Lagio Maggiore, Day 1
Today mom, Zoe and I set out for Italy. I had originally planned on going to the Italian Riviera: the cinqueterre perhaps, or camogli, but was having too much trouble finding a place to stay. Instead, I found a fantastic looking place in northern Italy, familiar to many, but so far unvisited by any members of the clan: Lago Maggiore. I also looked a little into staying near the nearby and much more famous lake Como, but was immediately swept off my feet when I found an apartment for rent on the isola Pescatore. I was so excited, in fact that I immediately called my mom in the states and emailed her a picture. Soon after, I booked the apartment (apartment Da Giusi, which I found here). Beyond booking the apartment, I hadn't really spent too much time planning the trip, and we got off to a rocky start, driving past the restaurant at which we had hoped to eat lunch, and not arriving early enough at the Sacra di San Michele monastery in enough time to visit it. Instead, it was autoroute food for us, which turned out to be excellent and fresh! never underestimate Italian food, even in the most humble surroundings, I guess. From outside of Turin, it was a relatively short and uneventful drive up to Stresa. Although the posted speed limit is 130kph for most of the drive, it seems that that number is only a basic rule of thumb. However, since I was getting frequent speed camera warnings from the GPS, I kept it at 130. I was amazed to watch a moped pass me at this speed - he was probably doing 150 kph, which I did not even know was possible on a moped!
The apartment owner told us to park in Stresa, and catch a ferry from there to the island. For some reason, I had pictured Stresa as a sort of run down lakeside town -- a poor mans Como, if you like. Neither my mom nor I were prepared for the swankiness of Stresa. Upon entering the town, we were amazed to see gigantic beautiful villas lining twisting mountain roads. We eventually arrived at the riverfront, where we drove past stately hotels with sprawling grounds, just on the edge of the lake. There was also a beautiful and never ending lakeside park, with shade trees and an abundance of benches and fountains. After circling a little bit trying to figure out where to park, we eventually made it to the ferry terminal, where we got onto a ferry bound for Isola Pescatore. The boat was a source of much excitement for Zoe, of course!
We passed Isola Bella on the way, with it's impressive terraced gardens and palace, and after asking a few people eventually found our way to the apartment. The entire apartment looks like it has been recently refinished, with granite stairs and a cheerful coat of yellow paint on the exterior. It is hidden in the central shaded street which runs the length of the island. After settling in, getting a gelato or two
and taking a few photos
Zoe got some water time, and then it was time for dinner. The apartment proprietress recommended a restaurant at the end of the island called "Ristorante Italia"
As we were sitting down, a boatload (literally!) of musicians and instruments pulled up to the shore for a private catered dinner in the large dining room. We were out on a small gravel terrace, shaded by trellised jasmine vines. It had been a hot day, so the temperature was perfect, with a gentle breeze blowing in from the lake. There was also a beautiful view of the lake, and a young host (the son of our waitress), who immediately brought pens and paper out for Zoe to draw with.
The meal was wonderful: My mom chose the seafood salad, and I ordered a plate of Piemontese charcuterie
And we both ordered the Grigliata Mista -- which I always order, no matter where we go in Italy! It did not disappoint:
And finally, there was dessert:
Which was soon claimed to be "mine and only mine" by Zoe:
I should also mention that around 7:00 PM, the island totally clears out. It coincides with the last public ferries to the shore, and transforms Isola Pescatore into a quiet island village, mostly devoid of tourists like us. The waitress' son showed Zoe around the shore near the restaurant after dinner, calling for her attention by saying "Nina!" and then pointing to various things (sticks, flotsam that had washed up on the shore).
A few more photos:
