Yesterday we cruised along the eastern coastline of Lake Garda. Plan A was to visit Malcesine and take the cableway up to the top of Monte Baldo, but since the line at the ticket center resembled one of a Justin Bieber concert, we skipped the cableway. Maybe we’ll give it another try later this week, but then earlier in the day. We continued our journey along the coast, passing past several genuinely picturesque villages. We stopped in Garda for an elaborate lake side lunch, before continuing to our last destination that day, Sirmione. There we visited the medieval castello Scaligero and after climbing the numerous steps inside the castle, we rewarded ourselves with an oversized typical Italian gelato. 

Today we made a trip to Venice. After a 2 hour drive, we parked our car at Venezia Mestre train station, to enter the Floating City by train. We soon found ourselves lost in a maze of fairy alleys and waterways, searching for the main tourist attractions. First we headed for the Mercato Rialto, which is probably the best market in the world, but we can’t confirm that since it was already cleared out when we got there at 2PM. After having some delicious fresh fruit at the foot of the ponte di Rialto, we crossed the famous bridge stacked with souvenir shops. Arriving at Piazza San Marco, we took the time to visit the impressive basilica San Marco and the gigantesque Doge’s palace. While these classics were definitely worthwhile, you can’t miss out on strolling around the less tourist neighborhoods to experience the authentic Venice.