Stresa and Lake Maggiore, Orta and Isola San Giulio

We had the morning to ourselves walking north along the coast from our hotel to where the cable car use to run from. This is also a base for running excursions out to Isola Borromeo by small boats. This gives a good view of Isola Bella from the flower rich waterside.

    As I posted elsewhere, when they moor up for passengers to board or leave they run them hard aground, its a good job they are fitted with a stainless steel shoe to protect the hull.

We met the rest of our group at the hotel  at 1-30 pm to catch a coach to Orta on the shores of Lago d’Orta a little over half an hour away. Its a tiny peninsular town and the coach is not allowed beyond the bus park so we had to transfer to the “Toy Train” and then walk the final bit to the main town and lake side.  At one time the lake was connected to Lake Maggiore but now it is several feet higher. One of the landmarks as you approach the town is the Hotel Villa Crespi with it’s tower poking up into the sky.  From their web site you would think it stood on the banks of the lake, but its actually well inland but stands on high ground.

After taking the “Toy Train” we still had a fair walk to the lake side. We had about an hour to spare before the boat was to take us out to Isola San Giulio, a monastery and church on a small island so a bit of time to wander the narrow streets.

The boat took us all the way round the island before dropping us off at the landing stage by the town gate.

When we arrived another boat load had just landed so the place was packed so rather than trying to get into the church we walked round the island. There is a single pathway on the island that goes all the way round and nowhere else, known as The way of silence and meditation.. The idea being that the monks could walk round in silence while they meditated. In recent years signs have been erected all the way round, I photographed 10 of them but I think I missed a couple. They are to give you something to contemplate as you walk round clockwise, on the other side are things to consider while being silent.

    The path or ally is quite narrow and occasionally you can see the lake down between the houses, but mostly its just walls. We walked round in both directions.

Once we had done that the crowds in the church had gone, probably back on their boat to dry land and we could look round the church with ease.

The pulpit was quite magnificent with its carvings, at first I thought it was wood but its actually stone

It is said that Sint Giulio was the first person to land on the island in the year 390 when the only inhabitants were snakes and he founded the church and was buried here when he died. Our visit over we waited for our boat to return  to take us back ashore, Bob did a first class job of ensuring only the members of our group boarded our boat as people just tend to get on any boat to go back if they are not part of a group.

Once back in the town we had a bit of time before our coach left, or should I say the “Toy Train”  so we went and looked at the Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption at the top of the road, this first photograph demonstrates the incline quite nicely .

We then walked up to catch the”Toy Train” back to our coach, thankfully everyone arrived back on time as this is a schedule service so wouldn’t wait for any stragglers.

Back at the hotel we should have been having another inclusive meal but we decided we would rather wander into town and eat again in this lovely town.