[2025]
[Tuesday 22 July 2025]
Signature Tour: Lake Maggiore, Orta and the Matterhorn: Lake Maggiore & Borromean Islands
Illustration from the Flipbook
Flipbook:
- Today, you will enjoy one of the gems of Northern Italy, the stunning Borromean Islands. A private boat will take you to Isola Bella, where you will have a guided tour of the 17th Century Villa and its astonishing grounds.
After your visit, the boat will take you to a second island, Isola dei Pescatori, named after its centuries old fishing tradition. Here you will have the chance to explore at your leisure, before cruising back to Stresa in the afternoon.
This evening, as part of our signature tour experience, you will be on top of the world as you relax with a glass of fizz taking in the panoramic island and mountain vistas from the region’s only sky bar.
…Janet got up, ca.7.45am. When she’d used the bathroom and dressed, she said to me, “Good
morning…!” (08:06), i.e. my cue to get up and use the bathroom.…
When I looked in the mirror, which covered the whole wall above the washbasin counter, I saw that the “white” of the left eye, from iris to left canthus, was blood-red. It was a surprise: there’d been no more than the slightest itch, or feeling that there was dust in the eye, insufficient to arouse any curiosity. With low platelet count and taking daily aspirin, I’m used to bruising easily or spontaneously, but this bleed behind the conjunctiva was a bit alarming.
In the shaving bag that Janet keeps for holidays, there was a bottle of
Boots pre-electric shave lotion. At home, I’d run out, and was shaving “dry”. It was noticeably easier to shave with the lotion applied than without. Then I showered. Getting the temperature right didn’t present undue problems, apart from the fact that it took a long time for the water to warm up; nor did switching the flow from the fixed shower head to the hand-held shower spray, though, when one turned the water off, drips of cold water came from the shower head above.
A scribbled note in my memo pad, “chocolate head”, corresponds to
Janet’s “After ablutions we went on the balcony (not overlooking the lake, but not a bad view). We saw our first Chocolate Headed Mr. Sparrow chirping away.” Male Italian sparrows have a brown crown, nape and sides of the head; male house sparrows back home have some brown, but the crown is grey.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 09:07:46
View from our hotel room
Wednesday 23 July 2025 09:07:46 (detail)
Detail showing water feature
We went down for breakfast, sitting at the same table and in more or less the same seats as yesterday evening. It was a bit of a trek from our reserved room to the location at the centre of the main dining hall where the breakfast buffet was set out. I had: coffee with a little jug of hot milk; orange juice, evidently from its taste fresh-squeezed; corn flakes; and two peaches. We went back up to the room (09:30), where
Janet reminded me about my medications (09:31); so I took them.
Janet put what she’d need in a rucksack, and I similarly put what I’d need in the shoulder bag which I’d detached from the
Travelmarvel rucksack. I had the camera slung round my neck as well. We went down to the lobby where the others were gathering, a few minutes before the “10:15” that Kate had specified in her posted itinerary.
Janet took her walking stick with her; but I left mine behind. I’d found it a bit of an encumbrance yesterday; and today, I’d not be able to find a place to prop up my stick every time I needed my two hands to take photographs. Kate issued little radio receivers and earphones to everyone, then led the way to where we’d board a boat to the first of the two Borromean Islands to be visited today. Her itinerary, posted in the lobby, said, “Visit by boat to Isola Pescatore and on to the unique house and garden at Isola Bella”; but, in fact, we visited Isola Bella first.
Map showing places visited or seen today
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:21:18
Proceeding to where we’d board a boat to Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:23:40
War memorial, with the inscription:
STRESA
To its Glorious Dead
MCMXXIII
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:23:40 (detail)
War memorial, in my view strangely and inappropriately “gay”-looking
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:31:08
The approach of our boat
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:32:12
Boarding the boat to Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:32:12 (detail)
Boarding the boat to Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:33:28
Boarding the boat to Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:46:54
Assembled on the terrace outside the Palazzo Borromeo, at the north-west end of Isola Bella: view south-east
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:47:30
View north-west from the same location as “10:46:54”: Scoglio della Malghera (Malghera Rock), and behind it Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Island)
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:56:54
South-west side of the Palazzo Borromeo: proceeding to the visitors’ entrance
Kate issued an entrance ticket to each of us—
—which was scanned at a turnstile just within the entrance.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 10:59:38
Entering the Palazzo Borromeo
We were introduced to our guide, whose name I’ve forgotten, who took over Kate’s transmitter to address us, and guide us from room to room. (She appears in some of the photos,
e.g. “11:18:18”.)
