Cinderella Lake

---

This morning we woke to a rainy day, enjoyed a wonderful breakfast buffet, and boarded a bus at 9:00 headed to Lake Orta. The smallest of the Italian lakes it is called "Cinderella" in Italian because it is beautiful, and I guess, waiting to be discovered. The lakes are all the result of the last Ice Age, when glaciers covered this region. Como is the deepest. Garda is the largest. They are all surrounded by low mountains (up to about 4000 ft), which enhances their beauty.

We arrived at Lake Orta and had to detour through a large industrial town, Obegna, because we came upon a closed tunnel. Due to the recent collapse of the bridge in Genoa, many roads and bridges are closed for inspection to diminish the chances of future failures. Igor tells us that failures of infrastructure in Italy are legion but unless many are killed, as in Genoa, they don't make the news because they are so common.

The town we went to was Orta San Guilio, after Saint Julius, who is said to have Christianized Italy. The town dates back to the middle ages and parts to 400 A.D. We had a guided tour of the town by Michala, followed by a cruise to a tiny island in the Lake where there is a Benedictine Monastery/Convent and a beautiful church with some outstanding frescoes. There are 70 nuns on the island, living a cloistered life, just prayer and work. They got the mayor to disallow swimming because of scant clothing! There are several beautiful villas on the island, one owned by the owners of Siemens. Villas around all the lakes are primarily owned by rich Italians who come on weekends; so many we saw were shuttered.

No photos were allowed in the church, but of interest were decoration from Medieval to Byzantine, layered frescoes, an ambo(like a pulpit but for reading) carved from stone which was originally green. NOTE: there are many quarries around the lakes from which 20-some types of stone have been mined. Also Julius or what’s left of him is there In a crypt and pieces of marble dating to 400 AD from the first church on that site.
Returning to the town we had time for shopping and lunch. Had pizza vegetariana in a 1700's building. Now back at hotel. On the program for tonight is drinks at 5 and a lecture at 6. Then dinner on our own. Ciao!

---