Milan to Stresa

Milan to Stresa

View from our room in Milan

Today we met our tour group at our hotel and at midday we all piled onto our bus which will stay with us for the whole trip.  The valet at the hotel was trying to be sneaky to get us to pay for porterage when he had been told emphatically not to touch our bags.  It did not get him anywhere with our tour leader, Mary.

Mary kept us informed and entertained on the journey to Stresa, pointing out features along the way.  As the driver cautiously edged his way through the narrowing streets of Stresa, Mary showed us the beautiful and impressive villas as we passed.  She also pointed out the derelict and neglected villas with their overgrown gardens, which had become too much for the owners to maintain. 

View from our balcony

Our hotel overlooks Lake Maggiore, and we have a beautiful side room, modernly decorated in blues and yellows.  We have a small balcony which overlooks one of these derelict villas, almost gothic in its aspect with its clinging vines and wild garden. On the 7^th floor, a terrace bar overlooks great views of Stresa and Lake Maggiore. 

Our hotel

View from roof

 Maggiori is the largest lake in the Lombardy region and is located to the south of the Alps.  The Borromean Islands, Isola Pescatori (Isle of the Fishermen), Isola Madre, and Isola Bella can be seen and photographed clearly from the terrace, but there are wonderful vistas everywhere. We had evening drinks on the terrace but a fierce thunderstorm sent us to the dining room for a welcoming three course dinner.

One of the islands

A short walk brings us to Stresa village, where there are lots of shops and trattorias which cater to the tourist and holiday trade.  It is interesting to explore its cobbled streets and lanes and poke into the shops selling quality products of ceramics, linen, handbags…  We will have another afternoon to explore these thoroughly on Saturday.  The siesta, where many of the shops close for hours in the middle of the day, meant that many were not open when we were exploring.  

One of the streets in the centre of Stresa

Part of our necessary daily ritual is in partaking of the local speciality, gelato.  It’s best to get it from a specialist, an artigianale.  We are trying to comply!