PinayOdyssey

On our 10th day on the road, we took three trains using our Interrail Global pass, a travel day that took approximately 8 hours. Carl was very keen to take me to Italy, to Lake Garda, to be exact. He was there before and really enjoyed the summer ambiance. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, and a very popular destination for tourists and locals alike. 😉

07:27 AM Train from Ljubljana to Villach (1 hr 42 mins)

It was a very nice and sunny day when we left, unlike the day before. We took the early train from Ljubljana, as in we didn’t have time to eat some proper breakfast. We just bought some bread and snacks from a store on the way to the train station.

On our way to Slovenia, we spent a night in Villach, a cozy town in southern Austria. Apparently, it’s a transfer point for trains traveling between Austria, Slovenia and Italy. We enjoyed the stay there, no matter how short it was, so we looked forward to see it again and have a taste of the authentic Austrian apple strudel once more!

10:50 AM Train from Villach to Venice Mestre (3 hrs, 3 mins)

Reservation on trains going to Venice was compulsory, but it was good because we got to choose comfortable seats. Later, we realized that the fast-speed train in France and Italy are amongst the most expensive when it comes to compulsory reservation, so we learned our lesson and would probably skip those two countries the next time we do Interrail. Regional trains are free though, but are generally slow and stop by more stations.

As mentioned, we bought some snacks, Italian pastries to be exact, so as to get some Italian feels on our way there. 😉 Carl gets by having none eller less food to eat on the way, while I like munching on snacks like nuts or candies or pastries while on board. Guess I get bored?

15:32 Train from Venice Mestre til Peschiera del Garda (1 hr, 14 mins)

Despite my constant pleading, Carl did not want to stop by touristy Venice. He said he was there and it was a tourist trap, where one is tempted to pay much for a gondola ride across smelly canals. I even told him that it was ok to drop Venice, if he’d go with me and visit Juliet’s house in Verona. Disappointingly, he did not want to go there neither. I like travelling with Carl and we have visited so many places together, but sometimes, it’s hard to convince him to try some of the places I want to visit. Like Stonehenge, when we travel to London next month. Oh well..

There was no direct train from Venice Mestre to Peschiera del Garda, but it was good because we had the chance to eat some late lunch. Venice Mestre was crowded, but we managed to find a decent restaurant by the station – McDonalds. Pfft..

I am making a special entry for Peschiera del Garda, so I’m not writing a lot to describe it here. We stayed in Hotel Pilotto, a family-run hotel with a huge restaurant on the first floor serving local cuisine. It was also a popular dining hall for motorists and truck drivers due to its location. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk to the town center, a walk that passes by a military training ground.

We arrived at the hotel around 5pm, and we were not particularly hungry, so we just stayed in the hotel and rest. I’m excited to write about our adventure in Lake Garda in the next entries. This is all for now! See yah! #spreadlove