Sunday, 10th July

The Plan

7:36 Train to Paris Gare de Lyon arrive @ 13:13
** We then need to get from Paris Gare de Lyon to Paris Nord **

17:03 Train to St. Pancras International arrive @ 18:32

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18:54 Train to London Bridge Platform A arrives London Bridge Platform 4 @ 19:09
19:18 Train home Platform 6 arrives home Platform 6 @ 19:45

19:09 Train to London Bridge Platform A arrives London Bridge Platform 4 @ 19:25
19:34 Train to home Platform 7 arrives home Platform 7 @ 19:52

19:12 Train to London Blackfriars Platform A arrives London Blackfriars Platform 1 @ 19:21
19:26 Train to home Platform 4 arrives home Platform 8 @ 20:08

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The News

The last day! And what a day it would be.

We had to be ready to leave and collect our packed lunch by 6:30am and, yet again, everyone was there on time.  Papa Duck seems not to have had to chase anyone during the whole tour - we were all good little ducklings.  Then it was off to the waiting coach with our hand luggage and goody bags for the trip to the Turin Porta Susa station.  This is quite a sight.  We came in at the top (after some hunting for Platform 1), but the lower areas are quite scenic with lots of light and space.

Our train pulled in on time and we were off for the 5 3/4 hour journey to Paris Gare de Lyon.  As usual, we were out by ourselves in the seating plan.  In fact this time it was even more extreme - we were two coaches away.  The consolation was that we were with one of our breakfast pairings who, as always, provided excellent company.

The first part of the journey passed through the alpine region, so the scenery was stunning.

But then things became flatter and less interesting.  Still, the excellent company, a good book (and in the case of Jan, a long sleep) made the time pass quickly and we were soon in sunny Paris.

The original plan was that we would have four hours to while away, but that wouldn't happen.  First, the coach which was to ferry us from Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord went to Gare du Nord!  He then needed to make his way in a coach through the Parisian traffic to us.  Papa Duck was not impressed!

Then there was the usual process of getting on the coach.  In all other instances, we had delivered our cases to the loading bay and the driver had packed his space.  This driver just opened the bay doors and walked off letting us get on with it.  This would have been a problem for some of the elderly and less mobile ducklings if it hadn't been for one younger (and more agile) couple who organised it all.  They had been thoroughly helpful, cheerful and a joy to be around all the way through the tour.

Finally, we were underway to the Gare du Nord.  The traffic was "difficult" which resulted in more time being lost.  The upshot was that we arrived with just enough time to catch the train.  But there were more hiccups in store.

Another duckling had helped one of the less mobile to get their case to the loading bay of the coach and found that on getting to Gare de Lyon that their case was missing.  It had been left in Gare de Lyon.  Papa Duck was not impressed by the coach driver ... again.  this time for not checking that we were not ready.  We were not impressed either.  Such a lovable duckling should not be treated like that.

We found that there were hundreds of people when we got into the station who were all milling around.  French Eurostar employees were on a work-to-rule!  On top of that, a train had broken down.

There are escalators to the departure lounge which were being guarded by what seemed like the French equivalent of the Pretorian Guard.  You were only allowed up if you were on a train due to leave an hour and a half earlier.  But wise old Papa Duck had a trick.  He suggested using the lift at the side which the Guard had left unprotected.  This time the willingness to follow instructions broke down.  Only four ducklings (of which Jan and I were two) did as we were told and joined Papa Duck in the queue for the queue!  This is what the queue for the queue for the queue (!!!) looked like.

However, we did make it through after a couple of hours.  It was then a short wait for our train.  We were due to ride first class because we paid a supplement, but they upgraded us to business class. The seats and the food were so much better!  Papa Duck thought we would just get fresher croissants, but we got a salmon risotto, wine, an apricot tart, roll and butter and coffee.  That was rather nice.

The two-and-a-half-hour journey passed quickly again and soon we were pulling into St. Pancras.  There was a crush to get out, but it moved quite smoothly and then we were on our way home.

And then we were home, just before 9pm.  It had been quite a long day!

Postscript

So, would we recommend this tour?  Definitely!  In fact, we are already looking for a rail tour for next year.

The good news is that the luggage that was lost in Paris was handed in and so will be returned.

