Friday 9th October Lake Maggiore Express!

We are not leaving the hotel until ten this morning allowing the passengers to visit the local market before we start.
It is raining.
Today the group are travelling from Domodossola to Locarno by train and then from Locarno to Stresa by boat.
It takes us about forty minutes to reach Domodossola having driven through some very heavy rain. Here it is dry and very warm.
The train departs at 11:25 and arrives in Locarno at 13:10. It is supposed to be one of the most scenic rail journeys in Europe.
They will have free time in Locarno before boarding a boat at 16:15 and sailing to Stresa arriving at 19:10.
As I am driving I can't go so give the one group ticket to Nicola who will organise everyone onto the boat.
I leave them and drive back to Stresa, topping up the fuel on the way, arriving back just after midday. That's me done for driving until we leave for home on Sunday.
It is not only raining now but thundering and lightening.
I walk up to the town as the rain eases off a little and find a wonderful restaurant that I hadn't visited before the Taverna del Pappagallo.
It is always a little strange walking into a restaurant on your own as you imagine everyone looking at you. I take my seat and order a beer, some wine and a pizza as I attempt yesterdays Telegraph crossword. After a while I am the one sitting comfortably watching others coming into the restaurant! The pizza was delicious and the atmosphere great, I wish I had known about this place before.
Leaving the restaurant I am met by very persistant rain! It is coming down so fast that the puddles are becoming larger all the time and I reckon I could probably swim back!
Once I am back in the hotel it looks as if I have indeed swum back, I am soaked.
I don't do a lot this afternoon as it is too wet to go out so have a read and a siesta. As you do!
Just after seven I see the boat sail past the hotel to the mooring point nearby and go outside to welcome them back.
There is a local party in the hotel for a christianing and as I'm stood outside one of the men in a suit looks at me and say "oy!". I look at him and realise it is Mario, the boatman I couldn't find on Sunday due to all of the speedboats! He looks different without his sailors hat on! Nice that he recognises me though and we have a chat.
Slowly the passengers appear all looking a bit damp! They have had a good day but it has rained as much for them as it has here which spoiled their day a little but they are in good spirits.
After dinner I end up watching Italy lose 3-2 to Hungary in the under 20 world cup. A good game with Italy having three men sent off to Hungary's one and losing in extra time.