Hotel Bardolino

(Backblip) I awoke this morning to the sound of traffic swishing past on the road. Quick shower, and then it was breakfast time at the hotel. Breakfast is good: fruit, cereal if you want it, boiled eggs, tomates, mozzarella, yoghurt, bread/gf snacks, and of course loads of different types of coffee. On warmer days the door to the outside terrace is open. The dining room extension is at the back of the hotel: the extension. You can see it in the photo).

The hotel staff couldn't be nicer and more friendly. I had to go out to meet  the reps in downtown Bardolino, so they gave me a map but advised me to walk along the walkway, or passeggiata, as that is the quickest way. It's certainly delightful. There are still reed beds in places for the waterfowl, as well as little strips of gravel beach. Most of the jetties belong to hotels, but there are some public bathing platforms. Mountains surround the lake. I felt as if I'd been parachuted into a painting or jigsaw puzzle picture, such was the idyllic nature of the scene.

At the reps' meeting I signed up for some trips, then went with them on a walking tour of the town. It's still very small, and easy to walk around. As tourist resorts go, Bardolino is fairly upmarket, but I'll be able to eat at least now and again...

After sampling my free ice cream from Cristallo's, i walked back to the hotel (15 mins) and enquired about bike hire. No problem, they said. So I had a little sleep, then got changed and went out on the bike, heading along the passeggiata through Bardolino, towards the next town, Garda.

The rain began to fall as I left, but I didn't go back for my raincoat. I soon wished I had! At one point I had to take shelter under an olive tree, and my hair was plastered to my head, causing people to laugh in my face because I hadn't brought an umbrella!

Garda was pretty, but wet. There was a market in progress, even though it was Sunday afternoon. I went on beyond the boats, but not much further, not realising at this point that the best beaches were out that way!

In the evening I went to the restaurant of my sister hotel, but I didn't really like it. I'd been told  there was a gluten free menu, but when I got there were I was advised to have the vegetarian options, which included spelt and barley! I had a huge salad and left.

Determined not to get down about this, I took myself back to Bardolino to an opera concert, where I got a front row seat. The trio of soprano, tenor and pianist performed a selection of mostly well-known arias in a delightful building called the Salla de Disciplina, whch had  soft peach walls and moulded plasterwork. Delightful. Free prosecco in the interval.

I walked back along the lakeside, listening to the rustle in the reed beds and watching the black lake trout chase each other and leap right out of the water. Far away, a church clock struck eleven, marking the end of my first full day in Bardolino.