All the ducklings arrived safely at the final pond, St. Pancras station before we all scattered to our nests.  Unfortunately, we had brought an uninvited guest with us.  About a third of the tour tested positive for C-19 over the next couple of days, Jan included.  Interestingly, I am only aware of one person in a pairing coming down with it ... most odd.  You would expect both to get hit.

But there was an even bigger mystery.  Papa Duck waved us goodbye as a small group walked in front of him.  When they had passed, Papa Duck had vanished.  No one knows how or where he went - he just disappeared.  Rumours are that he had gone to help other clutches of ducklings.  Some say he only existed in our imaginations.  But I like to think that he was the spirit of a good holiday.

The End

Saturday, 9th July

The Plan

12:53 Train to Turin Porta Nuovo arrive @ 14:55
    Stay overnight at NH Lingotto Congress
        Email: o.badia@nh-hotels.com
        Tel: +39 011 664 2000

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The News

And then it was time to start the journey home.  First stop - Turin - or so we thought.

We had packed all but the last few things the night before.  So we went down to breakfast and met with the other two couples who were also early risers.  They had been our breakfast companions throughout.  Breakfast was a fun time each day.

Then we were told that there had been a change of plan.  We had to check out by 9:30 rather than 11:00.  Also, instead of leaving from the station in Desenzano (a two-minute stroll) we would have to go from Peschiera.  There would be a coach to take us there, but that would not arrive until 12:00.  So Jan and I (and our breakfast friends) had four hours to kill.  This was not a lot of time to do anything.  We had done the final packing and checked out in half an hour.  Other than go swimming, which a few did, there was not much else to do other than sit in the shade around the pool.

Finally, the coach arrived.  The people on our tour have all been lovely, but there is only so much you can talk about with people you have only met briefly for a week.  We were then packed onto the coach with our hand luggage for the 10- to 15-minute ride.  And when we got there ... we were not allowed into the station because there had been a fire on the line.  Bother!

Another couple joined us in the cafe just outside the station for a drink.  We were soon joined by Papa Duck and spent a pleasant half hour chatting before the police left and we were able to go up to the platform to wait for our train ... which only went as far as Milan.  We had to wait around for a while before changing to a train for Turin.  Finally, we were en route to our destination.

Well, nearly.  Having got to Turin Porta Nuova station we were then herded onto another coach to take us to our hotel at about 5pm.  The hotel, NH Lingotto Congress, was a former Fiat factory.  The factory had been converted into a shopping centre, two hotels and still has the former test track on the roof.

The rooms, however, were really nice.  There was plenty of room, the bathroom was huge and the meal that they gave us was excellent too.  They earned their four stars.

We were able to visit the test track on the roof for free because we were guests of the hotel.  Whilst that was an interesting experience and gave excellent views over Turin, I'm not sure I would have paid to go there.

It was just a shame that it took all day to do a two-hour journey.  We could have had more time in Desenzano and/or Turin if our luck hadn't run out.

Friday, 8th July

The Plan

9:49 Train to Verona arrive @ 10:15

15:45 Train to Desenzano arrive @ 16:08

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The News

Our last full day on holiday. Boo hoo.  But we were off to Verona.  Hooray!

The rain the day before seemed to have washed away a lot of the pollen that had plagued me the day before.  Verona is only a short journey by train, about 25 minutes.  The slog up the stairs to the platform would have been a problem, but I had found a lift hidden away at the far end of the station, so my poor knees got some kindness.

We arrived at the main station and were then ferried by taxi to the central piazza which contains their colosseum.

There we were met by our tour guide who certainly knew her stuff.  Sometimes it was information overload.  But she was cheerful and passionate about her city.  Verona, it seems had a turbulent past having been independent and shuffled about between one country and another.

I hadn't heard of the Jewish Ghetto in Verona during WWII.  There the Jews had been protected, if still underfed and mistreated, almost until the fall of Mussolini.  They were then shipped out by the Germans to the death camps.

We were taken to the courtyard which houses Juliet's balcony and statue.  Apparently, touching Juliet's right breast makes you lucky in love which is why the photo at the top has her breasts all shiny.  This seems more like paedophilia to me since Juliet was only supposed to be 13.

Unfortunately, much of what you see is fake.  Juliet's balcony is a modified sarcophagus ... and there's no record of her having lived here.

The same is true of the house they call Romeo's home.  It dates from the right period but was actually owned by a different family.  Romance shattered!

