Tour of Northern Italy

Summer in Northern Italy is in full swing! We arrived in Stresa, Italy, on Thursday for our two day whirlwind tour of the Lake Region. Too excited to sleep, we were all exhausted and jet lagged, but we managed a day of sightseeing in this popular lakeside resort area.

Our first impression was the sweet fragrance of millions of blooming flowers! Stronger than the orange blossoms on a hot day in central Florida, the sweetness hangs thick in the air. Over the lake and in the surrounding mountains, the days are hazy all summer until Autumn, they tell us. It is especially warm for the Italians, in the high eighties, and they say it's a bit unusual to be this warm until further into July. But it's perfect boating weather, and there are boats by the dozens on the Lake Maggiore in front of our Hotel.

Friday, we rode the rail through the mountains to Locarno, Switzerland, at the north end of Lake Maggiore, where we found every woman's dream -- high end shopping, alpine village charm, boutiques and outdoor cafes, gelato and the flea market. The highlight was our return by boat, three hours from Locarno back to Stresa with quick stops at many lakeside villages in both Switzerland and Italy.