Tag 42 RANCO 16.09.2022

Today we first enjoyed our breakfast at the reserved window table. Large retractable glass windows with a view of the lake. In addition, a super complete buffet with everything that goes with it. Finally, more choices and especially eggs in all variations. Delicious and a successful start to the day!

Then the plan is to go to the Borromean Islands. This is a small group of islands in the middle of Lake Maggiore, three of which are very popular tourist destinations. A hop-on-hop-off tour is offered from Stresa. So get on one of the islands, look around and be amazed, then continue to the next island with the next ship. A nice offer and we are already interested in Isola Bella with its Palazzo Borromeo, even if the admission of 20 € per person is not exactly cheap. Then we want to go to the island of Pescadorie (Fisherman's Island), which is still inhabited continuously by about 20 people. And we don't know anything about the third one, Isola Madre, which is probably more of a botanist's highlight. So we drove by car from Ranco to the main town of Angera and inquired there about all ferry connections. The bottom line is that almost all captains are on strike today and only the necessary public ferry service is taking place. Well, no island sightseeing today! But we are still going by ship, from the eastern side, Angera, of the lake to the western side, Arona. 10 minutes, in which we crossed the border of Piedmont and Lombardy. A pure tourist resort with a waterfront promenade and a shopping street. Otherwise only hotels and restaurants. We couldn't even take care of our ongoing theme 'washcloth' here, but there was at least a small market and a tourist information office. So we learned about the main attraction Monte di San Carlo, but we don't feel like climbing the mountain and looking at another church. Maybe it was a mistake, because the statue of Carlo Borromeo is quite comparable to the Hercules in Kassel in terms of construction. Inside the 35 m high figure there are spiral staircases and ladders, and then you can look out over the lake from the saint's eyes! Well, we won't do that and instead take the ferry back for 10 minutes. On the way back to the hotel, we enter a supermarket and stock up on dinner and drinks. We want to eat on our terrace today! Financially relieving and very atmospheric!

And when we enter our rooms, we notice that the room service has set up a table with two chairs and two sun loungers. As if they had read our minds! Great, because this makes the evening even more relaxing and our eyes wander over the lake and the surrounding mountains, a beautiful final evening for our inserted wedding anniversary trip!

And it gets even better: We had considered skipping our next destination, Lake Como, for 2 days and therefore asked Mathilde in the castle courtyard if we could come earlier. Our arrival was supposed to be on 19.09., now two days earlier? Mathilde told us that she would be happy if we arrived earlier, but we would have to sleep one night in the sauna room! No problem for us, because after all, I slept there for almost 3 weeks last year for my work in exchange for food and lodging! Great that everything works out!