Lake Orta, Italy

Aaahhhh, home. We have always felt that way in Italy. The jagged, magnificent Swiss Alps softened and sang when they led us into Italy. Again, another border crossing that was a game changer. It's like we could feel life, flavor and amore the second we entered the country. We passed by Lake Lugano and on to a little gem called Lake Orta. Thanks to Kristine Setareh, we would have never known about this epic, magic spot with a tiny island in the middle. We went to bed late on Lake Orta because the main square was beneath us and full of the sound of glasses clinking, laughter and very rich, exuberant story telling. We woke up lake front, the sun shone (and consistently then through the lakes and islands on the remainder of the trip) and we settled into a new rhythm. ...One Deia might call Noodles & Gelato. Oh, her European diet consisted only of: milk, cheerios, apricots, gelato, ham and pasta...with messy sauces. Yum. We enjoyed a boat ride and short visit of the island and later made our way out of town.