I love travelling and I am lucky enough to have visited several countries in Europe. and beyond. We live near Bristol airport and are fortunate that airlines like Ryanair and Easy Jet offer cheap flights to a variety of European destinations.

Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men go astray. We have wanted to revisit Italy for a few years and even had a holiday booked to Sicily in 2020. But, unfortunately, our plans to see Mount Etna, Europe’s only active volcano were cancelled due to Covid lockdown.

A few weeks ago, it looked as though we might be unlucky again. My husband who suffers from arthritis is finding it very difficult to walk and it seemed that our holiday plans might be disrupted again. We had booked a trip to Verona staying in Riva del Garda, a small town at the northern end of Lake Garda. Luckily when I contacted Bristol airport, I found they were happy to provide wheelchair assistance and the holiday company were also happy for us to bring a wheelchair.

I would encourage anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to go for it. We could not do everything we had planned but nonetheless had a very enjoyable holiday. We particularly enjoyed the bright sunshine and the delicious food in the hotel.

Verona

Verona is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy, thanks in part to its Shakespeare connection, its opera festival, its long well preserved history and its large pedestrianised shopping centre and its tranquil piazzas. The city owed much of its medieval wealth to the La Scala family and the family symbol of a ladder can be seen on many buildings.

Verona is the setting for Romeo and Juliet and I saw posters Adverising a walking production of the Shakespeare play using this balcony.

Tourists are encouraged to rub the statue of Juliet for good luck in love.

Verona was also an important city during the Roman Empire. The Roman Amphitheatre is remarkably well preserved. It is now used for the annual opera festival.

Lake Garda

Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake. It nestles in the foothills of the Dolomites, which form part of the southern Alps. The limestone has been eroded to leave spectacular grey cliffs. We were able to take a day trip around the lake. The coach used part of the narrow road around the lake that Mussolini made by tunnelling through the rocks. We then crossed the southern end of the lake by ferry. It was fun to visit some of the small lakeside villages with their medieval shopping centres and sample some genuine Italian gelato. As we got to the southern part of the lake the hills became gentler and the coach drove past vineyards, olive groves and citrus orchards. The lake water is very clear and people were swimming, windsurfing and messing around in a variety of small boats. Most of the villages had their own small pebble beach.