Thursday, 20th June 2019
After the heavy thunderstorm we had last night, we woke up to a beautiful clean view from our bedroom balcony – it was great watching Lucerne waking up – down on the quayside, the sunshades were being assembled again and tables and chairs arranged so that the first customers can either have their breakfast or a simple cup of coffee. In no time tourists were crossing the wooden bridge again and taking pictures of the spectacular sights.
We were in no hurry but we had everything packed and ready to leave after breakfast which we had enjoyed out on the front terrace. However by the time we were ready to go to the parking garage across the lake, it had started to rain. The sun was hidden behind the grey, wet clouds!
Rain turned into a drizzle 
Gerry feeling relaxed behind the wheel 
2km traffic jam leading to the Gotthard Tunnel 
Scenic views on the way 
Reaching the Italian border 
And onto Milan
By 11 am, we had left the parking garage and although it was still raining, we had a good traffic flow out of Lucerne. Our first long tunnel was the Seelisberg Tunnel – 9.250 meters!
By 12.00 noon we were stuck in a 2 km traffic jam leading to the Gotthard Tunnel, however it took us only 15 minutes to get through it and head into the 17km long Gotthard Tunnel. We were hoping by the time we arrived at the other end, we would have bright sunshine x but we were wrong – still a drizzle coming down!
We stopped for a coffee break at Bellinzona (and a smoke for GerryJ at about 1pm . Here the motorway splits to Lugano and Milano. By now the sun was out again and temperatures quickly soared up 27 degrees. We had coffee on the outside terrace where we enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Once we were on the road again, it only took us half an hour’s drive to reach the Italian border and by that time the outside temperatures had climbed to 35 degrees…….
Oh yes, we had changed our original plan to head to Como for two reasons – we wouldn’t be covering enough mileage for the day as well as most overnight places were overpriced! So we planned to continue driving to Peschiera del Garda, a pretty UNESCO World Heritage site. We found a lovely hotel in the old town – Palazzo ai Capitani and made the reservation yesterday evening.
Fortress ramparts 
The waterways providing city defenses 
View leading to the city gate 
Crossing the bridge leading to Peschiera 
A lone gondola waiting for customers
Peschiera was always a fortified city and the old name used by the Romans in the first century BC was Arilica. Over the years Peschiera remained a fortified city and the Venetian government back in the 16th Century modified the flow of the River Mincio to have three exiting branches into Lake Garda and hence have better city defenses.
Of course today Peschiera is a peaceful historic town welcoming the many tourists who land here each summer. The surrounding countryside is rich with vineyards that produce the local white wine Lugano.
After checking in to our hotel, we parked our car at a central parking area just outside the city walls and then we strolled back into the town. Most of the terraces and restaurants were getting filled up with tourists – some were having a late lunch and others an early supper, however we were not ready for either but certainly Gerry was ready to have what seems to be his daily portion of ice cream!
That’s me relaxing and posing with Gerry’s coupe and my smoothie 
Gerry’s coupe with wild red berries
When we got back to our hotel, it was time to have a shower and get ready for our evening meal. The concierge suggested Restaurant Al Lago which was only a few hundred meters away on the Garda shoreline. Indeed his recommendation was gut – we had a great meal comprising of a grilled turbot accompanied with a Mediterranean sauce made up of cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, onions and accompanied by roast potatoes. We also ordered a side dish of roast vegetables. All this was downed with a fantastic bottle of Lugana white wine!
Back at our hotel, we were dead beat – tomorrow another 3.5 hours drive and this time we have again changed our plans – we will stop for coffee in Venice (only an hour’s drive away) and then onto Porec in Croatia.
