“One of the great joys of traveling through Italy is discovering firsthand that it is, indeed, a dream destination.” ~ Debra Levinson

On Monday, May 2nd we traveled on a day trip to Lake Maggiore, or as it is also known, Lago Maggiore, which sounds much more romantic! It was a lovely drive only about an hour or so from Lake Como, up hilly roads and down switchback roads just a short distance to Switzerland. It is the second-largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland.

We took a ferry boat to one of the larger islands on the lake to spend a couple of hours just wandering, the weather was perfect and except for the cobblestone paths, we had a lovely and relaxing time.

It was a tad “touristy” in the feel of the island with shops and merchants greeting you. But there was also a beauty in the peacefulness of the surroundings, so much that we missed our ferry back to the mainland, and because we are such a spontaneous group we took a different ferry to our next destination on the mainland.

We found a pharmacy to buy some supplies and had a wonderful outdoor lunch before our travels back to our last night in Lake Como. Small planes were practicing taking off and landing on the lake which was somehow mesmerizing to watch.

“The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.” ~ George Miller

It is hard to choose the “best day so far” of the trip, as all of the days had something special about them. Tomorrow we head to Greece for our 10-day Viking Ocean cruise, which has its own dedicated excel spreadsheet thanks to Skip and Peggy!

“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.” ~Anna Akhmatova