On Sunday we made a last minute decision to drive east from Lake Garda to Verona, stopping at a Sosta 20 mins walk from the town centre. Unfortunately it was 20 mins in a very unseasonal scorching 30 degrees heat!

The town has an incredible history – at it’s centre is a Roman Arena, built before the Rome Colosseum and well looked after – restoration work started in the 13th century! Every year it hosts a summer opera festival – they were preparing the sets when we visited.

That afternoon we also visited the Museo di Castelvecchio and the adjoining Ponte di Castelvecchio. The Museum displays mainly religious artwork (have never seen so many ‘Madonna and Child’ paintings!) and is inside a imposing castle from the Middle Ages. It overlooks the river and has unusual ‘fishtail’ battlements. The Ponte is a brick and marble bridge built in the same style in the 14th century but completely rebuilt after it was destroyed in World War II.

By the next day we had worked out how to use the local buses and took a trip back into town for a more gentle amble. First stop was the Cathedral – a huge Romanesque building whose walls were covered in massive frescos. it was built on the site of Roman baths and the some of the original structure can be viewed through glass flooring. The Baptistery had the biggest font we had ever seen.

We then walked over the Ponte Pietra bridge – it also dates back to Roman times but had to be rebuilt after WWII. On the other side of the bridge a funicular railway took us up (much easier than the steps!) to Castel San Pietro, a hillside castle from where you could get some spectacular views over the city.

By now it was clearly lunchtime, we stopped to eat at a restaurant on the hillside. Sue had her first Aperol Spritz and I over-ordered the food! Had to try the pinsa – a version of a pizza – but didn’t realise it would be so large! We just about managed to walk back through the town, passing the market in Piazza delle Erbe before catching the bus back to finish off an excellent day.