From there we moved to the Piazza della Erbe.  Some of the houses still have their original frescos dating back centuries.  There is a market (mostly aimed at tourists) and, as you would expect, lots of restaurants.  It is VERY pretty and even has an original Roman statue.

We were led out of the piazza, passed some original Roman road to get to the tombs of the Scaliger family in the ruins of Santa Maria Antica church.  The family ruled Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries.  The tombs are separated from the public by what looks like an ornate iron grill.  In fact, it is made of interlocking iron work, similar to chainmail, which moves when touched.

Our final stop was on the banks of the River Adige which runs through Verona.  The city started in pre-historic time on the "other" side of the river.  It still boasts Roman ruins and a castle as well as housing.

Papa Duck said that he now trusted us enough to allow us to waddle off on our own for a few hours.  I needed water ... badly, so we found a restaurant and I downed a litre and a half of sparkling water in 15 minutes.  Refreshed, we made our way back to the Piazza della Erbe where we shared a very nice pizza - and another drink.  Then it was time to head for the station where we ducklings were to meet up with Papa Duck again for the journey home.

Jan and I thought it would be a good idea to visit a supermarket when we got back to Desenzano to get some real Italian Parmesan cheese for our eldest grandson who enjoys cooking.  However, 2 miles of walking in the heat after a day in Verona made the idea less attractive in hindsight.

We had to put up with another amazing evening meal at our hotel.  It was billed as a "Gala Farewell Supper" because it had four courses.  It was lovely, but even the meal cooked up by their chef couldn't live up to the billing.

Thursday, 7th July

The Plan

No scheduled activities.

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The News

They were still sweeping up after the storm the night before as we got down to breakfast.  There was a little group of six of us who were early risers and could enjoy whatever we wanted from the excellent breakfast bar.  You had the choice of cooked breakfast food, pastries, fruit, cereals, etc. ... and you could go back as often as you wanted ... and I did.  One hopes that the breakfast bar was replenished once I had left.

This should have been a nice quiet day.  Our plan was to get a day pass for the lower part of Lake Garda (19€ each with a wrinkly pass or 23€ each if you are a youngster), go to Garda then back to Bardolino and finish up in Lazise.  However, my hay fever really kicked in.  I'd been taking hay fever tablets for a few days but they seemed less effective today.  One of the many nice people on the tour had some Claratyn and that made things better.

We got off in Garda which has changed a lot since we were last there about 25 years ago.  We had to navigate via the back streets because the harbour front had changed such a lot.

Apologies, but I'm now going "back-story" again ... and again.  The first time we arrived in Garda, probably in the early 1990s, we thought we would have ice cream so we sat at a table and the waiter gave us a menu.  The strawberry cup looked nice, but when it arrived it was twice the size shown on the menu and tasted far better than we expected.  It is not often that what you see on the menu is not as nice as what you get ... but they managed it.

So we went back again and got a refill ...

And then there was the restaurant we called "Maxi Portions".  It was a vine-covered, multi-level restaurant with superb waiters.  Its actual name was Pinci but the menu had a section labelled Maxi Portions - and they were.  Meals such as Spaghetti Carbonara and Spaghetti Bolonaise came in washing-up bowl-sized tureens filled to the brim.  Unfortunately, this restaurant seems to have slipped since we were there so we made do with just the ice cream.

I began to feel increasingly muzzy as we wandered around, so we skipped Bardolino and took the boat to Lazise.  We had never been there before which was a shame because it was really pretty.  The streets are wide and it appeared far less crowded than Garda or Bardolino.  It is also quite flat which was nice.  Needless to say, it had lots of cafes and ice cream parlours - such a shame.  They also had an excellent leather goods store, so I now have a new wallet.

The boat ride back to Desenzano was nice, but the clouds were building up.  The temperature cooled a bit but the humidity rose.  We, therefore, decided to eat at the restaurant just opposite the ferry jetty.   Walking far was not a good option.  

We had a passable half a rotisserie chicken each and the price was passable too.  And then there was a shower, so the restaurant moved the tables in under the large umbrellas.  They were starting to the tables back out again as we left.

The rain started again as we walked up the hill.  Ah, another shower, we thought.  But we were wrong - we were soaked by the time we got to the hotel.  There was another thunderstorm that night.  We could see and hear it, but we escaped the deluge this time.

Wednesday, 6th July

The Plan

Lake cruise to Isola Del Garda.

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The News

Today was to be a leisurely day.  We didn't have to be ready until 1pm when we had to catch the boat to the private island of Isola del Garda.

