Honeymoon destination #2 - Malcesine

After four amazing days in Rome, we moved on to the next stop of our honeymoon... Malcesine in Lake Garda. I'd eagerly done lots of research on Pinterest and stumbled across some beautiful photos so I was very excited about seeing the famous Lake Garda in all its glory.

We caught the train from Rome to Verona which went without a hitch. I can confirm that Italian trains are much cleaner, spacious and punctual than British trains, and their stations are much better organised! Our transfer driver was waiting for us as we got off the train and drove us straight to our hotel, which took just under an hour. The car journey was a great opportunity to take in the scenery... we could tell straight away that we'd decided to visit an extremely beautiful part of the world.

Hotel Casa Barca was recommended to us by a friend who got married in Malcesine a few years ago. We were expecting great things after seeing the hotel's exceptionally high ratings on Trip Advisor and we definitely weren't disappointed. You'll already have seen their amazing breakfast in my previous post... it's possibly the greatest breakfast selection I've ever seen. I just loved everything about this hotel, including the bright and airy rooms, the tranquil roof garden, the secluded poolside area and the hotel bar. There was also a health and wellbeing area with a spa, jacuzzi and half price massage treatment. The hotel was only a short walk away from the town centre, and the staff were all extremely friendly and helpful. Perfection!

View from the roof garden

Outside the hotel

View from our balcony

Malcesine is such a pretty little town and a stark contrast to the grandeur and opulence of Rome. I loved the narrow streets and the unique shops dotted around the town, and there were countless restaurants and bars hidden in all the nooks and crannies. I've never seen so many bag shops in such close proximity before... this was dangerous for a bag addict like me! I also loved the coloured buildings... a pink building here and there makes the world seem like a much better place. 

The main attraction of Malcesine has to be the beautiful lake on its doorstep. I've never seen such a clear, blue and sparkling body of water in my entire life. We spent many hours walking along the lake, eating ice cream and taking in the striking view from various angles. Apparently this is a great lake for wind surfing... we didn't do that ourselves but saw lots of other people having a go! The lake really was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. 

The focal point of Malcesine is its majestic castle. I took hundreds of photos of the castle itself and of the views from different vantage points. Hundreds of people get married in this castle every year, and you can really see why when you experience its beauty. There were amazing views from every level and the castle itself was a fascinating mix of ancient stone and refurbished sections. I couldn't choose just two or three photos of the castle and of the views from it, hence the photo fest below!

We also went on a trip to Limone during our stay in Malcesine as it had been highly recommended to us and it was just a short trip across the river. We caught the boat over to Limone which was a lovely experience and we stayed there for a few hours. We walked around the lemon grove which was very relaxing and had an ice cream (of course) at the side of the lake. Limone was a real hub of activity and I loved all the lemon merchandise. Lemon soap, lemon chocolate, lemon tea towels, lemon liqueur... for someone who loves lemon, it was like a lemony paradise!

On our last day in Malcesine, we discovered yet another beautiful walk and view of the castle. There were just hidden gems everywhere, and I honestly think you could go on a different walk every day even if you stayed in this fascinating town for a month!

Malcesine really is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited, and it was the perfect honeymoon destination as it was so secluded and peaceful. I was very sad when we left Malcesine, but we did have a few days in Venice to look forward to... check back in a few days to find out what we got up to on the final leg of our honeymoon!

P.S. I apologise for the over-use of the word 'beautiful'... there are only so many superlatives in the world and there will never be enough to describe the beauty of Malcesine!

Honeymoon destination #1 - Rome

I've blogged briefly about our honeymoon and shocked you all with the volume of food I ate, but I thought I'd share some more thoughts and photos from the three beautiful locations we visited on our visit to Italy.

It was liberating to be able to escape to such an exciting and diverse country after such a hectic year of wedding planning (and house buying). Neither of us had ever visited Italy before... we'll definitely be visiting again!

Our first stop was Rome, the capital city of Italy. We stayed in Hotel Capo d'Africa which was recommended to us by an Italian friend, and we couldn't have been happier with our beautiful hotel suite. We had a huge private terrace with a view of the Colosseum, a super modern and gleaming bathroom, a massive bed and a complimentary fruit bowl and bottle of Prosecco. The hotel staff were helpful and efficient from the outset and spoke perfect English, and they gave us lots of advice on the best places to visit and how to get around Rome in the most efficient way. The hotel was minutes away from the Colosseum - a great central location. Eleven out of ten!

View from our private terrace

Outside the hotel

Dressing gown and slippers!

The Colosseum quickly became my favourite Roman landmark, which isn't surprising as we could see it from our hotel room and we walked past it every day. It truly is one of the most breathtaking spectacles I've ever seen, and I thought a lot about the battles that must have taken place inside its walls. They don't build arenas like this any more! We went on a walking tour of the inside of Colosseum as well as walking around the outside several times. The walking tour was great value for money and the inside is just as impressive as the outside. The stone is metres thick and there are tons and tons and tons of it. It's been beautifully preserved through the centuries and I'm totally in love with this particular landmark.

