We added an extra day to our stay in Baveno because not only is it a really nice place, but it would also allow us to get caught up on our laundry and have an opportunity to take a boat trip to visit a nearby island. A well-earned day off the bikes was appreciated, too! All were completed as planned, making the day extremely successful.
We had breakfast at our hotel, the Hotel Azalea. Nothing overly flashy but all the necessary ingredients for a decent breakfast were available; and the espresso was excellent. Scott is a bit particular about his espresso and making shots manually at home is part of his daily routine. After having espresso in Switzerland over the past week he can say that he has finally found a decent espresso. The Italians do it right - and at much lower cost!
Our first priority of the day was laundry, and a laundromat was just up the street from our hotel. By noon we had our clothes drying in our room and we were on our way back down to the lake to figure out the ferry system and how to visit the nearby islands. The man at the ferry ticket sales desk was excellent and presented a few options of which we decided that we would take the 1 pm ferry to Isola Bella and visit the Palazzo Borromeo.
Thought it would be an odd place to wash your pet. While we were there a lady used it. It is for pet beds not the pet!
As Pat kept a watchful eye on the laundry Scott poked around the nearby parish complex. The building on the left is a baptistery and a church on the right. The church of Saints Gervaso and Protaso dates back to the 12th century. The babtistery of Saint John dates back to the 5th century.
View of the baptistery. The interior of the baptistery is completely frescoed depicting the life of Saint John the Baptist. One depicting his death was too gruesome to be shown here.
The ferry ride to Isola Bella is only about 20 minutes including a stop first at the nearby island of Isola Superiore. Disembarking on Isola Bella, you pass by a number of touristy kiosks before reaching the palace which consumes almost the entirety of Isola Bella. It is quite the building and gardens with a significant history having been visited by many historical figures including Napolean and Josephine, Benito Mussolini as well as Prince Charles and Diana to name only a few. It is a palace and of course full of opulence.
Leaving Baveno. Our hotel is up the beside the clock tower.
The ferries are a nice way to see the surrounding area of the lake. There was a posted letter at the ferry terminal that indicated the mask mandate for ferry travel had been extended. No one seemed to care.
This letter to Hitler was the result of the 1935 Stresa Conference held in the palace, to discuss the repeated violations of the Treaty of Versailles by the Germany of Adolf Hitler. The conference was attended by the head of the Italian Government, Benito Mussolini, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Paul Laval, and the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. The conference was essentially the last chance to try and maintain the balance of peace in Europe.
For dinner we again chose another nearby restaurant - Fratelli Rosso Osteria. We arrived at the front door at around eight and the small restaurant was already looking very full, and a sign was posted that they will not be taking any more dinner guests this evening. Quite disappointed Scott caught the eye of a waitress and signed a request to seat two. She responded she would check with the kitchen and came back with an okay. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves here.
Tomorrow we are planning a day ride to Stresa and Orta San Giulio.
Pat`s Tagliolini al ragu di laga (long pasta with white lake fish ragu)
