As some of you know, I recently returned from three weeks in Italy. I was invited by a few friends to spend some time at a villa in the hills of Umbria, not far from the border with Tuscany, and I agreed (of course).
Well, the week in Umbria had come to a close, but I still had another eleven days in Italy. I had decided to split it up rather evenly between the Franciacorta region and Lago d’Iseo, Alba in the middle of Piedmont, and Stresa on the banks of Lago Maggiore; all three spots in the northern part of the country, the first two known for wine production and the third a town I had visited a couple of decades ago.
For my last leg of my three weeks in Italy, I left the cozy town of Alba and headed about an hour north to the lakeside town of Stresa, on the shore of Lago Maggiore, where I ended one of my very first bike trips as a tour guide, however many million years ago.
Why return? I am not sure but I had fond memories of the place and the three Borromean Islands, Isola Madre, Isola Pescatori, and Isola Bella. So, I figured, why not?
I had booked a room in one of the large resort hotels right on the lake. It was fine. The staff was very helpful and professional, but the hotel had definitely seen better days. It seems as though the town in general and the hotel in particular were still trying to live in its heyday of about forty(?) years prior.
The main attractions for me were the Borromean Islands, a quick boat ride from Stressa. I was starving, so I skipped Isola Madre, which had no operating restaurants, and headed straight to Isola Pescatori, the only of the three that still has year-round inhabitants (and a couple of decent restaurants).
I strolled the narrow “streets” for a bit, trying to find an “off the beaten path” kind of place, but quickly realized there weren’t any; the island is small, and overrun with tourists (like me).
I always say the touristy places are such for a reason and Isola Pescatori is a fascinating spot, imagining what it was like to live there however many years ago before it became a tourist destination.
Being Italy, the most impressive spot on the island was the church.
The interior seems to have been nicely preserved, if not all that popular.
Having finished lunch, I headed to the dock to grab the next ferry to Isola Bella.
Isola Bella is a bit of a nightmare. Overrun with tourists and not nearly as big as Pescatori, I walked around for a few minutes before I just wanted to get the heck out of there.
The main (only?) attraction on Isola Bella is the palace, which required an admission fee and had an extremely long line, so I passed.
I did wander a bit and found some spots that made me ponder what it may have been like to live on the island, however…
My favorite spot on Isola Bella? The view of Isola Pescatori.
My second favorite was a tiny café where I had a nice little rosé waiting for the next ferry.
Leaving Isola Madre was definitely bittersweet. It was good to get away from the crowd, but the island is beautiful. I also knew that it was likely the last time I would ever be there.
My last few hours in Stresa were not fun as they involved a tow truck, several hours on the phone with the rental agency, and then a long (and expensive) taxi to Milan.
Speeding away in the taxi, I took one final picture of Lago Maggiore. Even though it did not live up to my memories, it was still a great place to end what had been a fabulous trip.
the drunken cyclist 
It all looks lovely and interesting how your revisit was bittersweet, it seems that often happens
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Yeah. I wonder if it really has changed at all. I simply might be seeing it through a different lens…
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