Day 4 Verona

We were up early this morning to catch the train to Verona. We learned that Venice on Saturday morning is a very sleepy town-no coffee shops or bakeries or anything open at 7 am. We ended up grabbing the typical Italian breakfast of pastries and espresso at the train station. Unlike the city, the train station was bustling with activity at 7:30. It was fun for all of us to experience the trains coming and going from the station.  The reader boards flickering with new destinations every few seconds.  We found our train easily and we're greeted with wide open empty cars to spread out in. We took a regional train and found it was very comfortable and modern. We were able to charge all our phones while riding the 1.5 hour train to Verona. The train filled as we traveled from stop to stop through the countryside and villas en route to the city. At Verona we stored our heavy bags at the luggage storage desk and ventured out by taxi to Juliet's Tomb-our meeting place for our bike tour. We had enough time to grab a little picnic in the park before our tour-Juliet's Tomb is a popular wedding site and we enjoyed watching several wedding parties pass through as we ate. We were joined by our tour guide, Cecilia. She was a peppy little lady with lots of spunk and grit. She was probably in her mid 60's, so at first I was a little worried by her age. We were quick to learn that she was a firecracker! You had to pedal fast and take some risks to keep up with Cecilia! She weaved and bobbed through the traffic and crowds of Verona with ease.  Verona is my new favorite Italian city. It is beautiful and full of history including the Arena-a Roman amphitheater that is smaller, older and better preserved than the Colluseum of Rome. It is still in use today and really is a wonder to behold. Lots of other Roman architecture-much of it still in use around the city. We visited old bridges, churches and squares on our bikes. It was great fun! We would have liked to stay, but we were hot and tired and headed for Desenzano del Garda on Lake Garda-Italy's largest lake. Desenzano is clearly a popular destination for Italians and foreigners alike seeking refuge and recreation. It is a beautiful town bordering a beautiful lake complete with cobblestones and castles. We enjoyed a swim and a nice dinner by the lake.