Now that we had been immersed in a week of Italian urban culture, a drive to the lakes seemed like the start of a second, completely a different trip. Having a vehicle for our transportation definitely added a different dimension to our travels.

Driving in Italy was a bit nerve-wracking at first, especially for Jani, who was acting as navigator. She kept looking for road signs to verify where we needed to turn and there weren’t many along our route (The same was true of route numbers). Once we got used to not relying on road signs we had to deal with parking in very crowded tourist destinations and with the suicide motorcyclists, which were legion. In many ways, taking the train and just filling our days with interesting cultural events seemed a lot easier and less limiting.

That said, we reached reached Polisena Agriturismo and were thrilled with our accommodations. We went to a local pub for dinner (the dining room was closed on Tuesdays) then settled into our room for a quiet evening in the country.

After a scrumptious breakfast at the agriturismo the following day, we embarked for Bellagio which is located at the juncture of the 2 legs of Lake Como (Lago di Como). It was a beautiful ride and the raw beauty of Lake Como shown through the morning haze.

Bellagio is a lovely town, with a beautiful setting, but this was a new kind of sightseeing for us. Rather than museums and historic structures, we had to gear down a bit and accept that we were going to “accomplish” less, drive greater distances and relax a lot more in this part of the journey. We had some planned stops, but no prearranged tours around which to structure our days. This was a little disconcerting at first, but we adapted and found a new rhythm to this segment of our travels.

Bellagio has a massive parking problem, so it took us as long to find parking as it did to drive there. We hiked a mile to town, along with many others in the same situation. Fortunately, we had a lovely day for a walk and a destination that is much sought after. As with much of Italy, Bellagio was a town with many steps and lots of climbing. Once we selected a set of stairs to descend, we navigated to the lakefront, immediately succumbing to the attraction of this lakeside jewel. It would have been a very relaxing place to have spent many days.

Midway up one of a set of stairs, we found a pleasant restaurant, had a good meal and walked it off afterward, viewing different areas of the town, enjoying the ambiance of the lake. Eventually, we drove back to our lodging, where we had another terrific meal (the agriturismo serves only vegetarian) and a bottle of wine that was produced in-house.

PHOTO GALLERY – WHERE WE STAYED

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The next day, we ventured to Lake Orta, the least known of the northern lakes, but which has been called “a hidden gem” of the northern lakes. It is the westernmost lake of the northern lakes and required a 2-hour drive to get to the beautiful village of Orta San Giulio, the town from which we could take a boat to our destination, Isola San Giulio. The legend surrounding this island is that it was once a bare rock inhabited by snakes and terrible monsters, until the day in 390 when Saint Julius landed, crossing the lake on his cloak and guided in the storm by his staff. He founded a church there, chased off the monsters and allowed the island to flourish. How could we resist …?

After a short boat ride to the island we found ourselves on “the way of silence and meditation” a mostly paved path that encircled the island, intermittently displaying aphorisms on stone placards posted on buildings (see photos). Most of the buildings are now private residences, save for the Basilica di San Giulio and the Mater Ecclesiae (Mother of the Church) Abbey.

We spent a lot of time admiring the craftsmanship displayed in the basilica. For a tiny island in the north, it was surprising how much time and artistry was obviously devoted to this one church. The woodwork, painting and statuary rivaled many of the larger churches and cathedrals we had visited (see photos). We left Isola San Giulio feeling that our time there was extremely well spent.

Back on the mainland, we happened into in a small shop on the way back to the parking area, hoping, at best, for a coffee and a nosh. Sometimes … such a mundane stop turns into something memorable, almost as if the stars aligned for this one special moment, and this proved to be that day.

At first glance there was nothing special about the shop. In fact, it looked like they hadn’t finished unpacking some of the boxes used for stocking the shelves. Nothing on those shelves really caught our eye, but there was an energy in the shop generated by the young ebullient staff and smells of coffee beans roasting in an adjacent room. It felt cozy and friendly. We ordered a sandwich (to share) a coffee and a cappuccino, and took a seat waiting for our lunch.

The store’s manager brought over our food on a pair of exquisite ceramic dishes, simple but unique. Nestled on each dish were some extras, a cookie and a chocolate. Our server explained that there was no charge for the extras, but he thought we might like them.

The sandwiches and coffees were great, and the extras were something special. Their inclusion initiated a conversation about the store and the staff that was so friendly and incredibly heartening. We found ourselves marveling at the entrepreneurial smarts of the store manager (our server), as we ended up purchasing some of those same cookies and chocolate before leaving. We would have bought some of the dishes as well, but we did not have room for them in our bags. We left with the feeling that we had just experienced a singular visit, unlike any other during our trip. It was uplifting.

With another good day behind us, we drove back to our agriturismo, thinking ahead to our last full day in the north and looking at the weather forecast.

NORTHERN LAKES PHOTO GALLERY

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LAKE COMO VIDEO GALLERY

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