It’s late July which means vacation on the European continent. I haven’t done much traveling since landing in my new home, but I don’t feel bad about it. I mean … WHY?

But after some convincing and a little bit of FOMO I have decided to embark on a bit of a road trip through Northern Italy to disconnect from work (shockingly hard) and to reconnect with sleeping past 4:30 a.m.

Over the next few days I’ll share my journey and observations of various popular and not so popular places in Northern Italy.

Things that make this trip interesting and unique are:

1. I have not bought even one strip of new clothing for my travels. Yep, I mean it. I browsed, yes, was sorely tempted, sure, even got up to the register with new items only to abandon them last moment - but I didn’t do it. While this may cause some of you to shrug… for me this is major and will be explored later.

2. I have no idea where I’m going. Okay… I know that I am going to end up in Venice and then make a turn around and head back for Zurich, but the bottom line is, my travels are NOT planned so I can’t give you my usual itinerary, (which isn’t giving me low grade anxiety and a mild case of hives - by the way).

But enough preamble lets hit the road!

Stop one was for lunch alongside Lake Lugano, Switzerland where I enjoyed a pre-prepared picnic of all sorts of snacks which I made sure to pack for healthy(ish) choices along the way. My favorite thing was the stiffed bell peppers and chocolate energy balls. I enjoyed these delights on a bench alongside Lake Lugano, a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore. This little stop was particularly satisfying because the train I take to work each morning has its terminus in Lugano. I have had more than one little day dream of throwing caution to the wind and staying on the train and ending up in Lugano for the day. I am not (sigh) carefree enough to do this however and this is the next best thing!

Italy was calling and pressing on over the border was the next point of business. I thought a good way to end the day was in one of the many lovely seaside towns surrounding Lake Garda, specifically Desenzano del Garda. I found accommodations in the classic resort town in a lake facing property with easy access to a mountain of restaurants and shops and the lake promenade. What did I do? Well I got out on the promenade of course. People watching was the sport of the evening. That and a pool side book club (thanks to Zoom)!

Dinner in Italy (I forgot) starts a little later than I like, so with all restaurants opening at about 7:30 p.m. I had no option (but was a delighted option) to have a pre-dinner aperitif of apple juice (because I am nothing if not super swanky) along side an enchanting bridge observing the light change and evening arrive.

Tomorrow the destination - I think - will be the Shakespearean towns of Verona and Padua! Stay tuned!

As all this is happening in real time please feel free to leave comments, questions and suggestions as to what I should do next in the comment box below. What are your plans for your summer vacation?

Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers:

This low-carb, keto appetizer is perfect for day one on the road!

Ingredients:

• 12 baby bell peppers, cut lengthwise and seeded

• 2 teaspoons truffle oil

• 1 package cream cheese, 8oz

• Green pimento stuffed olives halved

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• Ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Cut the bell peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds and stems. Lightly oil the bell peppers by tossing them in a bowl with some truffle oil.

2. Use a spoon (or a piping bag) to stuff the peppers liberally with cream cheese and place them back on the baking sheet.

3. sprinkle the cut olives and black pepper and garlic powder over the top.