This is the largest island in Lake Garda and has been owned by the Cavazza family since the 1880s but the current own is the daughter of the Duke of Somerset who married into the family in the 1970s and was then widowed.  She has seven children all of whom are still close by.

The journey took nearly an hour.  We arrived at the private harbour ...

... and were greeted by our guide. He spoke excellent English, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, which made the experience even more enjoyable.

There are several carved tree trunks on the island.  They were created by a local artist from trees that had died.

We were then shown around the incredible gardens which are maintained by just four gardeners.  They must work quickly because the gardens cover several acres.

Most climbed the stairs to the terrace and the private apartments, but the two of us who had difficulty with stairs were treated to a golf cart ride up to the main outdoor seating area.  As you can see from the photos below, waiting there was not a problem.

Even the ceiling fresco was amazing.  We were then treated to wine or fruit juice once the others caught up with us.  Then it was either stairs down to the harbour or the golf buggy, in my case.

We had a lovely couple of hours on the island and then it was back on the boat for an hour of gentle cruising on the lake.  We managed to survive.

We were then forced to endure another delicious meal in the hotel.  So after such a tough day, I went to bed whilst Jan went to the roof terrace to join the others for a chat.

And then there was a thunderstorm overnight ... but I slept through it.

Tuesday, 5th July

The Plan

9:08 Train to Venice arrive @ 10:41

16:50 Train to Desenzano arrive @ 18:21

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The News

If it's Tuesday it must be Venice.

We ducklings were marshalled for 8:40am.  We were checked for clean ears and handkerchiefs and then we were off.  It's only a few minutes to the station so we were quite early ... and then the train was 15 minutes late.  But this is Italy.

The one and a half hour journey passed quickly.  We had reserved seats and Jan and I were on our own at the back again.  That's what comes of having a surname which starts with a letter towards the end of the alphabet.

Arriving in Venice is always nice.  There is the anticipation as the train crosses the bridge onto the main island and the stunning views as you exit the station.

We had a two-minute walk around the side of the station to get to the boat to take our party to the piazza which runs in front of St. Marks Square.  We were met there by a local guide who spoke excellent English.  On the way, she told us about the history of Venice from its beginnings as a place of refuge for Romans fleeing the invasions to the present day.  

We were led down the back streets to the church where Vivaldi had been the priest.  He was called "The Red Priest" because of the colour of his hair.  It is interesting that they picked on a physical characteristic when giving him a nickname rather than, say, "The Musical Priest" to celebrate his talents.  A sad comment on human nature.

We were then led to the waiting Gondola, the part Jan was looking forward to most.  This was all part of the tour.  There was a long queue of people waiting to hire a Gondola, which we walked straight past to the next mooring along.  There was a 10-minute wait for our batch of Gondolieros to appear and then we were off.

The Gandaliero took us through the quiet waterways (and it was unusually quiet and peaceful for Venice) and out into the Grand Canal just below the Rialto Bridge.  We scooted along that for a while before turning back into the side canals.  He didn't seem interested in us and only spoke to other Gandalieros.  Most had similar experiences, but at least one boat was propelled by someone cheerful.

We were not the only ones out on the canals of Venice in a Gondola.  This photo was taken by ...

(Reproduced with the kind permission of Andrew Shipp © 2022)

We didn't see the Beckhams, though, which disappointed Jan greatly.

Our ride lasted about half an hour but seemed much shorter.

The dropping-off point was next to the Venice Hard Rock Cafe.  Now, I have to deviate into a short back-story.  The first time I took Jan out, I had promised her a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe in London.  However, there was a long queue so we decided to see Bugsy Malone instead.  Then, over the next 40 years, we kept saying that we ought to go for the meal we never had.  We finally made it when we went to Venice for our 40th wedding anniversary ... but we didn't get any momentos.

Since we were the first boatload, I had plenty of time to run into The Hard Rock Cafe and surprise Jan with a matching pair of T-shirts.  That made her smile.

Having exhausted the fun of the Gondola ride, it was back to St. Mark's Square.  Again, we were able to queue-jump and get a guided tour of St. Mark's Basilica.

The art is quite stunning, but it does all seem rather dowdy ... but then it is 1,000 years old.  I suppose that I'll look less than fresh in 1,000 years.

