Breakfast was once again presided over by Aldo, the owner, who greets everyone with a booming "Buongiorno!!" Today, he was dressed in his Sunday best for church. We set out by bus for a boat trip on Lake Orta. First we stopped on the lovely tiny island of San Julio, with only six permanent residents, and a large ancient church, filled with congregants who had come by ferry.
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Then on to the town of Orta, which was just lovely. Michael Krepon, your taste is impeccable--Lake Orta is the best. All these lakes are so clear, so quiet, without hordes of powerboats or even sailboats--just the low hum of the ferries when they pass. The lakes are lined with homes, villas, hotels, all elegantly but not ostentatiously set, as though they had been there forever. In a way, with the mix of palm trees and deciduous trees, the manicured but casual elegance, it's reminisicent of Bermuda.

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Lunch was at the hotel (the prosciutto with melon here is as good as it gets)  and a few of us took a cab to a nearby tramway up Mount Montarone in Stresa. From the top of the mountain, we had a fabulous view of Lago Maggiore and the islands. Scary looking mountain bikers take the tram up with their bikes four or five times a day and ride the trails down.

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Before supper, there was an excellent talk from a local school teacher about social and political issues in Italy and Europe today. Massimo was open, honest, informative, and funny.

Supper was marked by terrible fish and the wonderful surprise of a birthday cake with sparklers, wheeled out in honor of my birthday and that of Susan, another traveler.