Thursday 8th October Lake Orta

A much easier driving day in prospect today with visits to Lkae Orta and the gardens at Villa Taranto.
Before leaving I call the tourist train man in Orta about the train into town and although he speaks less English than my Itailan, which isn't a lot, I think we have booked a train for 10:15!
We are away by 09:30 and arrive at the coach park in Orta at 10:15 where a train is waiting. The village of Orta is very small and narrow and unaccessable for large vehicles so you have to park in the coach park and either walk or catch the little tractor train. It is €4 return.
All but four travel on the train and it is well worth it as the walk is a bit hilly and cobbly and just the type of place somebody will fall and hurt themselves.
Going through the narrow streets and coming into the small square by the harbour is magical and worth the visit alone. What a gorgeous place. There is a little island called St Guilo just off the mainland and the numerous boat people, all in blue with white sailors hats on, are touting for business.
About half of the group head to one of the cafes for a coffee, me included, before exploring Orta.
I have a walk around and the town is how you imagine Italy to have been before the hordes of tourists arrived. It is a place you can just sit and look for as long as you wish without feeling bored by the scenery and atmosphere.
It is very quiet and I decide to take a boat over to the island which costs me €4 return. The journey is very short and I am soon on the island. It is very olde worlde and seems untouched by tourists except for the one shop and one restaurant. I walk around it in ten minutes before coming back to the small harbour where Rosie and Tom are sitting quietly enjoying the tranquility of it all. I catch the next boat back.
I can't decide what to have for lunch and end up in a small delicatessan ordering a roll filled with dry, cured beef and local cheese and a bottle of water. By the entrance to the shop is a sign in all languages promoting their snadwiches and the english part reads "bloody good sandwiches!"
Mine was that good as I sat on a bench looking out towards the lake and island, taking in the peace and quiet yet fairly busy harbour.
A big lake touring ship would come in every forty minutes and the various boat men would take it in turns taking people to the island and back. Most journeys only carried about four people each.
At 13:20 our little train came back and took us back to the coach park.
From here it is about a forty minute drive to Villa Taranto.
It has become very warm now and a good time to visit these beautiful gardens. We are stopping here for two hours which should be enough time to walk around.
While the passengers are in the gardens I decide to wash the coach. It is always a satisfying feeling when the coach is cleaned but maybe I should have waited until later as I am wringing wet. I think the temperature went up a degree everytime I put brush to body! Still at least it is job done.
Back in Stresa I go for a walk into town in the vain hope of finding some printer cartridges. I lookm everywhere but there doesn't seem to be a computer shop. As a last resort I try a photographic shop. The man behind the counter says he has a very small selection of cartridges and has a look for the ones I need. Believe it or not he has the exact ones I require! How about that then!
By the time I am back in my room it is five thirty. To pay for the internet in your room is expensive - €10 for one hour or €17 for 24 hours. I paid for 24 hours yesterday at 18:00 so will run out in half an hour! I quickly set up the laptop and printer and just have enough time to download and print what I hope will be the final proof.
I manage to read through most of it before dinner and will finish it in the morning.