The Galloping Gobets: Say it with an Italian accent

Lago – La- Go, not Lego
Maggoire – Ma – geo (as in george) – REE
And move the right hand with all fingers pinched together and move your wrist back and forth from the body to away from the body.

Now everyone. . say it together
Lago Maggiore. . See Bueno!
This is a rough map but it will help you understand where we have been.
Look at the area that is darker blue (If you click on the picture it will get larger), on the right (3 o'clock position) is a lake, that is Lake Garda and on the east bank you can see the city of Garda. That was the first hotel/village.

From there we drove in one day over to Venice (it fell off the map). Then we left Garda and drove to Milan, see it. . .it's the largest city and spelled Milano. Then we left there and drove north and slightly to the west. See the lake called Lago Maggiore? now follow the bank to the west side and the city of Stresa! Tada!

After leaving the sweltering Milan we took a short drive to Lago Maggiore. This was to be the last hotel to move to in our 10 day tour of Italy. Once we arrived we certainly knew we were in for an amazing stay.

The Hotel (Lido Palace) is well over 100 years old. This history includes Queen Victoria coming here often while she stayed elsewhere on the lake, her courtiers stayed at the Lido. Winston Churchill came here for his honeymoon. The Pope stopped by! And even Queen Elizabeth (2) has been here and left her mark.

We all took a little stroll around the property and I was getting some good landscape shots when. . . .the boys decided to play. Sigh. .

Take a close look at this one and see what I didn't see through the lens, check out her nose.

Grand elegance could describe this one. And we get a Lake facing room with balcony.
WOW.
This is from the hotel balcony on the first night.

A quick trip, down the road, to Stresa, the main village on the lake, and we find a plethora of shops to explore. I heard some snickering above me and saw this little scene play out. Big sister is watching tourists with binoculars. Little sister moves in and. . . .they both look at me. This was so sweet.

You are going to have to ask Jerry why this is happening. I wasn't drinking the spritzes nor the beers so I don't have a clue.

Anyone for a holiday apartment?

We scope out the different boat tours that can get us to Isola Bella and Isola Madre. I even pick up a few postcards and one of them has an interesting picture of people in a basket kind of thing, going up a mountain side over looking the lake. I asked the shop owners where this was and got a shoulder shrug.
GREAT! They are so helpful for their tourist economy.

We ate at a great restaurant and had Pasta of course. Once back in our room we observed across the lake a line of lights going up a mountain side. AH HA!!!! I bet that is where the basket ride is.

The next day there was a threat of rain, lots of humidity and heat. So we went to Isola Bella only. I wore “The Dress” I bought it in Minneapolis last October with the plans to wear it in Italy. It is a 1950’s reproduction dress and reminded me of Sophia Loren. So I worked really hard at losing weight so I could wear it here specifically. And I was not disappointed. I look rather cute in it….don’t you think? Nudge nudge.

There are 3 islands on the lake that has been in the family for centuries. Now the tourist swarm over them out of boredom. There is nothing but shops that cost way too much and a home/garden that you have to pay 13euro to get into. UGH!
Jerry told me to look up as we were going around the island and what should I spy, cats. And lots of them. there is even a collection box for donations to feed the island cats. Looks like some have seen a few fights and my favorite was sleeping nicely up IN the tree, I don't know how he does it.

Here are the paparazzi on the Isla Bella

Anytime I am on the water I am happy. With Manfred’s internet skills we find the way to get to the basket lift the next day. A short car ride, then a Ferry boat ride (sans car) and a walk up the hill. I am so glad I have been working out, it has made all these village strolls easier.
Here is what the hill looks like in the daylight.

The Basket Ride is called a Funivia.

Right behind us came a school group of German kids so we hurried into the baskets before the swarm descended on us. Or is that ascended?

The angle was very steep and the view was spectacular. It was the high point of the Lago Maggiore trip.
View looking up.

View looking down.

Manfred & Siggi enjoying thier ride up the hill.

Hop off please. . . quickly!

Here is a panaramic view from Manfred's Panoramic camera

Once on top there was nothing to do but get a drink and a view. But I think it was Jerry that noticed a Para-sailer and rushed over to snap a few pics. The guy was very VERY good. He sunk down to the valley and then caught the push back up. He spiraled around and around and actually came right over us. I shouted out to him “BRAVO” and he waved and shouted back. In Italian, so I don’t know what he said.

The trip down was just a fun. And with a quick Panini break (sandwich) we hoped on the ferry and returned to the hotel.
Here are some random shots.

Ham by the slab, they call it Schrinken or Speck. Like bacon.

The evening was spent walking through a night market in our little village with a Pan Flute artist playing and people strolling on the lake promenade. The full moon was rising and I played at snapping a few pics. I am still learning which filters to use and which settings to switch to, but I think this turned out ok.
Isola Bella (island) is what you are looking at as the moon rises. And this place is about ¼ of a mile walk from our hotel.

Finally figured out how to use the timer on my camera. And here we are back at the hotel on the veranda sipping libations and talking to the french tourists that came in on the bus earlier. they were excited to hear Americans, then they realized that two of the americans were actually Germans. Ha

In the mornings I had been noticing where the sun was rising from and realized the potential for a good pic. So on our last morning at Lago Maggiore I awoke at the break of dawn, literally. I swung my feet over the side of the bed, reached out my arms and moved the drapes. Then I opened the 9ft tall windows (like a shutters) and started snapping pics. Here is only one of many. They all were perfect it was hard to choose just one.