it for the cruise. We stayed in Verona for 3 nights, much of which I took it easy trying to get better. We did have a look around the city one day, seeing Juliet's balcony and a few other sights.

... feel nauseous half way through and we stopped at a little stream so I could stop my head from twisting and turning. I drove the second half of the way through the little towns in the flatter lands nearer to Verona! Driving on the Right side feels weird!

We arrived in Verona at 6pm and got a cozy little campsite right in the city. Its on a hill looking over the city and the view is once again breathtaking. We went to the lookout just in ...

... the way to Garda were beautiful. Once we arrived at Lago Di Garda we walked around the town and visited some more shops and ordered a cappuccino and a coca-cola light. On our way back to Reggiolo we once again traveled the Autostrada and safely arrived back to our town. We stopped at the local Coop (another grocery in town) and picked up a few items so we could have dinner in. We had hard rolls with ham and cheese and finished off our meal with some gelato.

Well, we found out why we couldn't book any tickets for The Last Supper viewing until November-it was sold out until then! We managed to get a parking spot in Milan, only to find out once we had maneuvered into it that it appeared to be residential parking…it was still raining and too difficult to find another place to park so we just decided to risk it. We walked about 1km in the pouring rain to the Cenacolo Vinciano where the painting is held and were ...

... those events are run by a third party. So hundreds of visitors showing up to visit the arena - including us - were out of luck. Insert Italian Shrug (TM) here.

Verona's touristization makes Salzburg look downright quaint. They were litterally wall to wall in this place. There wasn't a street untouched by the bus hordes. Tacky Romeo and Juliet tourist trap? Check. Row after row of ****** bistros and ...