After fully exploring the Colosseum, we also ventured into the Roman Forum. Yet another amazing place, steeped in history like everything else in this corner of Rome. I can't even describe how many historical places of significance we saw while wandering around the Roman Forum. It was absolutely scorching while we were exploring the Forum, probably exacerbated by the fact that we kept going around in circles as we couldn't find the way out! It wouldn't be a good holiday without some funny stories about getting lost, and it's not every day you can say that you've been lost in the Roman Forum.

The Vatican City and St Peter's Basilica were high on our Rome hit list so we dedicated a whole day to exploring this legendary place in detail. We decided to walk there from our hotel which took an hour or so. However, the walk was totally worth it as it took us along the river and overhanging trees, away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. It became immediately obvious as soon as we entered the Vatican... crowds swarmed around St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican City in general, and the architecture of the whole place is just spectacular. We couldn't face the 3 hour wait to get in to St Peter's Basilica as we wanted to make the most of our time in the area, but we spent a long time soaking up the atmosphere. This area of Rome absolutely has to be on your must-see list!

Moving on to a different landmark, the Pantheon was possibly my favourite sight in Rome after the Colosseum. We accidentally stumbled upon the Pantheon on our first day when we were attempting to familiarise ourselves with the city. It's a massively impressive and solid structure which just looks as if it's been there for ever and will continue to be there for ever. Although the Pantheon was packed with hundreds of tourists, there was still a respectful and hushed aura inside the temple. The architecture inside was just as striking as the outside, and I thought it was a truly awe-inspiring building.

I was very excited about seeing the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, but unfortunately these were the only disappointing aspects of our time in Rome. Both areas were undergoing maintenance work so they were covered with scaffolding and advertising hoardings. I know maintenance has to be carried out occasionally but I thought it was very inconsiderate of the powers-that-be to tarnish two famous landmarks while I was there!

Rome is such an amazing city and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to everyone I know. We'd been told that crime was rife in Rome and that we should be very careful, but we never felt unsafe there. Everyone we met was kind and welcoming, and we certainly didn't feel threatened at any point. I've felt much more unsafe in Cardiff city centre on a Saturday night, if I'm honest. People are correct when they tell you that drivers are crazy in Rome, but you soon get used to this. We were strolling across the road in between cars like the locals by the end of our stay!

We were surrounded by beautiful sights and buildings wherever we ventured... my camera was very busy! I loved imagining what had taken place in all these locations thousands of years ago and marvelling at the way it's all been preserved so flawlessly.  

So that was the first leg of our honeymoon... Malcesine had a lot to live up to after such an amazing few days in Rome. Check back on the blog in a few days to find out if it lived up to our expectations! 

Food, glorious food (and drink) - Honeymoon style #3

We went to Venice for the final few days of our honeymoon after basically eating all the food in Rome and Malcesine. We'd heard amazing things about the restaurants and street food in Venice so we were very excited about eating ourselves silly for the last few days before going home to diets, the gym and reality.

Without a doubt, we had our best meal of the honeymoon at Ristorante Pensione Wildner in Venice. We went back a second time because we loved it so much, even though we were only in Venice for four nights! There are lots of photos from Ristorante Wildner featured in this post as the presentation was beautiful as well as the flavour.

Get ready to be amazed at how much food I managed to eat in Venice...

Fruit bowl and chocolates at the hotel 

And a lovely bottle of Bellini!

Lunch on our first full day. Pizza Gondola!

Fresh fruit juice from the Rialto Market 

Yes, there was yet more gelato in Venice

Amazing Mojito

And more gelato... 

Indulgent hot chocolate

Immense calzone with a fried egg in the middle!

My first ever gnocchi dish

Macarons... the picture says it all

Pumpkin soup... out of this world! My starter at Ristorante Wildner

Fancy bread basket at Ristorante Wildner

Best panacotta I've ever tasted in my entire life... again, at Ristorante Wildner

And the best Bellini I've ever tasted!

Lovely chicken pizza

The most perfect macaroni ragu (yes you've guessed it, Ristorante Wildner again)

Beef tagliata... perfection again at Ristorante Wildner!

We thought Venice would be extremely expensive but we were pleasantly surprised. Our lunch from the Rialto Market was generally 3 or 4 euros each for a pizza slice or a huge wrap, and our dinners and drinks were reasonable considering how fantastic they were and how good the service was. Venice was the most expensive place we visited on our honeymoon as Rome and Malcesine were surprisingly cheap, but it was totally worth it. 

Needless to say, I felt the need to go on a diet as soon as we got back home as our honeymoon was so beautifully indulgent. I'm now battling to lose my honeymoon weight so that I can put it all back on when we go on our next holiday... Disneyland Paris in December!