Verona Day 2 - at Lake Garda...

OK.. after a wonderful brekkie, (the hotel certainly was upto the expected standard from the Italian hotels we stayed in) we headed off to the train station for a day at the lake.  Finding the station was the first challenge - signposts just did not exist for pedestrians.  However, found it we did, tickets purchased, train boarded and off we were on about a 20 minute journey to Lake Garda.

This was the scene as we first approached the lake.

As we began our walk (going in an anti-clockwise direction away from the town), we saw about 6 Great Crested Grebes.  By the time we left to get back we'd seen probably, a couple of dozen.. they were the most common bird we saw - delightfully :)

and they had little ones...

there was also a Pochard..

It was quite a hazy day with intermittent sunshine - bit glary for pics of distant views..

and then, Pete heard a bird.... which turned out to be a Great Reed Warbler.. so thanks Pete for IDing it - a lifer for me.

(rubbish pics - but they're record shots!)

Also saw and heard a Marsh Warbler - no pics from me - couldn't get a good enough focus through all the reeds.

Not long after this, we decided it was time to turn around and walk back

a family of Mallards..

female Italian House Sparrow perched by the lake..

We were now walking towards the town..

It was lunchtime and we were hungry so.. just along here was our lunchtime venue the Cfe Centrale (it's on the right-hand side of the pic - our table was one of a few on a pontoon.

and yet more GC Grebes entertained us whilst we ate.

the wine was entertaining too :)

and finally back to the hotel to shower etc. ready for dinner.

We set off in the early evening in search of dinner.

which was at the Pizzaria Impero.. and very nice it was too.  Cheers!

and our third day?  discovering more locally...