On We Go....: A few sprinkles, but still beautiful....

Well, we are officially in our new home. Our household goods have yet to arrive, so for now we are sharing a full size bed the army lent us (beats the twin we shared the first night) and living primarily around a kitchen table the landlord left. Thank goodness we sent some silverware and dishes over early! This week has proven the most frustrating for me as we’ve transitioned yet again and have had to deal with all the Italian loopholes of renting. It seems that nothing has gone smoothly from issues with electrical outlets, cable setup, phone and internet service problems and of course the utter lack of anything to make the place feel like home. I have to admit (as awful as it may sound given the high quality espresso available here), the familiarity of a corner Starbucks and a skinny vanilla latte while sitting outside reading has been sounding more and more appealing. I also miss my family and the ease of talking to them in the US.

That’s not to say that we aren’t still enjoying our time here in Italy. We have found great excitement in our newfound freedom since buying a car (the jeep also has not arrived yet) and setting out to explore the countryside. This past weekend we traveled west to Lago di Garda (Lake Garda), the largest lake in Italy, which is situated against the Alps. Despite an overcast morning with some light rain, the day shaped up and we spent a beautiful afternoon walking the streets of Malcesine, touring the Castello Scaligero di Malcesine and sitting lakeside for lunch. The lake is absolutely breathtaking with numerous small towns scattered along its edge. In the summer it becomes a popular vacation spot for Italians and Germans and it clearly becomes a hopping resort town. We are anxious to return with our bikes and ride along the long stretch of road that runs along the lake. There is also a 360 degree gondola that begins in Malcesine and travels up the steep mountainside while slowly spinning. I can only imagine how wonderful the views are from the top and we may have to return just to take the ride.

Rather than take the autostrada home, we took a windy back road thru the Alps….yes, car sickness did become an issue, but it was worth it for the views (comparable to scenes in Glacier National Park, including the steep drops at the edge of the road). We found several small villages scattered within the hills while driving back and stopped in one surrounded by vineyards. There was a small market offering several samples of olives, salami and wine and we came away with three bottles of red for a mere 10 euro!

We’re in the process of planning some bigger trips later this month and into the summer. Next weekend we’re heading to Venice and the Dolomites in Northern Italy and then heading to Chianti the following weekend on a wine tasting trip. In June we’re heading up to Germany. Later in the summer we hope to make it to Spain and maybe a couple other countries while Nate has more time off. Lots of adventures ahead!!!! Ciao!

(I think the comment button should work now... I played with some of our settings so it should be possible to leave comments)