How can any place be more beautiful than Lake Maggiore?

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This morning was a beautiful, clear and sparkling day on Lake Maggiore. It was hard to think about leaving. Last night we hung out on the rooftop, drinking a little wine, watching the sunset all around the Lake. It is a stunning place!
Before we leave the Lake District I have a quiz for my readers. What do you think this part of the bathroom fixture is for? See photo. The Hotel de Palma was renovated in recent times and it is modern and lovely.
We boarded a bus and headed South, driving through wine country with hillsides terraced with vineyards and topped by medieval towns. Our destination was Barolo, a town that is not even on most maps, but is home to a great Italian wine producer of the same name. We had a tour of the winery which was really started by an Italian noblewoman a couple of hundred years ago. She was unusual for her time in many ways. Having gotten it started successfully, she created a kind of charity and turned the operation over to it. It continued to produce prize-winning wines into the 20th century when it was sold. The family that purchased it is in their third generation of ownership. The grapes are Barbero and Nebbiolo that produce yummy reds. They also make a Prosecco and a delicious Muscato, a dessert wine which our luncheon dessert (jelly with fruit) was made with and accompanied by.
After lunch we were back on the bus for a few more hours, down to the Mediterranean coast through Genoa and Rapallo, avoiding the road closures caused by the bridge collapse. We arrived in Santa Margherita de Liguria late afternoon and I'm sitting on my balcony writing this before dinner. The Hotel Metropole is a wonderful old family-owned hotel with exquisite views of the harbor. So we started the day in one kind of beautiful landscape and end in another!

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Comments

[Barbara Claxton]

pictures
Wow! Everything looks so gorgeous!