Day 155 - One Last Ride, A Ferry to Garda, and Our Final Night at Lake Garda

The plan was simple. Get up early, head out as a family, and squeeze in one last bike ride before handing the bikes back. Instead, we slept in and missed it completely.

By the time we got moving, Emmett had already made his own plan. He didn’t want tennis. He wanted one last ride. So he jumped on the bike, took off, and did his usual run to the shop for bread rolls, ham, and cheese. Meanwhile, we were watching the clock knowing we had to return the bikes by 10.

That turned into a bit of a scramble. We had to track Emmett down, get everything together, and rush the bikes back in time. Maddie had managed to break a brake lever, so that cost us 7 euro, but overall it was a pretty smooth handover.

From there, it didn’t slow down. We finished off breakfast quickly and then set off on foot toward Lazise to catch the ferry. It’s about a three kilometre walk from where we’re staying, but it’s a good one. You follow the lake most of the way, then wind through the old castle entrance and down into the canal where the ferry terminal sits.

We got there with about five minutes to spare and jumped on the ferry heading up to Garda. It was only one stop, but it was enough to sit back and take it all in. The lake was glassy, the mountains were clear in the distance, and everything just felt calm.

The plan was to meet up with the Norwegian and Austrian families, but we landed on opposite sides of the markets. They had ridden their bikes in and got stuck on the southern end, while we were dropped off on the northern side. So we walked south, they walked north, and we eventually crossed paths somewhere in the middle while they were grabbing a quick bite.

The markets were on, and they looked like the same ones we’d seen earlier in the week, just rotating between towns. We wandered through together, weaving between stalls, taking it all in without really rushing anything.

From there, we drifted into the backstreets of Garda. It’s one of those towns that just feels good to walk through. Small lanes, old buildings, bits of history everywhere. We didn’t explore it as deeply as we probably would have on our own, but we still got a good feel for it.

Lunch was simple. Pizza at a small local spot, just us and the Austrian family. The Norwegians had already eaten. Nothing fancy, just good food and easy conversation. After that, it was gelato, because that’s just how these days seem to go here.

By mid-afternoon, it was time to split again. They headed back to their bikes, and we made our way to the ferry. It cost 38 euro for the four of us, and for what you get, it’s worth it. About 12 kilometres across the water, cruising along with views the whole way.

The lake is ridiculously clear. When you pass over the shallows, you can see straight to the bottom. Then you look up and you’ve got mountains stretching out in the distance. It’s one of those places that doesn’t really need selling. It just speaks for itself.

Back in Lazise, we wandered through town again. Kia had bought me a shirt the day before, a spritz shirt, and we went back to check out another one she thought I’d like. It didn’t quite stack up in quality or fit, so we left it there and kept moving.

We walked back along the lake toward the accommodation, and by that stage it was properly warm. As soon as we got back, Kia went for a rest and the kids and I went straight to the pool. About 45 minutes just cooling off, nothing complicated.

Then it was time to get ready for the night.

It was the last official night of the hub, so the hosts had organised a big group dinner at the restaurant. Everyone showed up. Big table of kids, two tables of adults, and that mix of conversations you only get when a bunch of travelling families come together.

We were sitting across from a couple originally from Israel, now living in Italy, and just chatting through travel, work, and life. Easy conversation, nothing forced.

The kids barely sat down. There was a playground right next to the restaurant, so they were in and out the whole night, running around, playing, burning off whatever energy they had left.

Eventually, Emmett hit the wall. Tired, a bit moody, done for the day. The late nights are starting to catch up with everyone now. That was our cue to call it.

We’re only a couple of days out from heading to Morocco now. This morning we locked in our airport transfer, so Sunday is sorted. Be out the front at 7am, straight to the airport, no stress.

But yeah, another really solid day. Not the one we planned to start with, but it didn’t really matter. These days keep finding a way to come together.

One last full day here tomorrow. Plenty to do, bags to pack, and then we’re on the move again.