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:03:58
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:04:24
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:07:22
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:08:10
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
As we’ve found in other similar stately homes and palaces, room followed room through an interconnecting door. There were too many of us (along with other visitors) to fit into the smaller of these rooms at the same time, and I was falling behind taking photographs anyway; so by the time I got to one room, the guide would be two or three rooms ahead of me.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:10:02
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:11:18
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:12:22
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:12:36
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:12:58
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:13:20
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: hall with many paintings, fitted together
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:13:54
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: hall with many paintings, fitted together
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:15:18
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: mediaeval painting, mercilessly cropped to fit
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:17:30
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: hall with many paintings, fitted together; and, rather incongruously, a canopied bed in the alcove
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:18:18
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:18:40
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:19:34
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: more alcoves with beds
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:21:02
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:21:56
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Most of the guide’s history of the Borromeans and of the palazzo in particular, the lavish parties and the hosting of famous figures such as Napoleon, went over my head; but I do remember her telling us that the island was originally called “Isola Isabella” in honour of Isabella d’Adda, wife of Carlo III, who received the island as part of her dowry, and that “Isola Bella” is just a worn-down version of “Isola Isabella”.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:23:44
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:23:52
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:24:30
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:25:44
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:26:56
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:27:24
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:28:50
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:29:14
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: view from a window: Scoglio della Malghera and Isola dei Pescatori
(cf. “10:47:30”)
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:29:50
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: views from another window: Isola Madre
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:30:04
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: views from another window: Isola Madre
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:30:26
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:31:10
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:32:06
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:32:26
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:33:50
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:34:04
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:35:14
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:35:26
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:35:34
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:36:34
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: cabinet with painted granite panels
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:36:50
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: painted granite panel
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:37:10
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:38:12
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: map on the wall
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:38:46
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:40:14
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:40:56
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:42:24
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: micromosaic table-top
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:42:52
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: micromosaic table-top
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:43:34
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:44:14
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:45:10
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:45:10 (detail)
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: anthropomorphic whale with a window into its human-occupied belly
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:45:30
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: puppets
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:46:16
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: puppets
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:46:30
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: puppets
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:46:48
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones—
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:47:30
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones—giving access to terraced gardens
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:47:44
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:49:22
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:49:52
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:50:32
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:50:58
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:51:44
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:52:14
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:52:44
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: grotto of shells and stones: view from a window: Scoglio della Malghera and Isola dei Pescatori
(cf. “10:47:30”)
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:53:44
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:55:00
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:55:46
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:56:30
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:58:08
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 11:58:50
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:00:56
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:01:42
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: tapestry gallery
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:02:10
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: tapestry gallery
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:02:44
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: tapestry gallery
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:03:14
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: tapestry gallery
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:03:54
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: tapestry gallery
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:04:14
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: tapestry gallery
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:05:16
Guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: tapestry gallery
Although the Riviera “Flipbook” stated, “…you will have a guided tour of the 17th Century Villa and its astonishing grounds”, the guided part ended at the tapestry gallery. The guide cleared off before we could give her a tip. The door at the end of the tapestry gallery led outside, to the “Atrium of Diana”.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:05:56
End of the guided tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella: Atrium of Diana, at the south-east end of the palazzo
Stairs either side of the statue of Diana led to central flights of stairs up to the gardens.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:07:10
Isola Bella: ascending south-eastwards to the garden
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:08:20
Isola Bella: Baroque Garden and Teatro Massimo
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:09:54
Isola Bella: Baroque Garden and Teatro Massimo
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:10:04
Isola Bella: detail of the façade of the Teatro Massimo
To the right of the Teatro Massimo a passage led to a cafeteria, where we had refreshments. With my beer was served a little plate of what looked like chunks of very thick pizza.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:29:02
Isola Bella: refreshments at the Caffetteria della Torre
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:29:38
Isola Bella: rear view from Caffetteria della Torre of one of the statues on the façade of the Teatro Massimo
I asked a waiter where the toilets were, and he pointed back along the passage. The Teatro Massimo was on the right, and a tall hedge on the left. I failed to find any sign indicating “Toilette” or “”, but there was a gap in the hedge giving access to a nondescript outbuilding, the open door of which led to toilets. I gave that information to
Janet, who also availed herself of them.
