38N in Germany and north Italy (+ Prague and Wroclaw)
Yesterday | 07:55 PM
#121
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 4,340
Likes: 19
Thanks ANUJ, twk, and Karen
Karen, Wrocław gave me an opportunity to explore a city without the crowds.
The Rynek (square) is incredibly beautiful, and the nearby sights are so impressive, but it is not nearly as busy.
I could not have a city centric holiday, but I also don’t drive in Europe, so have to choose bases with good transport and mix up the busier places with my preferred quiet ones.
Karen, Wrocław gave me an opportunity to explore a city without the crowds.
The Rynek (square) is incredibly beautiful, and the nearby sights are so impressive, but it is not nearly as busy.
I could not have a city centric holiday, but I also don’t drive in Europe, so have to choose bases with good transport and mix up the busier places with my preferred quiet ones.
Today | 12:05 AM
#124
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,035
Likes: 0
A very nice excursion to Verona. Good for you that you had already been there and could escape the crowds to explore some nice neighbourhoods off the beaten path. We did a day trip from Lake Garda to Verona many years ago, but unfortunately this was with my tennis buddies who had close to zero interest for historic sights 
I still managed to drag them to some of the main sights like Casa di Giulia, Arena, Scaligeri tombs, San Zeno church, Porta Borsari ...
I still managed to drag them to some of the main sights like Casa di Giulia, Arena, Scaligeri tombs, San Zeno church, Porta Borsari ...
Today | 11:30 AM
#127
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 4,340
Likes: 19
Day 32: Rovereto (daytrip to Brentonico)
A frustrating start to the day as long delays on the train line, so abandoned my original plan and swapped to a bus ride to Brentonico, up in the nearby hills.
It’s a 50 minute ride, and a huge bus with just myself and an elderly Italian lady who promptly sat at the front and chatted to the driver the whole journey (directly under the sign that said in Italian - don’t disturb the driver, lol).
Hairpin curves as we headed high up into the hills, and some single lane access between a few buildings, and sweeping valley views made for an exciting journey.
Leaving the valley
Heading uphill
Lots of hairpins
Beautiful views
Photo from the bus ride ..vineyards endless vineyards
Heading in to Castione
Castione - Tiny place on a narrow road
Brentonico was on my list for the Palazzo Eccheli-Baisi and garden
https://www.visitrovereto.it/en/disc...eccheli-baisi/
which turned out to be locked at 11:30 am (online opening times differed from sign at the door).
In wandering around it I found an entrance to the attached homes, a local lady then tried to find out what was happening and calls out to the gardeners, but we can’t communicate.
She was quite animated, continued to speak in Italian and tried to explain the names of the surrounding mountains, maybe to compensate for not getting in to the Palazzo, haha, and then indicated that the gardeners would let me in, so I had a wander around. It’s a nicely tended, formal garden with lavender about to explode and wisteria recently finished.
There are walkways and beautiful trees. It’s really pretty. All labelled, QR coded, historical plantings.
Brentonico main street
Pretty village
The Palazzo
It looked like garden access from here… but it also leads to attached homes
Shared access
The lady that lives in one of these flats talked to the gardeners for me
Then wandered the village and had lunch, which ended with a fabulous pistachio semifreddo.
There are few busses, so made sure I didn’t miss mine.
Bus stop is on the main street with a public park adjoining and enormous trees, a very nice place to wait for a bus.
Took the long way back as it was such a nice day - the walk home
Got off at a different bus stop for a longer walk back
Went to the local Coop on the way back, and an elderly gentleman in store asks me something in Italian, I say I can’t speak Italian, I’m from Australia, so he pulls out his phone and shows me pictures of someone who lives in/ or holidayed in Australia (I think), and continues to speak in Italian; he seemed quite happy with the conversation anyway, lol.
A frustrating start to the day as long delays on the train line, so abandoned my original plan and swapped to a bus ride to Brentonico, up in the nearby hills.
It’s a 50 minute ride, and a huge bus with just myself and an elderly Italian lady who promptly sat at the front and chatted to the driver the whole journey (directly under the sign that said in Italian - don’t disturb the driver, lol).
Hairpin curves as we headed high up into the hills, and some single lane access between a few buildings, and sweeping valley views made for an exciting journey.
Leaving the valley
Heading uphill
Lots of hairpins
Beautiful views
Photo from the bus ride ..vineyards endless vineyards
Heading in to Castione
Castione - Tiny place on a narrow road
Brentonico was on my list for the Palazzo Eccheli-Baisi and garden
https://www.visitrovereto.it/en/disc...eccheli-baisi/
which turned out to be locked at 11:30 am (online opening times differed from sign at the door).
In wandering around it I found an entrance to the attached homes, a local lady then tried to find out what was happening and calls out to the gardeners, but we can’t communicate.
She was quite animated, continued to speak in Italian and tried to explain the names of the surrounding mountains, maybe to compensate for not getting in to the Palazzo, haha, and then indicated that the gardeners would let me in, so I had a wander around. It’s a nicely tended, formal garden with lavender about to explode and wisteria recently finished.
There are walkways and beautiful trees. It’s really pretty. All labelled, QR coded, historical plantings.
Brentonico main street
Pretty village
The Palazzo
It looked like garden access from here… but it also leads to attached homes
Shared access
The lady that lives in one of these flats talked to the gardeners for me
Then wandered the village and had lunch, which ended with a fabulous pistachio semifreddo.
There are few busses, so made sure I didn’t miss mine.
Bus stop is on the main street with a public park adjoining and enormous trees, a very nice place to wait for a bus.
Took the long way back as it was such a nice day - the walk home
Got off at a different bus stop for a longer walk back
Went to the local Coop on the way back, and an elderly gentleman in store asks me something in Italian, I say I can’t speak Italian, I’m from Australia, so he pulls out his phone and shows me pictures of someone who lives in/ or holidayed in Australia (I think), and continues to speak in Italian; he seemed quite happy with the conversation anyway, lol.
Today | 11:46 AM
#128
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 4,340
Likes: 19
Everyone seems to love Verona! Sure is a beautiful city.
Cherthor, I get exasperated and tired and indecisive and I’m not remotely brave - I try to choose journeys that aren’t too hard to cobble together and not too much can go wrong. I message my family every day and it looks more likely that my DH will be on board next year (for awhile he’d said, “no more long haul” )…
Cherthor, I get exasperated and tired and indecisive and I’m not remotely brave - I try to choose journeys that aren’t too hard to cobble together and not too much can go wrong. I message my family every day and it looks more likely that my DH will be on board next year (for awhile he’d said, “no more long haul” )…
