Tuesday September 27
Ricci Curbastro was a wonderful spot. www.riccicurbastro.it You pull in and see the Villa Evelina, which of course had me excited, but the guest lodging is just across the way. The rooms are actually apartments, ours had 1 bedroom and a single bed in the living room. There was a kitchenette and dining area, as well as great views over the vineyard. Teh entire Ricci Curbastro family is in some way connected to the agriturismo, vineyard, wine museum, or antique store on the property. We were given a very informative tour. I now know enough to start my own Franciacorta winery back home, except for the fact that the grapes have to be from this area or it can't be Franciacorta. So scratch that idea.
Our first stop of the day was Sirmione which is a 3 km strip of land that juts out into Lake Garda and is capped off by the Rocca Scaligeri Castle. It isn't the kind of place you'd spend a whole day, but the streets are lined with shops and cafes. The views are very nice, and you can take a boat tour if you'd like. It's an ideal spot to stop off and get lunch on your way to Verona.
Verona is home to an incredible Roman amphitheater where they still hold concerts and the yearly Verona Music Festival. More famously, at least among tourists, it is the setting for Romeo & Juliet. After touching a third testicle for luck a couple of days ago, it was nice to rub a breast in hopes of finding love today. So far it hasn't worked but there are 6 weeks left. Verona has a great shopping stree Via Mazzini, the square where the theater is is chocked full of cafes, and the Piazza Erbe has a fun little market.
Our day was to end at the northern tip of Lake Garda in a nice little agriturismo. But through some sort of miscommunication our room had been given away. By this point it was too late to find another agri, so no lodging stories tonight.