I took a “selfie” to check progress of the eye: the redness was not as “solid”, for the blood had begun to drain downwards.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:47:24
“Selfie” showing the bloodshot left eye
It was ca.12:50, and the time that Kate had given us to be back at the landing for the boat was “1 o’clock”. Just after we set out, I saw a white flower, but in the camera-image the whiteness was so saturated that the details of the petals were lost. I took a photo using the phone instead.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:50:51
Isola Bella: flower, seen as we departed from the Caffetteria della Torre
In another gap in the hedge was a full-height exit turnstile, so we went through that and beyond it followed the path to the right; and, yes, we did find our way to the rendezvous point in time for the onward voyage to Isola dei Pescatori. (We’d been told that there were white peacocks on Isola Bella, but we hadn’t seen any.)
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:07:32
Kate addresses the gathered company aboard the boat taking us from Isola Bella to Isola dei Pescatori.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:08:24
Isola dei Pescatori, seen from the boat
Janet noted, “A young man helped me up the steep cobbled slope from the jetty.” A total stranger, completely unbidden! I was impressed by his spontaneous kindness.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:13:00
Ashore on Isola dei Pescatori
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:14:48
One of Isola dei Pescatori’s alleyways
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:16:18
Looking south-east along Via Ugo Ara, Isola dei Pescatori. Janet (her white hat with dark band just visible) considers entering the
Osteria della Piazzetta
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:16:56
Osteria della Piazzetta, Isola dei Pescatori
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:43:18
Osteria della Piazzetta, Isola dei Pescatori: mixed salad, Coke Zero; “Classico” hot sandwich (cooked ham and mozzarella), glass of Chardonnay
I don’t usually drink aged grappe; but when the proprietor asked me whether I wanted “white” or “brown”, I chose the latter, and I enjoyed it. It still had the fresh fruity aroma and flavour that I’d expect of grappa, and more.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:57:30
Osteria della Piazzetta, Isola dei Pescatori: the bottle of “grappa riserva” from which I had a glass
Wednesday 23 July 2025 13:57:38
Osteria della Piazzetta, Isola dei Pescatori: glass of “grappa riserva”
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:17:40
Osteria della Piazzetta, Isola dei Pescatori: caffè americano con latte caldo
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:18:23
Osteria della Piazzetta, Isola dei Pescatori: il conto
We wanted to visit the church, but on leaving the Osteria della Piazzetta we turned the wrong way, to the right,—
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:28:52
Going north-west along Via Ugo Ara, Isola dei Pescatori
—and only realised our mistake when we neared the end of the main street (if it could be described thus; it was just an alley) Via Ugo Ara.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:30:16
Still going north-west along Via Ugo Ara, Isola dei Pescatori
There was a sign on the wall, “Chiesa”, pointing the opposite way, so we went back the way we’d come;—
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:36:06
Returning south-east along Via Ugo Ara, Isola dei Pescatori, about to pass Osteria della Piazzetta
—and just beyond the Osteria della Piazzetta was the “piazzetta” after which it was named, and on the right side of that the Chiesa di San Vittore “Church of St. Victor”).
