We were distracted by the Meran markets. They were enormous! The plan was to take the bus to the bahnhof then change to another bus which would take us to the start of the Tappeiner Trail. We had to stop and investigate the markets. Everything from food and regional products to costume jewellery and leather goods. The Friday market are the largest in the region and they consumed a couple of hours and caught us out. Still we found the bus which would take us up the hill to the start of what is considered the most beautiful high-level promenades in Europe. 

We began with very good intentions and just two hundred metres in, we discovered Café Unterwager. It was hot. It was lunch time. We decided it was best to fuel our bodies for the walk. While John has an incredible memory for details and can often tell me not only what he had at such and such restaurant but also what I had. I remember I had food. Oh and drink. I remember that. But the meal I had at this delightful restaurant perched on the side of the hill overlooking Meran and down into the Tyrol valley was memorable. It was ravioli stuffed with game and it was delicious. 

The day had got considerably hotter, and the path was not as shaded as John had promised. I was OK. I had my hat and an umbrella but John- no. He was very resourceful and converted the paper bag we got at the market into a hat and it saved him. We did most of the walk but when we saw a leafy escape route zig-zagging into the town we decided to risk all and shinny down. Turns out we only missed the last two hundred metres. We discovered later the temperature had risen to 37° so we weren’t imagining it- it was hot!

Not satisfied with the spar at the hotel, John decided we needed to go to the Termemerano. It was a hot day and it was a good choice. The only issue was we had forgotten to bring our thongs and the tiles to the outdoor pools were so hot we could hardly walk on them. We spent quite a lot of time indoors. 

Sunday and Patrick, the hotelier, had warned us, Lago di Braies would be busy. Despite this we decided to drive the two hours, visit the lake and have a swim. Firstly it took us three hours. Then, at the entrance, ten kilometres away, we were told we had to book parking and entry online. We were directed to an ‘Info Point’ where the staff were busy having a bite to eat and ignoring the thirty people all trying to get online and book one of the four carparks. It was a bunfight!!! 

Our phones would not cooperate, and we convinced one of the staff to help us. She was very obliging, but we had to pay €40 for the privilege of parking eight kilometres away and taking a shuttle bus which arrived every thirty minutes. 

It was hot. We walked around the lake for a while, and I decided I had to have a swim. The water was cold. We met Ronny who warned us that it became even colder just a few metres in. He was right and I didn’t stay too long. I found out later the maximum surface water temperature in summer is 14°. Did I mention it was cold?

Ronny was an interesting character. From Sweden he had been travelling the world for a few months. He told us that he had climbed one of the peaks we could see. That was when he was young and foolish and it was the first and last climb he did. He was happy to share his ideas and opinions on all sorts of subjects from the mundane to the controversial. It was interesting talking to him. 

We took a train to Bolzano and visited the Tauttsmansdoff Gardens but I have to admit on both occasions the oppressive heat and humidity tainted my experience. Mösl, a pizza restaurant just down the hill, was a great way to finish off our stay in Meran.