There are days made for doing very little, and today Sirmione handed me one without my having to ask. I had woken with no plan beyond the vague intention to catch the little ferry, and by mid-morning I had abandoned…
Victoria’s Complete Guide to Lake Garda
I have lost count of the times I have promised myself a quiet week on Lake Garda and ended up rearranging my whole itinerary by the second morning, simply because Garda refuses to be one thing. Italy’s largest lake stretches…
Belle Époque – Lake Maggiore
The cases are half packed by the door, and I have decided to ignore them completely. Tomorrow we move on to Lake Garda, but today belongs to nobody but the lake and this old hotel, and I intend to give…
Lake Maggiore – The Art of Doing Nothing Beautifully
I did not go anywhere today, and it may have been the best decision I made all week. After the islands, a person needs a day like this. You cannot keep arriving at wonders. The lake seems to understand that,…
The Islands Keep Their Own Time
The first ferry of the morning is nearly empty, and that is the secret nobody tells you. I have it almost to myself, a scarf against the cool off the water, a paper cup of coffee going lukewarm in my…
Victoria’s Complete Guide to Lake Maggiore
There are three great lakes at the foot of the Italian Alps, and everyone has an opinion about which one is best. Como gets the film stars, Garda gets the families and the windsurfers, and Maggiore, quietly, gets the gardens….
