This post is about our days at the Garda lake.

A small note about this lake. It’s a relatively small lake about one hour away from Verona. It naturally separates two regions of Italy: Veneto and Lombardy, right down the middle.

We stayed in one of many small town that dot the shores of this lake, called Bardolino.

I found this lake from my research back in January. I knew that I wanted to see an Italian lake and was leaning toward lake Como or lake Maggiore. But what I didn’t like about those two lakes is: lots of people. Both of lake Como and Maggiore seemed to be packed with tourists. The Internet suggested lake Garda which is more family-friendly, less expensive and closer to the Dolomites and that is where we were coming from… Read on for one of the most grueling travel day.

getting there

The kids and I were coming from Seiser Alm, from up high on the plateau.

1 – we first took the cable car down: 15 minutes, very pleasant yet already hot.

2 we then boarded the bus to Bolzano: a 45 minute bus ride on mountain roads 😳 I felt very validated yet again for NOT renting a car on this trip. This type of driving is not for the faint-hearted.

3 In Bolzano, we had some time to kill so we stopped by Eurospar market to get some food for the train. Bread, mortadella, yoghurts, local tomatoes. Then ate and played at a park across the train station.

4 we had to wait at the station for Verona train. The train was to depart at 12:30 but it showed up to the platform and opened its doors 30 minutes earlier, at around 12pm. I wondered why but then it all became clear. Folks with suitcases were trying to board the train and that takes a while. By the time everyone settled down it was 12:30pm.

5 Bolzano-Verona train was packed. All upper shelves full. People standing in the aisles. No air conditioning. We did manage to snag three seats and throw our carrion on the upper shelf. We were the only people that were eating on that train because my kids just. cannot.

6 When we arrived in Verona, we had to catch a bus to the lake. The bus took about one hour. By that time, the kids were fried and done. I was fried and done, too. My LEAST favorite thing to do is walk through a busy train station, with two kids, a carryon, a personal item, a backpack, and also while listening to the whines that they need a bathroom REALLY BAD.

7 An hour later, we arrived at the lake, exhausted and cranky, and still had to do a short walk to the apartment and finally, FINALLY- we could take a cool shower. We went out to dinner the night we arrived since I was not about to cook – I was worn out.

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Our time on the lake was dedicated to REST. The Dolomites – all that hiking and thin mountain air- wore me out. We did a lot of beach time. Ate local seafood (some “lake”food). There is a local fish that is related to salmon that lives in this lake.

Took short walks along on the board walk. Took a boat to the neighboring town, spent a few hours, then came back to Bardolino. I had many more ideas of what we can do at the lake but we needed some downtime.

Lake weather was WACKY. In the mornings we had loud thunderstorms, with the whole package of thunder, lightning and rain. And just when you thought you’ll be stuck inside all day, around 9AM the sky would clear and it’d end up being a great day. I think this lake perhaps makes its own weather.

Our routine at the lake was no different than it is at home. I would be up before the kids and would make instant coffee with a noisy electric kettle, and that would wake the kids up. We would have a slow morning, where I’d have consumed at least two (sometimes three) small cups of instant coffee with milk. Then we’d get ready and go explore or settle down at the beach and swim/play/read. In the afternoon, we would come back to the apartment, rest, watch some cartoons, read, veg out. Then back to the beach.

The beaches on the lake are all pebbles, and are small patches of land. You can rent a chair and an umbrella for the day which is what we did- money be damned – for it was very hot to sit in direct sun. The good thing about renting the chair and an umbrella for the day is that you can come and go as many times as you wish. In other words, go back to have lunch, a nap, etc, then return to the beach and your chair is still there with your towels.

I wished we had more time at this lake.

A few small but memorable moments:

Ducks and swans. This lake is inhabited by ducks and swans that are social and are not afraid of visitors. You are not allowed to feed them so we didn’t but the kids did get a chance to socialize with a family of swans. Two parents and two “kids”.

A memorable dinner. We ate out twice while at the lake: once on the night we arrived, then once the night before leaving. We had a very special dinner at a seafood restaurant. We showed up at 5:30 and it was empty but we were asked if we had a reservation. We didn’t.

They sat us down anyway (I think it was still very early for dinner) and immediately, without asking, brought us a glass of pink wine (I guessed it was for me) and two cups of Fanta, and “tuna boats” with some kind of crostini bread.

We then ordered our seafood: shrimp in a garlic sauce, seafood pasta and a branzino fish. A tomato and onion salad (reminded me of Tropea). We then all shared the food.

For dessert, we had tiramisu (by far, my favorite dessert). At the end, we were brought (again, without asking) two small limoncello ice cups, and a shot of limoncello). I couldn’t finish the limoncello liquor since it was too sweet.

The next day, around 8am, we said goodbye to the lake and made our way to Bologna. But I still have to write that post! Thank you for following along!