Postcard from Italy, July 2009

On Monday 20th July I took the Gatwick Express from Victoria and met up with my friend, Sue Sheridan, at the Sofitel Hotel at Gatwick. We gave ourselves a very nice pasta dinner and dropped into bed! On Tuesday 21st we were up and off by 7am and took off for Verona by 09.50 – almost 40 minutes late. However we made up time and landed in Verona by 12.35, only 20 minutes late! We were met by a driver from our hotel and arrived at the Hotel Olivi in Sirmione at 13.30. Once in our room it didn’t take us long to unpack and get down to the pool to relax and swim in the glorious sunshine. We made a quick trip into the little town in the late afternoon, and bought some wine and nibbles for our room, and later had a delicious dinner sitting on the dining balcony of the hotel.

The next couple of days were spent soaking up the sunshine by the pool. On Thursday evening we had an early dinner in the hotel and were then driven into Verona so that we could go to see Carmen at the Verona Arena. Not the best opera I have ever seen at Verona, and sadly not very good seats either – the luck of the draw, I guess. Managed to meet up with my friend Liliane during two of the intervals, which was great. Then back to the pool for the day on Friday.

On Saturday Sue and I set off for the Lake Garda ferries. We took the ‘Rapido’ ferry at 9.30 and went to Garda where we walked the shops and then stopped for an Aperol [a delicious Spritzer type of drink]. We then walked from Garda to Bardolino, where we once again walked the shops before stopping for another Aperol and a light lunch before catching the ferry/boat back to Sirmione.

The next two days were spent quietly by the pool, and enjoying delicious dinners in the hotel in the evening. On Tuesday afternoon, 28 July, we flew home at 4pm and, thanks to the time difference, I was back in my flat in London by 6.30pm.