Top

Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

Sirmione, Italy


This past weekend we packed up the car and headed out on a day trip to Sirmione. It is a little resort town on Lake Garda and it could not have possibly been more beautiful.

Here’s a map of where Sirmione is located. It was about an hour drive from where we live:

This castle protected Verona from their rivals in Milan.

You can climb a zillion tiny and steep stairs to the top of the castle. My knees were totally knocking but the view is spectacular:

Seriously. Have you ever seen LAKE waters that look like this?

After we toured the castle we headed into town. The streets are winding and the buildings, homes, and businesses are quaint and beautiful.

As we walked down the streets, we could peek into the restaurants and hotels. Look how beautiful!

We dipped our toes into the lake:

and then went to find lunch. The streets are narrow and cobbled and there are nuns wandering everywhere. It’s like something out of a story book.

We had lunch at a little restaurant/gelateria.


another shot of the lake:



Everything is stunningly beautiful here. Even the walls.

This was a tiny, unassuming church that we stumbled upon (that’s where the nuns had been headed).

We stepped inside and were completely blown away!


So that’s it. A little tour of Sirmione. Jimmy and I have decided to come back after tourist season is over, and without the kiddos.

This town begs for RELAXING. Coffee, wine, wandering the streets slowly and lounging by the water. We can’t wait to experience it again…just the two of us this time. 🙂

Happy Tuesday, beautiful friends.

ciao ciao!

s

Comments

  1. Love, love, love! It is just amazingly beautiful. Thank you for sharing your journey. I would just walk around with my mouth wide open looking like a mouth breather all the time. Every turn there is something beautiful. Plus cheese and gelato!

  2. Beautiful! How exciting that you have an opportunity like this and are taking full advantage of it!

  3. Seriously love love love! Will never able to leave this place!
    beautiful!!
    thank for sharing!

  4. I loved the Lakes when I visited… If you get the chance catch the boat upto the top to Limone where the trees are full of lemons and where Lemincello is produced.
    So glad that you are getting out and about, you are in a fabulous location, great for so many excursions. The train network is worth exploring as well as driving as its quite economical. Verona has a huge train network from there, going east/west & south.
    Loving reading your adventures… Makes this London girl have a hankering for an Italian adventure!
    So glad that you are settling in. ciao Teresa x

  6. how beautiful…it’s like a dream world! i can’t say enough how excited i am for y’all (and for me to get to peek into Italian life through you!) what a lovely life experience for y’all! 🙂

  13. Oh my! Spectacular! As I say everytime, thank you so much for sharing this with us!

  18. Hi Steph,
    Love reading your blog. I rarely comment but just wanted to let you know the americanos are still ready and enjoying every post 🙂

  21. Breathtakingly beautiful! The water is so blue, stunning. Looks like a wonderful beginning to this journey in Italy.

  22. I love your Italy posts! Thank you for taking the time to put them together. I also wanted to say that several months ago when you posted about your daughter’s mermaid party, I pinned the wands. This weekend I hosted an under the sea party for my 6yr old and used several ideas plus the gazillion on Pinterest. She loved it and the mermaid wands were a hit with the little girls. Thanks for the ideas.

  23. You are such a great writer….Maybe is time for you to start thinking about writing a book….a real book, about marriage, motherhood, your military life…..Please keep your posts coming, they are so beautiful and full of life. Can you share with us what your hubby is doing?? Training? teaching? etc….Please let us know if you crave US stuff, I just packed a huge box to our BFF in Afghanistan, I cried so hard as I was packing it….little things that we all take for granted here are so basic any where. I don’t think I can(i wish I could) send you Kate Spade things but maybe a box of cheerios would do …or pancake batter…..Let us know please if you miss anything I am sure we would all love to send you happy mail. Lina.

  24. Hi
    I am a fairly new reader, “finding” you just before you left the States & I love your blog. Had to comment today to say that we were in Sirmione about this time last year & your photos brought back lovely memories. We stayed in Manerba del Garda, just across the lake from Sirmione & spent a couple of lovely days out there. Lucky you having plenty of time to explore the area.
    We’re off in 10 days to drive through France & Andorra to Spain, here’s hoping it’s as lovely as your neck of the woods!
    Jane, UK

  26. I am utterly lost for words Stephanie, it is all ridiculously beautiful. Stunning. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos.

  28. I lover that place when we went there. You need to take the kids to Gardaland. My kids loved it and they were like 2 and 4 when we went. Lots to see.

  29. Ive been reading your blog for several years now and rarely commented. This time I wanted to say THANKS for posting the pics of Italy! Just gorgeous! Im happy that you and your family are having a wonderful experience so far. I went to Italy back in 1991 and LOVED it! I hope to go back someday. Will have to stop by Simione!

  30. Simply stunning!!!I believe Italy’s tourist numbers are going to increase tenfold due to your amazing photos:) Thanks so much for sharing and am now even more anxious to visit Italy one day…..

  31. Just awesomely beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I would love to see a picture of the nuns, too. Maybe on your next visit. You and your family have so many memories to make.

  32. I’m just soaking it up. Totally feeling lame(not really….we all live in our own reality….) that I’m excited to go to the Washington Coast for 3 nights next week!

  38. It’s so beautiful! Love the lake. Much prettier than any lake I have seen in the US. The water is so clear and so blue! Looks like a wonderful place to live! Harper looks so grown up in that picture! I look forward to your posts and pictures from Italy every day.

  39. Loved this post. I have driven right past Lake Garda so many times on drives from Germany to points south in Italy. I always say we are going to stop, but we never really know exactly where to stop on the lake – it’s HUGE! Friends here in Germany have done entire week vacations down on Lago Garda and rave about it. We move to our new post in Germany tomorrow and will only be just under 4 hours from the Lake!!! It’s definitely on my list. Your photos are beautiful!!!

  40. PS: YOU have inspired me to put my fears away and blog. We begin our dream assignment – An Adventure in the Alps – tomorrow. We spend our last night in a hotel in Stuttgart tonight and I am going to start our blog. Tonight! 🙂 Thanks for inspiring me to write down our story via blog.

  41. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, for taking me on holiday with you. This is probably the closest I will ever come to Italy and it is magnificent. I wonder if you realize what a wonderful gift you are sharing. I love it! Thank you again, Hugs Ketena

  42. PS. I am Canadian and live in the US. You do, and we do have lakes that look like that in the Rocky Mountains in Glacier National park, Waterton, CA, and Lake Louise, CA. But Oh to be in Italia.