Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 3

Sorry for delayed posting part 3, I chose to stop using Photobucket, but thankfully Eric has created a new way of sharing pics!

It was time to leave Zermatt and we had one more night to fill before we would see our daughter. The next leg of our journey was on the fly and we didn't decide on our destination until the night before. Traveling by train from Zermatt to Lugano where our daughter was working allowed us a couple midway options in either Switzerland or across the border into Italy to consider. After a couple hours on 2 different trains we strapped on our backpacks and hopped off the rails above the town of Stresa Italy! This once quiet fishing village on Lake Maggiore dates way back before the year 1000, but not too long ago in the 15th century the construction of Baroque palaces started to pop up everywhere as summer homes for the Visconti family and soon after that...couple hundred years...tourism started. The main boulevard is now lined with amazing Art Nouveau hotels and when Donna and I reached the ritzy boulevard we wondered what the prices would be??$$?? Looking like a couple of wayward wanderers we walked amongst the beautiful hotels with headless sculptures, lush gardens with palm trees and pulsating fountains that were certainly copied by all the casinos in Las Vegas. Trying not to make eye contact with security we poked our heads into the Grand Hotel Bristol to see if they had a vacancy, they had a lake view room with balcony and breakfast for a surprisingly VERY reasonable off season rate, ding ding WINNER!













We quickly dropped our backpacks on the travertine marble and hit the cobble stone! This is a wonderful town and very laid back actually. Once off the main boulevard we were transported back in time walking through narrow alleys dimly lit in a golden glow. We found the perfect table for 2 in a great piazza to have a drink then off to have one of the best dinners of the trip.












Next morning we woke before the sun as we normally do. Our balcony overlooking Lake Maggiore was a bonus, the colors at sunrise were incredible.








We had until 1pm to see what we could see before catching our train to Lugano, the hotel was gracious enough to store our backpacks for a few hours. Stresa is home to the Borromean Islands, 3 perfect tiny islands with the oldest of palaces. We only had time to check out one island so we chose Isola Bella that has its grand palace, gardens, church, waterfront dining and surprisingly a Rock and Roll restaurant/coffee house with signed photos and guitars from the likes of The Boss and Stevie Ray Vaughn! Our barista knew nothing about Stevie Ray ha! We met a nice retired couple from Arizona who, like us, were traveling to wherever the wind would take them, cool. Great times were had with this last minute destination, Dolce Vita!






















To be continued....ciao!

Amazing pictures, as always!! Thanks!

Yippee! Beerman is in the Trip Report mode again.
Looks like the 1024 by x worked.
Pictures are great, and how special you got to me the one person in the world who did not who Stevie Ray Vaughn was...

1024, 1025 whatever it takes!! Thanks for the help with editing a new way! and Carol thank you and Eric for making the upgrades, like it!

Wonderful pictures all, but I especially enjoy the one of the cat in the window.

Thanks Jazzgal!