#06 The House by the Lake

 … one of my favorite thoughts

 (… my 100 grandchildren playing cricket on the lawn, 

when I think of it, 

I can hardly wait...)

But we first need to get there.

Wednesday morning, half past 7, we are getting up. I can’t remember getting up this early in the last few months. But the sun is already shining and we have plans ahead of us. 

Mountain stage.

Everything is prepared and off we go on the journey through the Allgäu hilly landscape to Bregenz. Here, we need to partially go against the navigation system that wants to direct us onto Austrian highways. We prefer Switzerland because we have the vignette.

We cross a very straight river, presenting itself as the Upper Rhine.

 It is so straightened here and flows directly into Lake Constance. Hard to believe it has enough power to flow out on the other side of the lake.

The A 13 highway (and European road) runs parallel to the Rhine, which can now be seen in a more original and wilder state.

The Swiss highway is very pleasant to drive on (like almost every highway in the European abroad), no speeders and a speed limit of 120 km/h. Everyone adheres to this, as no one wants to be subjected to a strict control. It is always enjoyable to drive abroad. The German autobahn, on the other hand, is terrible, everyone pushes ahead and wants to be the fastest. I expected more courage from the previous government.

At some point, the highway becomes single-lane and climbs. We are approaching the Bernardino Tunnel, on the other side begin the southern Alps and, usually, the better weather (but we shouldn’t complain today, the conditions are great).

And one more thing is different – there is still snow on the slopes and the temperatures are dropping.

Behind the tunnel, we head towards one of the few parking spots with a toilet. And it’s remarkable. A very clean rest area, and even the entrance to the toilet facility is exemplary. When I then open the door to the toilet, I see a hyper-modern toilet bowl for elephants.

Well, at least it’s pretty big and quite clean.

After the tunnel, it’s a rapid descent in curves (if it weren't for the slow truck in front of us).

We then go down at a leisurely pace; we have time.

The rest is quickly told – the route runs along the western shore of Lake Maggiore. It’s really narrow and the available space is filled with villas and prestigious properties. Since the road always runs closely along the lake, one can enjoy the ride, even if it advances slowly.

The northern part of the lake belongs to Switzerland; one crosses the Italian border behind the Swiss town of Brissago, and suddenly the roads get worse.

 Our destination lies at another lake – Lake Orta, west of Lake Maggiore. Between the two bodies of water, a high mountain stretches, so the idea of cycling to the “Lago” comes to an abrupt end.

 We have chosen a campsite in Orta San Giulio, and that’s where we head. Right by the lake (and thus also directly by the road) lie other campsites, which are already well-visited. We haven’t booked anything and hope for a spot.

Camping Cusio is a little off the road, somewhat hidden. The very friendly owners are considerate and assign us a large space. The site just reopened yesterday, on 01.04, and we are the 4th visitors.

 After we get organized, we need to explore the town. So, out come the bikes and off we go. The weather is still not great today. A thick jacket and beanie are mandatory.

 At the reception, we find out that the town of San Giulio has a nice promenade with places to eat. Additionally, on the mountain, there is a church and 18 chapels that trace the life and works of Francis of Assisi. The whole site is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We didn’t know that, but it makes us curious.

Let’s see how it looks tomorrow. It’s supposed to get warm and the sun is supposed to shine.

And so it is.

Already in the morning it’s warm, and one can sit outside in a t-shirt. That’s also the choice when dressing for the hike to Francis of Assisi. But first, one can circumnavigate the peninsula on a footpath directly by the lake. 

And it’s a really nice, relaxed walk, especially since there are hardly any people around. We enjoy the view over the lake and the buildings along the shore.

And there also comes the thought (see the title of today’s blog).

Back in the town, it’s noticeably livelier today. Whole busloads have arrived and dropped off visitors.

Are they all up on the mountain too?

No, because to get up there one has to make a rather steep climb; there are no lift aids. So only those who are fit enough can conquer the 100 m altitude difference and enjoy the visit to the “Sacro Monte di San Francesco.” This actually consists of 18 different small chapels with murals and figures depicting the life of Francis of Assisi.

Indeed, it is very calm and tranquil on the tour. One can view the frescoes from the 17th century peacefully and conclude the tour.

And in between, there were one or two viewpoints from which one could look over the lake and the landscape.

That was quite enough culture for a start.

Back at the camper, the camping chairs came into use, and the remaining sun of the day shone on our weary bodies.

A few more thoughts for the day: We are in Italy, and when more than 2 Italians stand together, a lively, ongoing conversation begins. Everyone outshines one another with their loud voices, evoking a comparison to singing.