{"id":2096,"date":"2013-06-18T09:33:02","date_gmt":"2013-06-18T08:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/?p=2096"},"modified":"2026-05-25T05:56:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T04:56:42","slug":"we-all-go-cruising-on-maggiore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/2013\/06\/18\/we-all-go-cruising-on-maggiore\/","title":{"rendered":"We All Go Cruising On Maggiore"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can anyone explain to me why a cuckoo needs to practise the only two notes in its repertoire at 5:22am?\u00a0 Maybe it was trying to tell me it was going to be another very hazy morning?\u00a0 Eating breakfast under Eileen\u2019s awning just didn\u2019t provide the same view on Saturday morning as we had enjoyed on the first day.\u00a0 Ah well, time to go to another Italian lake and, hopefully, we\u2019ll be able to see it clearly.\u00a0 I might also check with the next campsite owner, if their cuckoos are early starters\u2026.<\/p>\n

I picked and ate another twenty raspberries from the canes growing wild along the fence-line and then we packed everything away in Eileen.\u00a0 Emilia daisy was losing her blooms and seemed a little sad, so we left her on a table in the campsite to enjoy the view after we left.\u00a0 The road along the edge of Lago di Como was again very narrow and twisting and it passed through numerous small villages.\u00a0 A lot of lycra-clad cyclists were out enjoying their Saturday morning ride and this added an extra level of anticipation at every bend in the road.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Nesso
Nesso on Lake Como<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

From Como we drove towards Varese and then along the edge of Lago di Varese up to Laveno Mombello.\u00a0 The church bells were tolling midday when we pulled in to the ferry parking lines.\u00a0 We could have driven down to the south end of Lago di Maggiore and then up the west side, but we fancied a cruise across the lake and this meant Eileen could come too.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Laveno
Laveno Mombello<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

When the ferry arrived, we drove forward following the cars, but a man in uniform stopped us and we weren\u2019t quite sure what the problem was. Short panic! \u00a0 It turned out we were too tall for that ferry, but the next one would take us.\u00a0 So we backed in to line again and caught the 12:35pm ferry to Verbania.\u00a0 The journey only took us about 15 minutes, but it was lovely being out on the water enjoying the views up and down Lago di Maggiore.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"On
On the ferry heading to Verbania<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Camping Orchidea in Feriolo had spaces near the lake front, so we picked pitch 20B and Rodney set up camp, while I laid out lunch.\u00a0 Then after one huge load of washing, we settled down outside in our chairs and listened to the waves lapping on the lake shores. A chappie from Stowbridge in England came over for a chat, he has the same campervan as us and was surprised to see another one.\u00a0 There really is such a variety of campervans in Europe, they come in all shapes and sizes, some look so wide, or so long, or both; I don\u2019t know how the bigger ones manage to get through smaller towns, or down some of the roads we have travelled.\u00a0 We even saw one the other day that would suit Geoff Wilson, it was so high!\u00a0 They have some fanciful names too: Autosleeper, Calypso, Sunseeker, Autoroller, Mein Hobby, Challenger, Apache, Suntraveller.\u00a0 The most worrying name so far has been one at Mestre which was called a Weltbummler, no comment!!!<\/p>\n

A storm with plenty of rain hit us around 5pm and everyone sat under their awnings or moved inside, but by the time we had finished dinner, the rain had stopped and the air had cleared a little.\u00a0 This campsite is right next to the tiny village of Feriolo, so we shuffled along the promenade, checking out the numerous pizzerias and watched the sun set behind the hills.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Feriolo
Feriolo pink sunset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

We\u2019re travelling with the A.C.S.I. book this year and we love it!!!\u00a0 Everyone we chat to seems to be using it and we wish we\u2019d bought one last year.\u00a0 They have a website that lists and reports on thousands of campsites all across Europe and the book lists over a thousand sites that will give you huge discounts outside of peak season.\u00a0 We\u2019ve paid \u20ac16 per night, including electricity, at most sites, including the Feriolo one right on the banks of Lake Maggiore.\u00a0 We first tried one further along the lake, but they were just stopping the discount and thus wanted \u20ac30 per night and it didn\u2019t look as nice as this one.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be disappointed when we get to July and the discounts are no longer available, then again the book is so useful anyway, listing everything you need to know about each campsite, right down to things like how many dogs you can have, how close the bus stop is and whether the swimming pool has a waterslide\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A
A very green frog in the garden at Isola Bella<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not much happened on Sunday.\u00a0 It was a hot sticky day, too hot to cycle anywhere in the middle of the day, so we flopped around and lay by the lake for a while.\u00a0 At 4pm I fell asleep and Rodney cycled off on his own to Baveno.\u00a0 But not finding much of interest there, and not having me there to slow him down, he continued on to Stresa.\u00a0 On arriving back only an hour and a half later, he informed me that we would be catching a bus to Stresa on Monday and taking a boat trip out to the Isola Borromee.<\/p>\n

