We took advantage of it raining this morning and had a slow start to the day. We drove to Riva del Garda and explored a little before having lunch in an osteria. (Osteria in Italy was originally a place serving wine and simple food. Lately, the emphasis has shifted to the food, but menus tend to be short, with the emphasis on local specialities.) I had spinach ricotta balls and Jack had pasta with truffles. We had hamburgers last night so we had to eat authentic Italian today.

Riva del Garda is much larger and more developed than Malcesine. There was even a shopping mall. We didn't stop in but noticed as we drove past it. The area around the harbor was historic but contained shopping and restaurants like we've seen in other harbor areas. Some of the buildings were dated from the 1400s. Since it was raining our exploration was limited. We may return over the weekend by ferry if the weather permits. 

By the time we got back to Malcesine, we were greeted by a lovely rainbow as the rain stopped and the sun came out. I walked around bit and found some new beautiful spots. The lack of rain and having the sun come out adds to the beauty of this place. 

We stopped at the grocery store and picked up some prepared items. It's not quite cooking but it gives us a break from going out to eat. Believe it or not, you can get tired of eating out. 

            I'm posting the pictures in reverse order from today. I like to start with my favorite.

                                                Malcesine

                                        I finally climbed up to the Church on the hill. It is lovely.

                                                    

                                                    Riva del Garda

This imposing structure was built in the 1920s to generate hydro electric power which is channelled through a pressurized tunnel in the rock. The architect behind the project was Giancarlo Maroni who is depicted here in this sculpture. I think they valued his expertise!

                Napoleon was mentioned on the plaque discussing this building's history.

                            More tunnels created through the mountains. These were not scary.

   Evening pictures- we started with salty snacks as the bars do. They serve olives and chips. We had olives and artichokes. We think they serve salty snacks in bars so you drink more.