Malcesine - Captain of Lake Garda, Malcesine, Italy

I love to visit Malcesine on Lake Garda because it is home to one of my favourite restaurants – La Pace. As soon as I get off the ferry I push through the crowds lingering on the quay wondering what to do and where to go. I know exactly where I am going and work my way through the maze of narrow cobbled streets until I emerge into a small courtyard facing the water. As I approach Mohammed, the head waiter, catches my eye and waves. Within minutes I and my companions are seated outside the restaurant with a great view of the lake. I don’t need a menu as I always have the same meal – spaghetti alle vongole with a quarter of a litre of their light, dry white wine. Delicious.

While we eat we watch the traffic on the lake, mainly the ferries. The wake from the ferries takes a long time to arrive at the steps in front of us. By this time the people sitting there have relaxed again and are taken by surprise when the water swirls around them. An itinerant musician arrives and soon the little piazza is flooded with melodies from his violin. It encourages us to linger a bit longer and enjoy a shot of Limoncello offered by the house. A very pleasant interlude before setting off to explore the little town that crawls up the hill behind us. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).