Ciao Italy and Ryan's Family!
"When in Rome..."
Upon leaving China, we had a long lay over of 10 hours in Russia, unfortunately we couldn't leave the airport without a visa, so we twittled our thumbs for awhile... we spent time communicating the plans to meet up with Ryan's siblings in Rome and then his parents in Bardolino, Italy. And so, the adventure continues!
We arrived late our first evening in Rome and were greeted by Ryan's siblings and their partners, it was so nice to see even more familiar faces! That night we just decided to relax and have a few beers, we knew the days would be long, hot, and filled with a lot of walking.
We woke up the next day for our first full day in Rome and it was going to be a hot one! We dove right into the touristy things you do, "When in Rome..."
We visited the Colosseum, and we were so thankful to Ryan's mom for getting us the tickets in advance, the line to wait to enter without having a ticket/time slot was huge! Shout out to Kim!
We visited the Pantheon, which is free, and had a debate about the hole at the top. Is it covered with glass, or open? It's open, Chris you still owe Lindsey a euro ;)
We also went to the Trevi Fountain, a favorite of all
of ours. Of course, it is a crowd pleaser. We read a news story about two women getting into an actual physical altercation, and their families getting involved too, over a SELFIE SPOT at the fountain. They both were arrested. Haha, what a laugh that gave us. I mean, it is pretty beautiful, but worth the bruises? Ehh maybe not.
We also enjoyed the sites again at night, to get a different view of the city with the lights! However, to tell you that is the only reason would be a lie. We were all on a mission to find this dance club we wanted to go to and have drinks, it happened to be closed, so we happened to take a night walking tour of the sites, haha!
Overall, we had a great time in Rome, but it was time to hop on a train and head to Verona, where we met Ryan's mom and step dad who arrived in a large van to fit all 10 of us. And on to Bardolino and Lake Garda!
Boats, Bikes and Beers in Bardolino!
Lago di Garda is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Italy, we stayed on the southeast side of the Lake in Bardolino. We all jumped in the van and made the trek to our rented apartment hotel, excited to get to the water.
We got on the water early the next day and enjoyed driving around, tubing and anchoring to swim. Castles and historic churches dotted the shoreline, it is picturesque! The water was turqusoise blue and so clear. Our friend Christopher’s boat is bigger than most boats on Mendota, so the wake is huge. Lindsey and I got some major air when we went out tubing.
Close to our last day, we went out for one big meal with our German friends, enjoying typical Italian food on the outdoor patio. Of course, this the only evening rain was in the forecast. Like clockwork, as we finished our main course, the rain started as a sprinkle. Luckily, we were under the canopy, but unluckily the canopy was two pieces. As the rain picked up, Lindsey and I realized our end of the table was at the seam of the two canopies, water found a way to pour in. Servers brought ice buckets to catch the water, but eventually, as the rain kept on and the ice buckets and wine glasses filled faster than we could empty them, all 20 of us had to move inside for dessert.
We had such a great time, and it was nice to see everyone. It was hard to say goodbye to such a beautiful place. Our adventure next led us to Apricale, Italy for our first venture into Workaway!
Upon leaving China, we had a long lay over of 10 hours in Russia, unfortunately we couldn't leave the airport without a visa, so we twittled our thumbs for awhile... we spent time communicating the plans to meet up with Ryan's siblings in Rome and then his parents in Bardolino, Italy. And so, the adventure continues!
We arrived late our first evening in Rome and were greeted by Ryan's siblings and their partners, it was so nice to see even more familiar faces! That night we just decided to relax and have a few beers, we knew the days would be long, hot, and filled with a lot of walking.We woke up the next day for our first full day in Rome and it was going to be a hot one! We dove right into the touristy things you do, "When in Rome..."
We visited the Colosseum, and we were so thankful to Ryan's mom for getting us the tickets in advance, the line to wait to enter without having a ticket/time slot was huge! Shout out to Kim!We visited the Pantheon, which is free, and had a debate about the hole at the top. Is it covered with glass, or open? It's open, Chris you still owe Lindsey a euro ;)
We also went to the Trevi Fountain, a favorite of allof ours. Of course, it is a crowd pleaser. We read a news story about two women getting into an actual physical altercation, and their families getting involved too, over a SELFIE SPOT at the fountain. They both were arrested. Haha, what a laugh that gave us. I mean, it is pretty beautiful, but worth the bruises? Ehh maybe not.
We also enjoyed the sites again at night, to get a different view of the city with the lights! However, to tell you that is the only reason would be a lie. We were all on a mission to find this dance club we wanted to go to and have drinks, it happened to be closed, so we happened to take a night walking tour of the sites, haha!
Overall, we had a great time in Rome, but it was time to hop on a train and head to Verona, where we met Ryan's mom and step dad who arrived in a large van to fit all 10 of us. And on to Bardolino and Lake Garda!
Boats, Bikes and Beers in Bardolino!
After our time in Rome, a short train ride to Verona brought us even closer to our next destination--Lake Garda in Italy!
Lago di Garda is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Italy, we stayed on the southeast side of the Lake in Bardolino. We all jumped in the van and made the trek to our rented apartment hotel, excited to get to the water.
After arriving and getting situated we headed to the shore. As we were aimlessly walking and taking in the sights, we saw our friend Simone--totally by chance. We all joined them for dinner and enjoyed some pizza and great views of the water. We began making plans for boating the next day.
We got on the water early the next day and enjoyed driving around, tubing and anchoring to swim. Castles and historic churches dotted the shoreline, it is picturesque! The water was turqusoise blue and so clear. Our friend Christopher’s boat is bigger than most boats on Mendota, so the wake is huge. Lindsey and I got some major air when we went out tubing.
The next day we all rented E-bikes and got to tour the countryside on hiking paths. The landscape is very hilly, so the electric assist was our friend as we went up steep hills at 15 MPH like it was nothing. :) We biked past vinyards and huge estates that overlooked Lago di Garda. It was a blast to go out with the group and enjoy a fun ride. We want E-bikes now…
The rest of the days were spent relaxing, reading, boating and enjoying dinners outside. We had a kitchenette so we all cooked meals together and ate outside played games together and enjoyed our evenings seeing family and friends. 
Close to our last day, we went out for one big meal with our German friends, enjoying typical Italian food on the outdoor patio. Of course, this the only evening rain was in the forecast. Like clockwork, as we finished our main course, the rain started as a sprinkle. Luckily, we were under the canopy, but unluckily the canopy was two pieces. As the rain picked up, Lindsey and I realized our end of the table was at the seam of the two canopies, water found a way to pour in. Servers brought ice buckets to catch the water, but eventually, as the rain kept on and the ice buckets and wine glasses filled faster than we could empty them, all 20 of us had to move inside for dessert.
We had such a great time, and it was nice to see everyone. It was hard to say goodbye to such a beautiful place. Our adventure next led us to Apricale, Italy for our first venture into Workaway!
More to come,
Ryan and Linds
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