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:36:36
Chiesa di San Vittore, Isola dei Pescatori, in the “piazzetta” just beyond the eponymous
Osteria della Piazzetta
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:36:54
Chiesa di San Vittore, Isola dei Pescatori
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:37:48
Chiesa di San Vittore, Isola dei Pescatori
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:41:26
Chiesa di San Vittore, Isola dei Pescatori
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:43:16
Chiesa di San Vittore, Isola dei Pescatori
JUBILEE 2025
PILGRIMS OF HOPE
HOLY YEAR
hope
mercy
brotherhood
“Hope does not disappoint”
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:46:44
Chiesa di San Vittore, Isola dei Pescatori
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:49:44
Chiesa di San Vittore, Isola dei Pescatori
Kate had told us that boats back to the mainland would depart every hour on the hour. She’d given us tickets in the form of cards the size of credit cards. The boat operator was “CMA”.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:50:54
Isola dei Pescatori: making our way back for a boat
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:51:54
Isola dei Pescatori: making our way back for a boat
After we got back to the lakeside,—
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:53:46
Isola dei Pescatori: awaiting the arrival of a boat
—I saw that the landing stage with a board marked “CMA” on it was some yards away to the right, not the one at which we were then waiting.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:55:48
Isola dei Pescatori: landing stage for CMA, our boat operators
Wednesday 23 July 2025 14:56:02
Isola dei Pescatori: awaiting the arrival of a a boat
And the boat arrived there, exactly on the hour; and we boarded it. “A couple from our group helped me down a steep cobbled slope to the jetty.” The captain took our tickets off us.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 15:00:44
Isola dei Pescatori: boarding the boat
Wednesday 23 July 2025 15:10:32
Passing Isola Bella
Our landing at Stresa 15 minutes later was not at the same location from which we’d departed; it was farther east.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 15:15:00
Disembarking at Stresa
Wednesday 23 July 2025 15:20:22
Regina Palace Hotel, Stresa
We crossed the main road at the pedestrian crossing shown above, turned right, and then left just before the Regina Palace Hotel to go along the street Via Pietro Canonica. To get to the restaurant district of Stresa, according to directions given by Kate, one could turn right from the rear entrance of the hotel, then left. So the direction, in which we were going now, was the same as if we’d turned right from the rear of the hotel. Kate had also mentioned a
Carrefour supermarket. The street ended at a mini-roundabout; there was a narrow continuation of it under a bridge in a railway embankment ahead of us. (We’d passed a couple of streets off to the left on our way, but hadn’t thought they looked significant.) To the right of us, where we were now, was a supermarket; but it wasn’t a
Carrefour, it was a “CONAD”. Suspecting that we’d missed the left turn and were now getting farther and farther from the restaurant district, we turned left here, walking parallel to the railway embankment. This road ended at a
T-junction: to the right, the road went under another railway bridge; ahead was a small establishment, a bar or café with a sign “Red Baron”; and to the left the road forked left and right.
Map, showing inter alia the locations of the Red Baron and Il Centrale
We decided to visit the Red Baron for refreshments: soft drinks. We were served by a young woman, from whom we ascertained that they did not serve meals; we were wondering about dinner later. I’d have been happy to eat at the Regina Palace, where our booking was on a “half board” basis; but
Janet had decided that she didn’t want a repeat of last night when she only wanted the main course but had to wait a long time for it, i.e. till after the first course was served. I could have eaten in, and
Janet eaten out; but that would have required me to make conversation with strangers (not my forte), and
Janet to fend for herself in a strange town. I wasn’t bothered either way, in fact, about eating in or eating out, so acquiesced in
Janet’s wish to eat out.
What about the pre-dinner “glass of fizz” in the “sky bar” of Hotel La Palma this evening? According to the
Flipbook:
- This evening, as part of our signature tour experience, you will be on top of the world as you relax with a glass of fizz taking in the panoramic island and mountain vistas from the region’s only sky bar.
According to Kate’s posted itinerary:
- Aperitifs in the skybar this evening Depart 17:30
We could go to that, then peel off when the group was returning to the hotel for dinner. Obviously, for
Janet, who does not drink alcohol, the idea of pre-dinner aperitivi had zero appeal. On reflection, I wasn’t much bothered about it either, so we decided not to join the group at all this evening.
The Red Baron, Stresa (Google Street View)
Wednesday 23 July 2025 15:49:14
Refreshments at the Red Baron, Stresa
Bill from the Red Baron, printed “16:04”
I think perhaps the young woman gave us directions to the “restaurant district”, which was reached along the left fork, Via Roma. This passed through a smart residential area, with spacious apartment blocks punctuated by palm trees, before becoming a narrow shopping street (including, on the right, the aforementioned
Carrefour supermarket). At its end it was joined from the right in an inverted “V” (or “Λ”) by Via Principe Tomaso. Here, and along the roads nearby, were many restaurants, bars, cafés, enoteche, trattorie, osterie—
We continued along Via Principe Tomaso to its end, where we turned left into the main road Corso Umberto I (“SS33” on the map) and continued along that till we reached the hotel.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 16:34:44
Approaching the Regina Palace Hotel, Stresa
Wednesday 23 July 2025 16:36:14
Approaching the Regina Palace Hotel, Stresa
We were back in our room, ca.16:40. I lay down on the bed till 17:45. Meanwhile,
Janet returned the radio receivers to Kate in the hotel lobby, then came back and washed her hair. Before we left I put on a different
T-shirt: it had been very hot, and I’d perspired a lot; when it dried, white stains were left.
