Fun in the Sun

Italy, 2012

Then there was the day we woke up to the glory of Lake Garda.

Swans and ducks could be seen from our balcony.

This was the day to get a "multi stop" ferry pass on the slow ferry which stops at all the little villages around the lake. The idea being you get off where you want to and get on the next one when you're done.

I carefully packed the backpack; taking great care to put in hats, and the most important item -sun block, 50 SPF- after all I didn't want to come back from day on the ferry deck looking like an overripe tomato.

As a last minute afterthought I tossed in a sweatshirt for each of us. We planned to get off at Malcesine and take the cable car to the top of Monte Baldo and I thought it might be a bit cool up there where winter hasn't altogether left for the Spring.

So there we are waiting on the dock for the ferry to arrive when it starts to cloud over. Within two seconds these mega drops of rain are pouring down. All the wise tourists and locals around us pop open their tent sized umbrellas (which they brought with them of course).

My husband covers us with his sweater.

We board the ferry and go up to the top deck. It stops raining for three minutes and starts again with a vengeance.

By now we are both wearing our sweaters and shivering. The view from the top of the mountain was breathtaking. The cold was heart-stopping. My feet, in open sandals of course (I was going to sunbathe on the ferry remember) had lost all feeling and looked like pickled cucumbers from sloshing around in the rain for so long.

Back on the ferry, the wind turned my soaking sweater, which by now smelled like wet dog, into an ice suit.

But- at least I made sure I packed the sunscreen.

#Travel #touring