Middle-aged flash packers

Our night in the too cool for school Hotel Wetterhorn passed predictably. Hot and noisy.

Breakfast was well presented but spartan as you’d expect.

The other guests at breakfast were of a similar age or older than Steve and I. I wondered if they’d have preferred a lampshade on their retina burning bedside light bulb as well.

And so it was off to Italy for an overnight stay at Lake Garda , on our way to Slovenia.

As we drove, we watched the temperature gauge climb. There’s not going to be much snow left on the mountains.

As we got closer to Italy, the architecture changed from cutsie wooden chalets to more utilitarian concrete villas. The driving changed from Swiss measured competency to completely erratic. The good thing was the food. When have you ever said I had a totally delicious sandwich at a service station? Yup. Ricotta, roasted courgette and sun dried tomato panini. Drooling just thinking about it.

Our arrival in Peschiera del Garda saw the temperature at 39 degrees and a very stressed Steve. Driving on the motorway around Milan is not fun. As Steve says, in Italy even a Fiat Panda is a sports car.

However, our arrival at the Relais Sweet Days saw our stress melt away, partly because Steve had the foresight to book somewhere with air conditioning and partly because it’s such a lovely place. No open plan loos and shin-bashing beds made of reclaimed railway sleepers here. Elegant,spacious and cool in every sense of the word.

We decided a relaxing wander along the lake and a cold beer were in order.

Peschiera is very pretty. An old 15th century fort dominates the town, and a turquoise river meets the lake here. However 39 degrees and no breeze is not conducive to a long walk so we found a restaurant and ordered two ice cold beers. The metal chairs we sat on were very hot. ALERT: for anyone of a sensitive disposition, skip the next bit.

When we got back to Relais Sweet Days, I decided to have a shower. As I was undressing, I heard Steve exclaim “oh my god, your bum!” I don’t normally have this effect on him. Apparently I had what looked like grazes all over my backside. I’d been branded by the chair! Well no sunbathing for me then, I look like I’ve been beaten with a cane. And no, I’m not posting a photo.

Luckily my derrière isn’t painful and we had a very nice meal in town, in a lovely air conditioned restaurant. The chairs were wooden thankfully.

And so to bed. A lovely comfortable bed. Sweet dreams at the sweet days.