Lake Garda, Espresso, Castles & Chaos
God, I needed that holiday. After months of non-stop work and my child’s endless school activities, our week in Lake Garda was exactly what we needed. Not that it was without its hiccups (looking at you, rental car disaster), but honestly? Even the mess-ups make for good stories now.
The Weather Gamble Paid Off
We totally lucked out with the weather. Most days were that perfect kind of warm where you don’t even think about it—you just exist comfortably in shorts and feel that specific happiness that comes from Vitamin D overload. We did get caught in a couple of sudden downpours, including one epic thunderstorm that had the kids pressed against the apartment windows, counting seconds between lightning and thunder. Made for a good impromptu science lesson, I guess!
Kids Being Kids
The best thing about holidays is watching normally iPad-obsessed children suddenly become fascinated by things like pebbles and boat wakes. My little one and our friends’ kids were properly feral by day three—staying up late, gelato-stained t-shirts, hair wild from swimming and never quite drying properly. But they were together, making instant holiday friendships, inventing games and sharing experiences instead of arguing over devices. It was beautiful seeing my child bonding with our friends’ kids—connections that only seem to happen on these kinds of trips.
The Car from Hell
Look, I’m not dramatic, but that rental car was actively trying to ruin our holiday. We’d booked a decent-sized crossover, you know, for all the luggage. What we got was basically a rollerskate with doors. The lack of A/C in Italian summer heat meant we were basically driving around in a mobile sauna. And the satnav? Dead as a doorknob.
There’s nothing quite like trying to navigate tiny Italian mountain roads with Google Maps screaming directions in English while your phone overheats and dies because it’s sitting in direct sunlight on the dashboard because there’s nowhere else to put it. Character building, that’s what we’ll call it.
Sirmione: Castle Day!
The day we spent in Sirmione was probably my favorite. That castle is the real deal—none of that reconstructed tourist trap nonsense. It’s properly old and massive, with actual moats and drawbridges and arrow slits in the walls.
We climbed what felt like a million stairs to reach the top of the tower, everyone complaining the entire way up. But then we got to the top and even the most vocal complainers shut up for a minute. The view over the lake was ridiculous—this impossibly blue water stretching forever, with mountains and those terracotta roofs everywhere. One of those “OK we’re definitely not in Harlow anymore” moments.
Ferry Day: Best €41 We Spent
We figured out pretty quickly that driving around the lake was a nightmare (narrow roads, Italian drivers, no A/C—remember?). So we splashed out on day passes for the ferry and honestly, best decision ever. For this adventure, it was just me, Becky, and Ben—a perfect little trio for a day on the water.
The ferry itself was half the fun—wind in our hair, mountains towering on all sides, and that peculiar peaceful feeling that only comes from being on the water.
We spent quite a bit of time in Desenzano del Garda, which turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip. Among other things, we found this amazing art shop that created a family portrait with just our eyes. Sounds strange, I know, but the result was absolutely stunning—a minimalist piece that somehow captures our personalities perfectly. It’s going straight up in the front room when it’s finished. One of those rare souvenirs that’s actually meaningful and not just tourist tat.
Eurocamp: Way More Than Just A Place To Sleep
Our Eurocamp was the perfect base for our Lake Garda adventures. I’d forgotten how much these places offer beyond just accommodation. The multiple swimming pools were a godsend, especially after sweaty days of sightseeing. The kids would have happily spent the entire week just splashing around there if we’d let them.
My personal daily ritual quickly became a highlight: once I discovered the reception coffee shop, I’d hop on the dotto train every morning from our area and ride it to the main reception just for my coffee fix. There was something wonderfully indulgent about that little journey—the gentle hum of the train, the anticipation of that first sip of Italian coffee, and those few moments of peace before the day’s adventures began.
By day three, the barista knew my order by heart, and we had a whole routine going with just nods and smiles despite the language barrier.
The nightly entertainment was surprisingly decent too—not just the cheesy stuff you might expect. There were quiz nights that got embarrassingly competitive between our group, a surprisingly good local band one evening, and even a magic show that had the kids (and, I’ll admit it, the adults) completely captivated.
Having all these facilities on-site made the whole holiday more relaxing. If someone needed downtime, they could chill by the pool while others went exploring. Perfect balance.
The Food. Oh My God, The Food.
I’m still dreaming about the pizza. There was this little place right near our camp—nothing fancy, plastic chairs even—but the pizza guy had forearms like Popeye from working the wood-fired oven, and he made this diavola pizza that nearly made me weep.
And while I’ve been a coffee snob since my college days working at Starbucks (an experience that taught me exactly what good coffee isn’t), the Italian espresso still managed to blow me away. My standards were already high, but now they’re stratospheric. I was basically on a constant rotation of coffee, pizza, gelato, repeat. My jeans are distinctly tighter, but so worth it. The kids ate more adventurously than they ever do at home—turns out they DO like fish when it’s fresh from the lake and not shaped like fingers!
Coming Home
You know a holiday has done its job when you spend the whole last day plotting how you could potentially just… not go back. Maybe sell the house, enroll my child in Italian school, learn to drive those tiny roads properly, become a lake captain or something. Reality intrudes eventually, of course, but we came back fresher and somehow more connected, not just as a family but with our friends too.
Lake Garda, you absolute beauty, we’ll be back. But next time, we’re triple-checking the rental car contract and bringing a backup GPS.
P.S. If anyone needs me, I’ll be making my own espresso at home, sighing dramatically and muttering “It’s just not the same.”