It didn’t feel like we achieved much today, there were several episodes of frustration which didn’t kill us so will make us stronger.
We left Verona in good time. There was a museum in a castle recommended to us but we decided we’d rather just get on the road. It wasn’t until we were heading out of the city that Simon told me we wouldn’t be able to check into our place near Lake Maggiore until after 4 which was a bit annoying. The drive was almost entirely on the toll roads so fast but not particularly interesting. The toll booths were different again from what we’d seen before but this time the roads were busier so we could watch what the people ahead of us in the queue were doing which was helpful in knowing where to put the ticket and how to pay.
We only had one scare. We were running low on fuel, so decided to take the next exit when the signs indicated there was a petrol station coming up. Imagine our dismay when instead we were siphoned off into an area of light industry on the outskirts of a small town. They’d snuck a little off-ramp just before the service area. Google saved us with a giant looping cloverleaf manoeuvre which was fine although we had to pay another toll for our pains which just added insult to injury. Luckily it was only 80 cents.
We arrived early afternoon so weren’t too concerned that our accommodation wasn’t ready. We wasted an hour trying to find the place, Google was gaslighting us with instructions at variance with both those of the proprietor and the evidence of our own eyes. I was left to mind the car while Simon did several recces on foot in between attempts at driving down tiny alleyways to the detriment of our tyre walls. It might not have been the most sensible distribution of tasks in fact. We got there in the end, and decided to walk down to the lakefront to look around while we waited. It was after three by now so we just ate lunch at the first place we found that was open, and then walked around for a while before grabbing provisions at the local supermarket.
It was after four by now so surely our accommodation was ready? But no, there was some miscommunication, the cleaner hadn’t even arrived yet, we wouldn’t be able to get access to the apartment until after six. I was quite annoyed by this time. Simon was happy to wander off for a beer somewhere but I was overdue my nap so tried having a lie down in the car instead. As it turned out, I spent the whole time scrolling through facebook on my phone, which just shows what an excellent time waster it is.
The apartment is quite quirky and charming in its way, a big old house that has been subdivided, it looks like.
After an abbreviated nap, we walked across the road to the local pub for a quick dinner. It was the opposite of touristy, full of Italians, and we both had hamburgers. Simple but good.