Class was dismissed after the tour of the Basilica and we were allowed to roam freely.  We decided to go back to the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, a department store next to the Rialto Bridge with a roof viewing gallery.  You get a superb view of the Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal ... and it's free.  But since COVID, you have to book in advance online - bother.  So we consoled ourselves by having a very nice toasted sandwich in the restaurant there instead.

It was time to get back to the boat jetty by the time we finished the meal.  So we wandered through the streets of Venice, taking in the atmosphere and the views.  There was still time to buy an ice cream before our hired boat took us back to the Venezia Santa Lucia station.  The trip back was equally scenic and we arrived refreshed in Desenzano in time for a late supper ... which was delicious.  And then to bed ...

Monday, 4th July

The Plan

No excursions planned.

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The News

A free day.  Party time.  So we decided on a leisurely start and then a cruise to Bardolino and visit Cristallo, the best ice cream parlour in Italy.  The alternative was ...

Cristallo won.  We had arranged to meet another couple at the quay for the 10:15 boat, but we had two little hiccups.  First, we got part way there when Jan remembered that she had left her wrinkly pass in the hotel and had to go back and get it.  Then I got it in my head that the boat left at 10:37 (because I had looked at the wrong line on the timetable) so we walked even more slowly than usual.  The result was that we got to the harbour just in time to wave the boat goodbye.  At least we were able to see a bit of the town.

It was an hour until the next boat ... and then it started to rain.  Bother, I thought.  I was sure it would be a passing shower, so I stayed on the bench I had found.  Everyone else got under the awning of the ticket office and enjoyed watching me get soaked.  Still, it was quite warm so it only took me a few hours to dry out.

We got to Bardolino at about 12:45.  And the  Cristallo ice cream restaurant is right by the quay on the right.  Well, it would be silly to walk past it so we had a huge ice cream fruit bowl each as lunch.  Now, this is the way to dine out.

Sated, we had a wander around the town - which is beautiful.

There were two boats that we could have got and we chose the earlier one.  We could see the clouds bubbling up and the journey back was quite rough.  The wind was whipping up the waves which had white tops and Jan was sure we would go down - no one else did.

On returning to Desenzano, we had some nice spaghetti with ham and peas in a small restaurant on the small harbour and then made our way back up the hill to our hotel.  I went straight to bed, but Jan stayed up and sat on the roof terrace ... until the storm hit.

A nice couple from our party who got the return boat with us had got off at Lazise.  They had a wander around there and then caught the next boat to Desenzano, the one we would have got if we had stayed in Bardolino.  Their boat wasn't allowed to dock in Desenzano, so it turned back to Lazise where they had to wait two hours.  Then they got soaked when the rain hit whilst they were eating.  And they are such a lovely couple.

Sunday, 3rd July

The Plan

Trip to Sirmione by boat

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The News

And so our first full day on Lake Garda started.   Our room is the one immediately above the entrance to the hotel.

We were given strict orders to meet at the boat terminal on the lake at 10:15.  We could have walked with Papa Duck, but we chose to waddle down earlier so that we could have a look around.

There was a flea market along the side of the lake so we wandered through that.  Then we joined the group for the 20/25 minute ride on the lake to beautiful Sirmione.  

We could then wander at will which some might consider dangerous.  Sirmione is a maze of small, pretty medieval streets.

Whilst ambling along we came upon this sign ...

... which resulted in ...

There are bits of castles and town walls around every corner ... and lots of ice cream parlours and cafes.  Of course, they had to be sampled.  Delicious.

There is a small restaurant just the town side of the castle which did an excellent schnitzel and the people were friendly.

We took a small electric train up to the Roman ruins at the top of the peninsula which was nice because you got a breeze.  It was very hot walking around the ruins, but well worth the effort.  It must have been quite a substantial pile and in such a strategic spot.  Then we got the train back down again.

We met up in a shady square next to the dock for the boat back.  There weren't enough seats but I was lucky.  There were just enough waves to let you know you were on the water so the 20-minute journey went too quickly.  But then it was the long slog up the hill to the hotel which went on forever!

We made it in time to have a shower before eating.  I had wondered what would stop someone who had chosen one course from saying that they had ordered something else.  But they were smarter than me (yes, I know that is not setting the bar high) because the first thing that happened was that we got the slip we filled in placed in front of wherever we were sitting.  The waiters then handed out whatever was on the slip in front of you.  So there were no arguments.

Again, the meal was lovely.

We finished the day by going up to the roof terrace.