La Grolla del Garda - App. Giada

The rooms are roomy and clean, but the kitchen where the second bed is gets too hot at night, at least in August. We managed without the air conditioning, which costs 7 Euro a day. I did that more to save energy than money. Italian holiday apartments never seem to have the basic useful things: no soap, salt, pepper, washing-up liquid or dish sponge, and just two toilet rolls. You have to buy everything when you arrive. These things cost pennies and would be so helpful to have from the start. The coffee machine also didn't work properly. The washing machine wasn't available at first. You buy coins from the landlord to use it, and the small load capacity makes it poor value. It stops after 30 minutes, so you need another coin to finish. It was very inconvenient. I had to go down to the cellar at least three times to get the laundry done. The pizzeria belonging to the business is fine, but don't order wine there. I tried both red and rosé, and they tasted like dishwater. The house is a bit far from shops and the lake, so you definitely need a car. If you don't like a pool crowded with Germans, this won't suit you. Most annoying of all was the proprietor's dog barking constantly from 7am for an hour and a half on Sunday morning. It was absolutely nerve-racking.