We left the room (18:02), and headed back to the “V” or “Λ” between Via Roma and Via Principe Tomaso. There was light rain, and some thunder could be heard. We looked at a few menus posted outside restaurants, and decided on the
Centrale. We sat at a table for two under a large, square umbrella. In fact, at one point, the table was moved in fractionally so that I was under cover of the umbrella. What we had is illustrated below. We were asked if we wanted water, and chose sparkling. “Will we have to pay for it?” we wondered: and yes! it appeared on the bill. I had a glass of red wine, a large glass with only about 100 ml in it (on subsequent occasions I would have beer).
Janet’s salad was a tuna salad.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 18:41:06
Chicken Milanese with sautéed potatoes at Il Centrale, Via Principe Tomaso, 27, Stresa
Of course, I had a glass of grappa as digestivo. We both had coffee
(Janet’s was decaffeinated) with hot milk (latte caldo). I think it had been Pauline, on the way from the airport, who had talked about the “coperto” charged by restaurants in Italy. She said it dated back to mediaeval times when travellers would bring their own food to inns and would be charged for the use of the table and amenities. At the
Osteria della Piazzetta earlier, we’d been charged €1.50 each; here, however, although there was provision on the bill for a charge, it was €0.00.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 19:34:52
Il Centrale, Via Principe Tomaso, 27, Stresa: il conto
We’d just left the Centrale, when I photographed an interestingly patterned narrow, five-storey building with attic opposite.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 19:39:26
Interesting building in Via Principe Tomaso, Stresa
We got back to the hotel room (19:55). Janet had the confidence to shower unsupervised this evening. Indeed, her ability to walk about freely with a stick on cobbled and uneven ground showed remarkable progress when one considers that until recently she would only venture out with a three-wheel walker at home. I too managed perfectly well, if sometimes wobbly, without a walking stick. And just as before my illness, I would fall back from the group when taking photos, then hurry back to rejoin the group. I wasn’t hindered at all in doing that. Praise God!
The electrical socket outlet above the desk where I wanted to set up my computer wasn’t working, so I had to set up on the bedside shelf. I say “shelf”; it was a sort of wooden box, set in the wall, with a drawer in it, and a marble top. In the absence of the
Sonnics SSD onto which to copy photos, I created a folder “DCIM” in “Pictures” on the
Samsung computer (19:12[i]/20:12), and used
MyFinePix Studio to create a sub-folder “20230723” (19:21/20:21) and copy 123 photos from the camera’s
SD card into it (19:21–19:24/20:21–20:24). (I set up MyFinePix Studio so that it wouldn’t delete the photos from the
SD card; so I kept the originals there, and had a backup copy on the computer.) I connected the phone to the computer with a USB cable, and copied 16 photos from the phone to “Pictures” › “DCIM” › “20230723” (19:28/20:28). These included eight from yesterday, so I created a sub-folder “20250722”, and copied them into it (20:36 CEST).
- [i] Here, and elsewhere in this paragraph, the first time quoted is that which I wrote in my notebook
i.e. what was shown by the computer, and the second is the local equivalent. I tried, but failed, to adjust the time shown on the computer from BST to CEST while we were away.
…The curtains in the room were fastened to a rail at the top, but they were fixed; one couldn’t slide them to open them. The only way to open them somewhat or close them was to undo or do up the ties halfway down them. We wanted the glass door onto the balcony open, but pressure from the top of the right curtain closed it. I wedged
it open with one of my slippers behind it on the floor. (I’d decided to wear the open-toed mule slippers provided by the hotel.) Thus we risked invasion by mosquitoes. However,
Janet recalls: “We left the balcony door open [till] after midnight, when intrusive outside noise made me shut it.”
Janet had not long been in bed, when I lay down (21:10). The duvet was covered by a loose sheet, and below it there was another loose sheet; so, because of the heat, I just lay with that bottom sheet over me. We perhaps had the air-conditioning running, but at its lowest setting so as not to disturb us with the noise of its blowing.
[Thursday 24 July 2025]
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