Earlier this year, after a brilliant week in Austria, we left Spielmann’s hotel with a heavy heart as it really is a home from home for us. On through the mountains to Innsbruck and into Italy. The drive was somewhat precarious this time as the roads were extremely icy and we struggled with the winding bends across the Fern pass. We finally arrived and booked into the wonderful Hotel Nazionale in Desenzano del Garda, a few minutes from the lake.

Desenzano at night is a amazing, full of great restaurants, bars and shops. We unpacked and set off for an early evening drink. The shops were still open and I spied lots and lots of lovely Italian soft leather shoes – all at half price! I thought I’d spend Sunday morning in those shops as they were open all day. On we went to several bars, then a restaurant and finally another bar. Each place poured huge Proseccos in enormous glasses and I gladly accepted the Limencollo offered at the end of the night.

Sadly, I never made those shops and could only dream about the lovely Italian shoes from my bed at the hotel, where I spent most of Sunday trying to recover from the excesses of the night before. I managed an omelette around evening time and slept until Monday, when all the shops were closed. Up early and off to Spain. That’ll teach me – never drinking again I said.

Next stop Spain