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Stresa, Italy

Yesterday whilst we were heading along the promenade into town for lunch we saw a mobile phone in two pieces on the ground. I picked it up, reassembled it and checked it to find it was working fine. It had photos of grandchildren and English texts, so we figured it belonged to an English tourist. I was just about to text a friend on their contact list when a text came through asking for phone to be returned to a hotel.

Mmm I thought, I have better things to do than try and find a persons hotel, but texted back that I had found it, was out and about and they could pick it up from our hotel reception after 6pm. When we got back in the evening a mature english gentleman was waiting for us with a thank you bottle of wine – it was his wife’s phone. I insisted the wine was not neccessary but he assured me it was. I am sure we will enjoy it in due course!

Today we really agonised about the weather forecast (again) and sat down to make an executive decision. Looking out the window the weather which was fine but quite windy but had been forecast for our best day in Stresa yet – a calm 27 degrees. Great – we had planned the cable car and chair lift day and now we weren’t sure whether it would be running given the chop we could see on the lake!

We had a choice whether to leave Stresa then and gain the one fine day forecast for the Alps or ignore and just stick to plan. We decided on the basis of lack of accuracy so far that we would risk it and stay. We booked accommodation for Montreux and Lauterbrunnen and then had lunch by the water at a lakeside restaurant next door before heading up the cable car. Unfortunately due to the wind the second leg of the cable car was closed as well as the last chair lift part – so we would not get to see 360 degree views and only get to go 1/3 the way up the hills. Grrrr.

1/3 the way up is the settlement of Alpino which has an Alpine garden with some good views and varied plant species. We went to the gardens for a bit in the hope that the wind would drop and we may be able to ascend higher if they reopened the lifts. It was very pretty and sheltered up on the hill with a woodland of tall conifer and mixed trees. I am sure there were bears hiding …. The gardens themselves are on a ‘shelf’ of the hill and we enjoyed walking around and viewing all the plants even though we know little about alpine plants. There is a special wetland bog up there which has sphagnum moss and a recently discovered rare butterfly! I was looking in the bog pond and then realised that it had great reflection-I thought it was quite pertinent – unless you stop and reflect – you will not see a reflection! I did not see the special butterfly’s though.

When we got to the part of the garden which had views over the lake we heard some rustling and low and behold amongst the azalea up popped two snake heads in the tops of the bushes. EEEK.

Then as we watched we saw about 6 different snakes all trying to get their bit of sun. I asked a lady nearby if they were poisonous and she gave me a “si”. Great – note to self, no barefoot bush walking in Italy. They were quite a size too – about 1 meter long. Also getting their dose of Vitamin D was a couple of lovely coloured lizards about 20cm long with amazing speckled yellow body and turquoise green head with purple and blue.

The weather did not improve so we headed home and out for our booked dinner at the lovely restaurant we went to the other night, which did not disappoint. Tonight we shared a duck and cow cheese (like a ricotta Marscapone and herb mix) salad, then Vern had Guinea fowl stuffed with pate and I had stewed octopus with dark olives washed down with that peachy coloured Rose. We completed the meal with tasty gelato (I like sicilian pistachio flavour) from a gelato shop which makes its own in house.

As we walked home feeling very relaxed and satisfied we had to dodge big spray coming over the walls along the promenade from the very choppy wave like lake that the wind had whipped up. There was a coolish breeze too and the combination of the Italian lake resort atmosphere and natures elements was special and memorable, kind of frozen in time for us.

We both loved our time in Stresa – its not where you may go for an exciting or hugely interesting time, but if you are doing a lot of other things not too far away then its a fantastic place to come and relax. It has such a wonderful atmosphere of calm and clean and grandness that the hustle, bustle, higgelty piggelty, watch your belongings, and crowded other parts of Italy don’t. Both experiences are great and are Italy, but Stresa is a welcome reprieve and collect yourself place.

Yes we are ready for a change of scenery, culture, and diet – notwithstanding having had much fun and wonderful memories made in Italy.

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