Day out to Sirmione, Lake Garda

Day four. Caught the bus from Verona to Sirmione, which is on a peninsula that juts into Lake Garda. Climbed up historic tower, then got the ferry and did a bit of zig zagging around the lake. Walked from Garda to Bardelino then picked up the ferry again and headed back to Verona from Sirmione. Back in Verona we had to track down another apartment to stay in. Last full day in Italy, a good day but damned hot.

Again i need to plead the 'bright sun/unable to see mobile phone screen' excuse for these photos..

my my my my verona

Day 3. A lazy-ish day spent looking around the town, getting meat and cheese, sitting by local park pool eating said cheese/meat and then hitting the roman arena to watch some open air opera (Turandot). Bearing in mind that those blocks of stone had been heating up in the 40 degree heat all day, when we sat down at 9pm to enjoy the singing and wailing it was reminiscent of that fad for pubs bringing in food sizzling on hot stones that you used to get in the 1990s. Good job i wasn't wearing shorts otherwise i'd never have left.

Good things

Here are three good things from today;

1. N having a stab at playing the score of Amelie and the sound drifting around the house.
2. A fantastic roast chicken dinner with the family (this really was a GOOD THING)
3. The IPod shuffle deciding to pick this while i did the washing up...

"My wife's finger" and other related tales of Verona.

Watching a bit of the ol street performance on the first day of our trip to Verona, N was stung on the wedding ring finger by a bee/wasp ('vespa'). Unfortunately she didn't think to take the ring off straight away so of course it swelled up and started to look manky and the ring was well and truly wedged on. This all added a bit of intrigue to the holiday ("will it go blue? will it fall off?"), and i must admit i had a sly glance at the tourist map to note down the location of A+E in case it came into play. 

This unsightly digit helped as a conversation starter the next day when we were travelling to Venice. We were sat opposite an elderly lady who was a Venice native, and who didn't have a word of English. Cue much flicking through N's phrase book (hence i know what 'vespa' is). The lady went for something along the lines of "you really do need to get to a doctor" (or "medico medico" i think she said). We went for "uh farmachia farmachia" (or "no thanks my good lady, i have duly noted your advice but we shall take our chances with some antihistamine and will avoid the hassle of claiming insurance"). Anyway the hour spent with this kind lady was really great and for me was a highlight of the holiday. She signed N's phrasebook for some reason. And here is a photographic account of the pertinent bits of the tale.

(the finger's fine now, by the way)

Venice

On our first full day in Verona we decided to get a train to Venice (of course).

This was where we went for our homeymoon 9 years ago.

And here are some photos.

So a quick word by way of explanation/excuse. It was really sunny that day, actually the whole time we were in Italy it was sunny. 40 degrees most days. So all the photos from the trip are mobile phone photos taken without being able to see the screen. So wonky horizons etc? That is why.

Venice. Rammed full of folk in all the usual places. But walk five minutes towards Giardini and its like the last photo above. Another tip to avoid the crowds if you want to check out a bit of Venice; go out after 8pm, wander without a map and see where you end up. Pick the bar where people are speaking loudly, its the one the locals go to and will be good. Get a week/3 day waterbus ticket, it's way way cheaper than getting individual tickets. But remember to stamp the ticket in one of the machines on the day you start using it. If you can find it, try and get to a bar called, i think, bar buffo (or it might be bucco). We went there on our honeymoon and it was ace. Can't find it on google though. The locals just lobbed their wine glasses in the canal when they finished rather than return their empties to the bar. And they spoke loudly. 

Trust me on the speaking loudly. You can hear good bars in Italy.

Declarations of love at Juliet's House, Verona

Is this a continental thing? Not just at Juliet's house but on every spare bit of public ironmongery there were padlocks with couple's names on them. Because nothing says 'i love you' like a sharpie and a suitcase padlock, right?

It's supposed to be lucky to touch Juliet's right nork. Did i? [no comment]. In the background is the reputed balcony. There isn't actually any evidence that this is in any way connected to Shakespeare or that Juliet actually existed. Tell it to the padlock crew...

..or the love taggers

...or the chewing gum crew...[chewing gum on wall = "love you forever"?]

You'd be a bit miffed.

An initial wander in Verona

Green Man to Verona transit

8.30pm Friends finish their set at the Far Out stage. One last trudge through the mud, while The Walkmen struck up their opening chords on the main stage which we could hear echoing around the valley as we made our way to the car park.

Kids into pj's. 

[Kit was already in the car due to some early afternoon trips. Missed Alt-J and Ghostpoet doing this but was worth getting it done]

Out of the wellies and into the addidas. Ready to go.

Welsh bloke; "scuse me mate, me car's stuck y'couldn't give us a push?" 

Me; "hnnnnngh y'okay i guess"

Go over in my trainers to do the good samaritan bit. Get mud in mouth and all over trainers through unfortunate wheel spin incident. Got to help folk out though, right?

Festival to home in 45 minutes. For anyone who's ever taken 3 hours just to leave the Glastonbury car park this will never get old.

Bath. Sleep.

Up.

Get all the tents, sleeping bags etc unpacked cos it was raining when we took them down. Mass tent airing session then repacked. Kids stuff packed for grandparent stay. Our stuff packed. Leave for sunny south. 5pm get to grandparents for ham and roasties. 6pm leave for gatwick.

8.30pm Sit down in Gatwick Travelodge bar with a pint of Becks. 24hrs of crazy shenanigans.

And...relax. Next stop Verona.

Becks in a Guiness glass. Gatwick.

More Green Mannerisms

So.........Dexys.

Well.

This review was fairly in line with what i thought of their recent cd.

It's kind of okay but i wouldn't recommend it as a must buy.

Dexys at Green Man?

Lots of effin and a fair bit of jeffin.

Slightly uncomfortable late middle aged wailing by Kev. The story of the failed relationship on "i'm always gonna love you" is pretty funny though.

Come on Eileen was milked to within an inch of developing mastitis. People kept wanting to applaud 'the big tune' and then they started up again. And again.

Good musicians in the band. Kind of good overall. I'm trying to avoid saying 'meh', but at times it was.

Green Man highlights

• Errors
• The bloke teaching beat boxing in the kid's field (this bloke)
• Adam Buxton's Bug talk on the Thursday
• TunEyArds
• Friends
• Pete Paphides vinyl revival
• Bits of Van Morrison (about 50:50)
• Lucy Rose
• Wandering around watching bits of Metronomy, Willy Mason, Tallest Man on Earth.
• Most of the acts at Chai Wallahs.
• Pie Minister pies.
• King Creosote and Jon Hopkins