Day 3 – 14/9/23 – Travel Adventures

Awoke to a gloriously sunny day.

After a (rather rushed) breakfast, we took a short walk to a jetty, from which we boarded a boat. This took us across to Isola Bella, one of the islands owned by the Borromeo family.

We then had a guided tour, led by the very knowledgeable Matteo, of the extraordinary Borromean Palace on the island, used as a summer residence by the family. They were apparently present, but only on the upper two floors.

Huge circular hall, in which have been held some pretty major parties!

Another family emblem signifying relationships between three powerful families

Temporary library. The family have over 12,000 books

Uniform for the children. There is a rifle in the long box

Ivory saddle, one of only 22 in the world. It’s a gift – never actually used

Believe it or not, this is made up of tiny pieces of mosaic. It is not painted. Fantastic

Lots of stucco (painted plaster, cheaper than marble)

We then went downstairs into the grottos (caves).

Astonishing freestanding circular stairway

The gardens were next.

We stopped for a coffee at the cafeteria. 2 € each. No problem – except we got done 2 € each on top as a cover charge. Proper rip-off.

We then walked back to the jetty on the island to await a boat taking us the even shorter distance across to the Isola di Pescatore (Fishermen’s Island).

Unlike Isola Bella, this is state-owned. Around 50 people live on it permanently, swelled by thousands of tourists, as we found out. It is a very pretty island.

Outside of the circular hall from the boat taking us to Isola di Pescatore

Isola Madre, another Borromean island. We will be visiting this in a couple of days

Inside Chez Manuel, where we had beer, wine and pizza. Very nice

We passed a very pleasant half-hour in this seat, enjoying the scenery and the sunshine

On the way back to Stresa from Isola di Pescatore

We docked just outside the very pretty town of Stresa. Jean wanted some milk, so we eventually found a supermarket. And bought some milk. And some snacks. And some Prosecco. And some wine. And some gin. And some tonic……

Laden with all these goodies, we walked the short distance back to the hotel with temperatures in the high twenties.

We were due to visit a local hotel which sported a rooftop sky bar, the only one in the area. Jean opted out and went for a swim in the hotel indoor pool, but I decided to give it a whirl. After all, a free glass of fizz was on offer…..

The next hour or so passed very pleasantly, but the threat of thundery rain was always there. A rainbow made an appearance.