San Marino

12th September
The day starts with a severe thunderstorm which continues through breakfast, the weather is so bad we sit in the lounge and read for a while. Around noon small patches of blue sky start to appear and we venture out dressed for wet weather. We turn left out of the hotel and head north, there are a lot of hair-pin bends to negotiate and the roads are flooded with rainwater pouring from the mountainside. Yesterday the traffic around Garda was horrendous but so far it is not too busy in Torri del Benaco and we manage to find a parking space. Lake Garda is so Beautiful but the dramatic weather continues here with gale force winds making it difficult to walk but the sun is shining and there are lots of people walking around. We sit outside and drink coffee while the waiters struggle to keep the tablecloths anchored down and the menus on the table. There is a lot of spray coming off the lake and all the little boats are bobbing up and down. After a while we move on towards the village of Garda but once again we are soon in a long queue of cars, hardly moving and just like yesterday there is nowhere to park. We continue along the road and stop at a shopping area where we buy some water and wine. It is really hot now that we have left the lakeside and we sit outside with an ice cream before setting off again.
The hotel "Bellavista" is lovely, the staff are exceptionally friendly and welcoming, they go out of their way to be helpful. Our room is clean and quite large and from the balcony we can see the lake, there is a lounge downstairs with a bar and lots of tables and chairs outside. We are going to eat in the restaurant again tonight as we had an excellent meal last night, starting with a glass of Prosecco, salad, pasta, main course and pudding for 16€.
The village San Zeno di Montagna is very picturesque and we have walked the length of it a few times, there are restaurants and a few shops and places to sit outside with coffee or ice cream. The only problem is we're high up above the lake and it's a 15 minute drive down, it's not very far but the road winds round several hair-pin bends. This is our second visit to Lake Garda and we now realise the best place to stay is somewhere within walking distance of the lake which means you can leave the car at the hotel and if necessary take public transport. Parking is nearly impossible around Lake Garda with slow moving traffic queues and this is the middle of September.Read more