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Published: July 16th 2016
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French toast for the last breakfast with the Hornungs, Frank decided. We had a hilarious trip to the Albert Heijn supermarket with Dorine to shop for the ingredients we needed. It was amazing! You swipe your card and pick up a scanner as you enter the store and scan everything yourself as you put it in the trolley. I felt like I had shot forward in time about 50 years - very sci-fi. Anyway, it was a lovely last breakfast. French toast with apples, mascarpone and maple syrup and some bacon sliced finer than prosciutto which shrivelled up the minute it hit the pan (We got that one a bit wrong at the Albert Heijn deli department). Yum though. After breakfast it was time to say a sad good-bye to our friends once again. We've caught up with them somewhere every time we've been in Europe and I'm sure this won't be the last time! As we got off the plane in Milan there was an immediate need to shed clothing as the sun was shining brightly, but dark clouds rolled in as we drove towards Lake Orta. Jinxed! Despite that, it is the most stunning place - the grey skies
The last breakfast
French Toast with apples, maple syrup and marscarpone send the water a shimmering silver colour, and low cloud here and there gives it a slightly mysterious air. We were excited when we got to the lovely b&b Al Dom and opened the French doors, which revealed a magnificent view over the lake and Isola San Giulio. After settling in to our simple but beautiful room, we decided to take the owner's advice and go for a walk around the lake and town as there is a 5km circuit path which largely hugs the lake. No barriers here, and the path is only really wide enough for one person in each direction - watch out if you have impulsive children or have had a big night. One false move and you would definitely end up in the drink! As we passed one of the main churches in town, Santa Maria della Assunta, a bride and groom were just exiting the church, followed by lots of beautifully dressed people. It was a lovely sight - as opposed to us at the end of our walk. We were about halfway round the Orta side of the lake when a huge rainstorm hit, and with nowhere to shelter, we had to settle
View of Madonna del Sasso
At night from our balcony it was all lit up on the cliffs. I just couldn't capture it properly, but this photo is great for sopping jeans and a squelchy trudge home. The good thing was that there is a beautiful bath in our room - a great way to soak off the gravel and mud which had sprayed all over us when the enormous raindrops pelted the path. The downside (Apart from having to walk right past the beautiful people sitting at cafes while looking like drowned rats), is that I now have a blister the size of a twenty cent piece on the sole of my foot - slipping and sliding around the lake path in sandals was not good for my delicate skin! The plan had been to take a leisurely stroll, but it didn't work out that way. A blister could be an issue, given that we start a ten-day hike in the alps in a few days' time. We'll see. By dinner time, the rain had stopped and the sun was breaking through the clouds, so we were able to eat outside and linger over coffee in the long Italian twilight. The lights on the island in the middle of the lake, and the church up on the cliffs, made for a beautiful view.
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