Bob and Ann in Italy 2004

We awoke to a beautiful, warm day. After breakfast, we decided to take a boat tour of the small islands around Stresa. Our first stop was Isola Bella. Quoting from its web site, 'In 1632, Count Vitaliano Borromeo began the construction of the monumental Baroque palace and the majestic and scenic gardens, which have made the island famous and which to this day bear witness to the splendours of an era. The Borromeo family home offers visitors an elegant and sumptuous setting, and it contains priceless works of art such as tapestries, furniture, statues, paintings, and stuccoes. It also has an unusual mosaic grotto, a cool and delightful place. There is access to the garden for a pleasant walk. The gardens form an extraordinary, flowered monument laid out over a series of ornate and overlapping terraces, a classic and inimitable example of seventeenth century Italian garden. The garden contains many rare and exotic plants, and the spectacular blossoming is planned to ensure that it is filled with colours and scents from March until October. We spent a lot of time wandering through the palace and gardens.

Ann at Lunch

We moved to the next island - Isola Pescatori - where we had lunch al fresco with a view of the lake.

Bevano

After lunch, we sailed back to the mainland at Bevano. We hiked back to Stresa along the main road. Traffic was fast and the road was narrow. It was not a good walking experience, but it was very scenic.

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