Dinner was a slow affair that evening.\u00a0 We promenaded, as one does, along the lakeside and ordered pastas at one of the restaurants in Feriolo.\u00a0 The bread was slow to arrive, the pastas even slower and then we foolishly ordered desserts.\u00a0 The desserts were good, but it meant another hour before we left the table!\u00a0 The promenade back to Eileen was also slow, just to match the pace of the whole day<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Feriolo\"
Feriolo and our campsite far right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

On Monday morning the 9:28am bus arrived at 9:28am (gosh) and it had curtains and comfy seats, brilliant!\u00a0 It even arrived in Stresa in time for us to catch the 10am boat out to the Isola Madre.\u00a0 We spent a wonderful two hours meandering through the beautiful English style botanic garden, full of rare and exotic plants, that covers the island.\u00a0 For some relief from the heat we then wandered through the lovely 18th<\/sup> C Borromeo villa.\u00a0 It felt quite different being able to roam around all the rooms inside, which were full of old paintings, glassware and furniture, with absolutely no staff keeping an eye on you; in fact it felt very relaxed and wonderfully calm.\u00a0 One room had some fabulous old marionettes and stage sets from the 18th<\/sup> C; one of which represented Hell, which somehow seemed rather inappropriate in such a beautiful setting.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Puppet
Puppet stage-set for Hell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Sculptures
Sculptures suffering with the humidity just like us….<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"White
White peacock in the gardens at Isola Maggiore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

We boarded the next boat going to Isola Superiore (Isola dei Pescatori) and walked straight into the Trattoria Embarcadero on the quayside, to eat yet more pasta and bread with a jug of frizzante rose wine.\u00a0 Il conto por favour?\u00a0 We then wandered around the tiny island and I was hit by bird poo, I have nothing more to say about the matter and I really don\u2019t believe it is good luck!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Isola
Isola Superiore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Arriving
Arriving at Isola Bella<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The next boat took us across to Isola Bella, where we ambled through the tiny streets up to the entry gate for the huge 17th<\/sup> C \u00a0palace and gardens which cover most of the island.\u00a0 This time we dawdled through the palace first, each room drawing a little gasp as we entered. It was an architect\u2019s playground with so much variety of colours and styles; Murano glass chandeliers, English & Flemish tapestries and Venetian marble floors.\u00a0 The octagonal Sala dei Concerti was stunning with views out over Lago di Maggiore and there were numerous more rooms equally fabulous.\u00a0 You could even visit the bizarre grottoes on the ground level below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
The Sala dei Concerti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Down
Down in the fifth grotto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the far end of the garden stands a huge, terraced, grotto style, Baroque, monolith covered in cherubs, gods, shells and crowning it all, a unicorn (of the Borromeo family crest).\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure it would look right in our garden at home, but it sure is a stunner where it stands.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
The ‘amphitheatre’ complete with unicorn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The rest of the gardens are terraced with numerous roses and a huge variety of other plants and amongst it all stroll more noisy, white peacocks.\u00a0 Napoleon Bonaparte apparently stayed in the palace with Josephine in 1797.\u00a0 I asked Rodney if we could stay there, but he said \u201cnot tonight Laura\u201d…. boom, boom.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"
In the gardens of the Palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Back in Stresa, after out last boat cruise of the day, we strolled about a bit before slumping down on the seat at the bus stop.\u00a0 We were feeling completely beaten by the incredibly high humidity and, like us, everybody else looked red in the face and dripping with sweat.\u00a0 We dreamed of a light breeze to move the heat and clear the haze hanging in the air. \u00a0We decided that it\u2019s definitely time to head to the mountains, away from the lakes to see if we can find some less humid weather.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Looking
Looking north to Isola Superiore from Isola Bella<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can anyone explain to me why a cuckoo needs to practise the only two notes in its repertoire at 5:22am?\u00a0 Maybe it was trying to tell me it was going to be another very hazy morning?\u00a0 Eating breakfast under Eileen\u2019s awning just didn\u2019t provide the same view on Saturday morning as we had enjoyed on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2096"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8390,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096\/revisions\/8390"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}