Verona
On Carnival weekend (17th and 18th Feb), Renat, Satoko and I made our way to the Italian city of Verona. On Friday afternoon we packed our bags, loaded the trunk with beer (that was an order from our Italian friends!) and set off on our journey. After 5 hours of driving through southern Bavaria, Austria, the Alps, and South Tirol, and getting lost several times, we arrived safely. One can see one reason why the Germans have to pay high taxes. The German Autobahns are free, Austrian ones require some time pass, and the Italians charge for each km travelled.
We stayed with our friend Debora and her boyfriend Markus, who have recently purchased a new apartment. I had to share a bed with Renat (another guy) but I managed. The Verona visit was mainly a relaxing tour - we were guided through the old city centre, before we hit the local mall. The most famous thing in Verona is the 'Arena', which is a Colosseum like open-air amphitheatre, which is still in use today for concerts. I vow to return in summer one time and watch a musical there.
Our meals there were quite interesting. The opening dinner contained horse meat, a Veronese specialty. Our horse meat was ripped into shreds and put into a salad so I didn't manage to find out its real taste. Dinner at Debora's was a home-made affair - pasta, then Panecotta, then a whole lot of alcohol (they said one of the Grappas are made at the home of some guy!) and some coffee, sometimes together. Breakfast were again very diverse, with ham, cheeses, home made jams, nutella and of course more coffee. Debora actually had a cookbook which only showcases Nutella recipes. I found a recipe for a steak with Nutella sauce. Tasty.
On the Sunday was a trip to Lake Garda. That was a quick drive and walk in a lake-side town. It should be much more interesting in summer when once can do water activities.
Our trip to Verona was followed by two days of skiing in Obereggen, South Tirol. While the trip there should be relatively easy, I found that not all navigated systems are created equal. Renat had one on his phone, but its low clarity means that we were lost quite a few times. Eventually we found ourselves in the town of Eggen, where we had a room booked. It was like being back in Germany already - German number plates, Bavarian restaurants, and the fact that German is widely spoken there.
We stayed with our friend Debora and her boyfriend Markus, who have recently purchased a new apartment. I had to share a bed with Renat (another guy) but I managed. The Verona visit was mainly a relaxing tour - we were guided through the old city centre, before we hit the local mall. The most famous thing in Verona is the 'Arena', which is a Colosseum like open-air amphitheatre, which is still in use today for concerts. I vow to return in summer one time and watch a musical there.
Our meals there were quite interesting. The opening dinner contained horse meat, a Veronese specialty. Our horse meat was ripped into shreds and put into a salad so I didn't manage to find out its real taste. Dinner at Debora's was a home-made affair - pasta, then Panecotta, then a whole lot of alcohol (they said one of the Grappas are made at the home of some guy!) and some coffee, sometimes together. Breakfast were again very diverse, with ham, cheeses, home made jams, nutella and of course more coffee. Debora actually had a cookbook which only showcases Nutella recipes. I found a recipe for a steak with Nutella sauce. Tasty.
On the Sunday was a trip to Lake Garda. That was a quick drive and walk in a lake-side town. It should be much more interesting in summer when once can do water activities.
Our trip to Verona was followed by two days of skiing in Obereggen, South Tirol. While the trip there should be relatively easy, I found that not all navigated systems are created equal. Renat had one on his phone, but its low clarity means that we were lost quite a few times. Eventually we found ourselves in the town of Eggen, where we had a room booked. It was like being back in Germany already - German number plates, Bavarian restaurants, and the fact that German is widely spoken there.
