Lake Garda is a beautiful location in Northern Italy. I had the pleasure of spending Easter weekend…read moreat Lake Garda. The weather was mild in April, nice enough not to need a jacket. We were able to stay in a hotel with a lake view. You will notice the beautiful mountains that surround the lake. There are winding cobblestone streets and wonderful eateries. There is also a really cool old Castle (Rocca Scaligera) that you must see while visiting Lake Garda.

Review #700 goes out to my favorite lake in the world.... Lago di Garda! :) :)…read more Ohhh, where do i start? I first visited Lago di Garda about a year and a half ago when my brother and i were retracing our Grandfather's WWII footsteps in Italy. We visited during February, which is definitely "off-season" for tourists - - but this gorgeous lake and community still offers plenty of breath-taking views and activities even then. Speaking of activities, this lake is heaven for outdoors enthusiasts (and really anyone else, I suppose). But there is so much to do here: *You can rent a bike and casually ride around the towns, or for those more adventurous you could ride around the entire lake *You can rent mountain bikes and go on the many trails, even starting on top of Mt Baldo *In the winter you can ski or snowboard the backside of Mt Baldo *Nearly year-round you can go paragliding (I went in June and it was AMAZING!!!) *Kite surfers *Wind surfing *Sailing *Obv, boating!! Less active, there are so many great restaurants and small cafes to visit in the many towns that are dripping with history! For me, the historical significance is due to my Grandfather serving here in the 10th Mountain Division during WWII. He stayed in the town of Malcesine for a few weeks.... and I know he was able to get some fishing-time in here too. But there's a castle in Malcesine overlooking the lake that's from over 500yrs ago!! Whoa... now that's old! Go for the beauty of the lake....go for the activities...go for the breath-taking views...you can do everything or nothing here, and still have an amazing time!! :)

On our last full day in Verona, one of the last attractions we visited was Giardino Giusti. Listed…read moreas one of the top attractions in Verona on TripAdvisor, it's not to be missed! There is an entry fee or you can get a discount (if you visit enough spots) by purchasing a Verona card ahead of time. Giardino Giusti is a nice botanical garden. Like other botanical gardens I've visited, it's really all about taking in the beauty of nature. This will include well-manicured trees, plants, and maybe some animals. Giusti has a lot to see including statues and picturesque views of the city. There's also a labyrinth. I'm personally not a fan of them but it's one of the activities you can enjoy. There's even a ballet school for kids that has classes inside. Talk about a picturesque location for some ballet lessons! They give you a nice map with your entrance fee. Either follow it or wander around to check out all of the sights.

Totally worth the visit. You have access to the garden and grand upstairs rooms. My fav was the…read moreHorseshoe Room, all the furniture had horseshoe elements. Thank you Giusti family for showing off your high ceiling rooms, furniture, artwork, frescos, and extensive collections. It's about a 15 minute walk from the Arena, across the scenic river.

The last time we visited Parco Natura Viva was 10 years ago. Our daughters have grown, we have seen…read moremany zoos, but this one remains great. Starting with a safari (the white lion is great) you then go into the zoo. Despite the warm temperatures most of the zoo was in the shade. Four red pandas, two snow leopards and a great "giants" enclosure are some of the highlights and, if you want, there is still the dinosaur exhibit at the top of the park. Well worth the effort of going.

Excellent zoo for 20 EUR. For one ticket you get to drive through a large section of the park then…read morewalk through an even larger area. The animals were very active during my visit and looked to be very well cared for.

We walked through this main piazza on our way from the train station. It had a large Christmas…read moremarket. We checked out several stands with good quality cashmere sweaters. We decided to come back on our way back to the train. By night time, the piazza was magical! It had a beautiful shooting star sculpture. The buildings surrounding the piazza had beautiful architecture and were beautifully lit. The market had lots of twinkling lights and Christmas decorations. It had both German food and Italian options. Of course we had some Mulled wine and a pretzel. The market was really bustling at night time with a festive crowd.

Piazza Bra is one of the main piazzas in Verona along with Piazza del Erbe. With a name like Bra, I…read moreknew this would be the place for me. During the day, you'll see a lot of people congregating in the area. Enjoying lunch at one of the many restaurants that surround the town square. Hanging out and catching up with friends. Exploring the sights nearby including the Arena (the fourth largest amphitheater in Italy and what I like to call the mini Colosseum). There's some greenery in the piazza and a statue. If you're visiting, make sure to check out the area to see one of the hearts of the city. I wouldn't recommend eating in the area because the restaurants are overpriced but definitely take a stroll there.

Piazza dei Signori is Verona's third largest piazza behind Bra and Del Erbe. As a result, it often…read moregets overlooked. It shouldn't be missed though because you will find quite a few goodies here. We stopped by late at night after dinner and the town square was almost empty. One of the highlights of the Piazza is the statue of Dante Alighieri. You'll find information in the square about Dante and his connection to Verona. The architecture surrounding the square is also beautiful. It's super close to Piazza del Erbe so you can easily do them back-to-back. Town squares are always important places to visit in Italy and what's nice is you can visit at any time of the day.

One of Verona's larger squares, this one is surrounded by the Palazzo della Ragione (city hall),…read morePalazzo Domus Nova, Casa della Pietà, Palazzo di Cansignorio, Palazzo del Podestà and the Loggia del Consiglio. Dating back to the 13th century when it was then the Platea Domini vicarii, it's gotten more developed as these buildings were added and the rectangular shape began to form. On the front of the Casa della Pietà, note the bas relief of the seated woman holding a flag that reads, "Fide et Charitate in aeternum non deficiam." And of course, the statue of the great Dante, author of the Divine Comedy. [Review 16989 overall - 194 in Italy - 505 of 2022.]