Verona is a lovely city but a little busier than I expected. We had a nice breakfast which included pistachio pancakes. They were regular pancakes topped with granola and a type of liquified pistachios on the side to pour over them. I have no idea how they made it but it was good. We started our journey to Lake Garda right after breakfast. We stopped in Sirmione for a brief visit before heading to our destination which was Malcesine. Sirmione is at the very base of Lake Garda and is very small and must be ridiculously crowded in the summer. I was surprised at how many people were there today. There is a castle that has a moat which is always a cool feature! There were a lot of stores and restaurants and of course a church or two. We enjoyed exploring but went a little away from the downtown to have lunch before getting back on the road. We were ready to be done with the crowd.  Sirmione is only @ 30 minutes from Verona. Malcesine is about an hour and a half from there. We rode along the coastline and in spite of the clouds, it was a beautiful ride. Some of the towns we rode through looked really nice but we were thrilled when we reached our apartment. It is large compared to our previous stays, has a balcony overlooking the lake, has a couch/sectional, and a laundry room. There isn't a dryer but a washing machine is now considered a luxury item. We're on the 3rd floor, really 4th since they start with zero. This allows for a better view but I have to admit to being worried about climbing the stairs with our bags. We were very happy to see there was an elevator. Another reason to be excited is the sectional. One of the things Jack has missed is his recliner so this is as close as we've gotten so far this trip.. 

The view from the balcony rivals some of the previous views we've enjoyed. The location seems perfect since we are surrounded by shops and restaurants and the harbor and ferry stop are in front of our building. The supermarket is also within walking distance. We made our first grocery run and we did pretty well. Here you need to weigh and get stickers for your produce and fresh bread. Jack was assisted by a nice woman who didn't appear to speak English but was able to walk him through the process.

We had dinner at one of the places we can see from the balcony. Jack enjoyed his steak once he got a steak knife. I ordered salmon trout which is caught in the lake. It was tasty and the head was removed, but I had to take about 50 little bones out of my mouth as I ate it. I imagine there is a technic to avoid this but I don't think I'm going to learn it before we return home.  

                                                        Sirmione

lunch friend, and yes, Jack shared his pizza-this dog probably belongs to the owner of the restaurant

                                            
                                                        Road pictures

Malcesine

                                                view from the balcony

                                                ferry

                                                walking back with groceries

a happy man

                                                    church on our hill

evening view from the balcony and where we are having dinner tonight as viewed from the balcony

Verona- out of order shots-pistachio pancakes

Juliet statue as viewed from the alley. We weren't paying to see a fake balcony