In Italy, our trip turned into a sunny and relaxing (and, we felt, well-deserved) holiday. Instead of following down the Adige river, the original course of VCA, we made another detour to Lago di Garda, very conveniently located just a parallel valley away. We were not far from our final destination anymore, which shortened our daily cycling stages. We were thus able to really take our time moving along the lake – and across, by ferry – which allowed us to get a good idea of the lake’s very diverse shore areas: windsurfers’ and climbers’ paradise in the north, the world’s northernmost lemon plantations in the west, and Mediterranean-like family vacation destinations in the south.
It was only a three-hour bike ride form the lake to Verona, from where a bus will take us back home tonight. We arrived here two days ago and, first thing, met up with a group of scouts from our home district. They are spending their holidays at the lake and went on a day trip to Verona, where we explored the city together.
And, being so close to it, we took a train to Venice yesterday! They say that in Northern Italy, tourist numbers are still 30 or 40 percent lower than usual due to the pandemic. So we had the opportunity to visit this unique place when it was not as crowded as it generally is. What a treat!