Saturday September 24
It is my travel philosophy that it is okay to get lost, sometimes that is how you find the most interesting things. We set out in the morning for the Sacro Monte d’Orta. We followed the map to the town of Sacro Monte. Oddly enough it wasn’t on Lake Orta, but we went with it anyway. When we arrived in town there was an antiques fair going on. As an indication of how few Americans ever come here; we walked in with the camera and the tripod and asked one of the first vendors if he minded that we film his table. We continued to walk, and without saying anything else a lady at another table hundreds of feet away told us that she was the most beautiful person there and that we should put her on American television. It was pretty funny. The funivia to the Sacro Monte was the final indication that we were in the wrong place. There was absolutely no view of any lake. This was Sacro Monte di Varrallo. But it was awe inspiring. There were more than 40 little “chapels” filled with life size figures and painting representing scenes from the bible. From Adam & Eve, the three wise men, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and so much more. I’ll have to study up when I get home, because I had no idea what a couple of the scenes were. This was certainly a place that I wish we could have spent more time.
From there it was a winding road that went up over the mountain and down to Lake Orta. It must get really really cold up here, because I couldn’t keep count of the number of wood piles that were neatly stacked in garages, in sheds, in the middle of the forest. Then it opened up to the water. Orta is a small lake my comparison, but from up in the hills it was just as beautiful. Having already done one Sacro Monte, and having so much more to do we bypassed Orta and headed for Lago Maggiore.
Stresa is the town on the lake from which you catch the ferry for the Borromean islands. There are 3, Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori, and Isola Bella. We took the boat that went around Madre and Pescatori and stopped at Isola Bella. The island isn’t that big, but the fact that about 75% of it is one garden was pretty nifty. The Princess of the Borromean islands was getting married that very day, so there policemen, paparazzi, and even what looked to be the equivalent of the secret service lurking in the background. Seth sat there for more than an hour hoping to catch a glimpse of a real Princess. It didn’t work out though, and we caught the last boat back before he got the chance.