The thought of going travelling or on holiday on my own has always been a daunting experience, if not for the thought of eating alone but also getting bored of my own company. Back in 2014 (I think) i made the brave decision to travel to Berlin and the experience was nothing but positive, so this year i decided to go at it again and  enjoy a nice relaxing break in Italy completely on my lonesome.

My trip started in Milan, where i would catch a train to Peschiera del Garda (province of Verona) and start my adventure as an independent traveller. With every step i became more and more nervous, anxious as to what was waiting for me on the other end of the train, and how the holiday would turn out. As soon as i arrived at the lake all my fears just washed away and i was faced with serene views of the mountains and lake, whilst basking in the 30+ degree heat. I had never stayed in a hostel before, so my accommodation during the trip was also a new experience for me, and my imagination was running wild (we’ve all seen the film hostel, right?) but after 5 minutes of walking in to Meet Garda Hostel I felt completely relaxed.

Day 1: After arriving at the hostel and dropping my bags off, i felt it best to go out and explore the area and get to know my surroundings. I ventured out in to the town and grabbed a pizza for lunch (when in Italy right) and enjoyed a relaxing walk along the lake.

Day 2: Some people and I from the hostel decided to rent a bike for the day, for the small price of 10 euros and explore the near by town of Sirmione. We had been recommended to visit here if not for the beaches alone, but we decided to make the most of the day and our new found love for cycling and catch a ferry across to Bordolino. From here we cycled back down along the coast, with regular stop offs for a spot of swimming.

Day 3: Some people and I decided to be at one with Shakespeare and venture out to the nearby city of Verona. Only 15 minutes on the train it is the perfect day trip, with lots of sights to see and ice-cream to eat. Here we saw a number of places of interest, including Juliets House, Giardino Giusti and lots of beautiful churches.

Day 4: After a successful day at Sirmone on Day 2, and the fact we were slightly worse for wear from the night before, we decided to go back to the beautiful beaches and have a relaxing day by the lake. The photos do not do the place justice.

Day 5: Our last full day was upon us and decided to go out with a bang, concluding the best way to do this was to rent a speedboat and go out on to the middle of the lake. This was by far one of the best highlights of the trip and certainly given me a taste of the finer things in life (if anyone would like to buy me a boat i would be very grateful).

Day 6: The thought of having to travel back to the UK was certainly a depressing thought, but i was excited about the fact i was going to go explore Milan before my flight and check out the fashion capital of Italy. Although a beautiful city with plenty of culture, i didn’t feel there was much for me to do in the short space of time, but at least i can tick it off my bucket list.

– toddyblog