Well, it’s getting better And better .On the off chance that there was going to be something to see and do in a smalltown in Italy called Pavia, we turned up, one cold, but sunny mid afternoon tolook for a hotel. You know the feeling when you’ve been driving for some timeand nothing has come up that you’d consider staying at? Well, we had just thatfeeling. Despondency was starting to set in!... and then.... on the horizon, orshould I say over the railway line, round two roundabouts we saw a large signover what looked like a traditional sixty’s building saying ‘RosengartenHotel’. And with much swearing from Italian drivers as I negotiated my way inmy inimitable fashion (thinking I was still in my old Land Rover) round theroundabouts, across two lanes of traffic, made a mistake of taking the firstexit when I should have been taking the second etc.. etc... but we made it.Whewwww! And in a little Fiat 500 as well. The oasis at the end of the harddays travel, the shining star in the sky to guide us to it.... the lobbybeckoned us in. Not much more to be said about the actual hotel itself, but itwas as we found out, location, location, location for the old part of the city .

After unpacking very quickly set of toexplore. And guess what. Not one restaurant we wanted to go to. All they hadwere pizzeria after pizzeria. And when you’re sick of eating them enough isenough so after a walk that took probably an hour and a half found ourselvestrudging back to the Rosengarten; tired, hungry and if I can call it this, alittle despondent that we’d not found what we wanted. So, decided to eat in thehotel instead. It was reasonably full. Surprise surprise. Probably a good sign?Well, as we had nothing to lose went on in. And it was surprisingly ordinary. Ithink hotel food all over the world, especially in tree star hotels can besurprisingly, how can I put it? Bland! There, I’ve said it. But as we continuedsitting there after eating, (nowhere else to go really) the lady running therestaurant came over and started to chat. Fortunately not about food. Sheturned out to be from England as well, and she and her husband were running therestaurant. The conversation turned to travels because they’d (her and herhusband) had run restaurants as far afield as Lanzarote and in salubriousSpain, near Marbella . Just imagine that! Then the conversation turned toforeign food and we finally told her where we live, i.e. St Maarten, and aftera few minutes she disappeared to do whatever she needed to. It couldn’t havebeen much more than three minutes later when the chef flew through the door; inmuch the same way I imagine that Robinson Crusoe must have done when he saw thefootprint in the sand of the person he called Friday. Still dressed in his chef’s uniform promptlysat down at our table and produce some glasses and said, “You speak English?”And that was the beginning of what turned out to be a fabulous night. What withall the new types of alcohol he introduced us to and the laughing, well, wecould have been old friends being reunited after fifty years. The three or fourhours flew by. And the best thing was that he recommended us to go to his friendshotel in a place called San Felice (pronounced San Felichay). And after hisrecommendation, we’re definitely going there.

Well, what an idiot I feel . I’msupposed to be good at geography, and know my way around. Hopping into the carafter being on Lake Como decided to go to and here’s the right name, BERGAMO. Makea note of it. Fortunately we had a satnav which seemed to take us to mostplaces, although it needed to be seriously updated with its maps. Off weheaded. Round Milan... no trouble really ... yet.... with lots and lots of roadworks though and instead of following the satnav, had to follow the new signs instead.Large lettered.... huge green signs for the motorway as well... what could gowrong? The journey should have taken about two hours. Easy. Well, after aboutthree, and having had lunch on the motorway could not understand why the arrivaltime kept on seeming to get longer and longer. I’m sure you’re ahead of me now.Yes... instead of following the signs for BERGAMO somehow were following thesigns for BOLOGNA. I suppose it’s an easy mistake to make. Bologna is farsouth; Bergamo is in fact north! Damn damn damn...... or words to that effect!.So at a petrol station filled up the car (which we christened ‘Little Wol’after its number plate which ends withthe letters WL) turned round, and started back up north . Deciding to giveBergamo a miss and head straight for San Felice. Fortunately the satnav got usreally close this time.

The hotel is in the middle of Soave
country. It’s that dry white wine in case you’ve not heard of it. And the hotel
is actually right in the middle of nowhere at all. Wonderful views of the
countryside; vineyards all around us, and we’re overlooked by a ruined castle
on top of the hill. So romantic. And the best thing of all, is that the
recommendation to come here was just brilliant. We’re right between Lake Garda
and Venice where we are heading off to tomorrow. Yesterday spent a wonderful
day on the lake going places with such exotic sounding names as Sirmione and Desenzano.
In Sirmione walked round the small town and just had to have one of their world
famous gelatos. It must have been only 8 degrees, with a chill wind blowing,
but there we were standing outside and eating. Wonderful. Enjoy the photos.

Now today was something else . What couldwe do. Go exploring to try finding things that are really different? Well, wefound it. Fortunately I’ve taken photo’s of it otherwise you’d just neverbelieve it. Now I’ve heard of people putting things on their roofs, but never in a million years this. Anaeroplane. Albeit not a jumbo I’d agree, but a proper aeroplane. And there itwas. Parked on the roof of this junkstore. Just had to go in and find out more. The old lady running the store toldus her husband was a pilot and that was his plane. I was so stunned there wasnothing more I could ask as she smiled sweetly in her inimitable way. The restof the shop was so jam packed full of stuff I just don’t know how she evermanaged to find anything.

Then, off to the castle at Soave. It wasclosed and locked up. Knock knock. “We’re here to see the castle please.” The janitorlooked at us quite unbelievably. “We’d like to see the castle please,” andwould you believe it, he actually opened it all up for just us! It was likehaving your own private tour;  nobodyelse there at all . Wonderful what you can do if only you ask nicely? Hope youlike the photos as well. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that we were also theonly guests in a huge hotel on Lake Como. Another weird experience. Remember thefilm ‘the shining?’ and finally today, as there was nobody at the Soave winery,we had our own private wine tour and tasting session as well.

Got to get this away now because we’re
off to Venice in the morning; going to the carnival there, so please watch out
for the next episode.