Final days

Aug 30

After our terrific stay at La Bursch was over, we bid farewell to Helen and Arianna, and sadly to Muriel too, who needed to rush home to Belgium to be with her ailing mom. Our group was reduced to eight for the weekend Ingrid had planned for us. What a special end to an amazing trip— a stay at a luxury resort on a lake!

On the way to the lake…

After leaving La Bursch we headed to a small winery in the Alto Piemonte where had a tour and tasting with a lunch of regional dishes.

Vineyards of Podere ai Valloni in the Alto Piemonte

Beautiful hydrangeas in the vineyard.

I liked this interesting sculpture.

Nebbiolo grapes

In a lovely setting nestled in the hillside.

Map of the property.

Our guide giving us a bit of history.

We had a tour of the cellar. It's a very small winery.

After lunch we walked down a path to the sanctuary. This is the back side.

The front side.

Quite a towering church.

Amazing floors, as always!

Gold smalti arches.

Laqua by the Lake

As described in the itinerary booklet Ingrid prepared, “a contemporary haven of wellness and luxury designed by the world-renowned chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo.” Okay, we were ready for some rest, relaxation and luxury! After settling in to our rooms, we went down to the private dock on Lago di Orta and got on our water taxi boat for the evening in the nearby village of Orta San Giulio. Click on the photo below for the video our our first ride.

Lovely hotels and villas all along the lakeside.

Isola San Giulio, where we'll visit the next day.

The dock at Orta San Giulio.

In the center of the village. Some of us will have lunch in this café the next day.

Our dinner! Massive plates of meat, cheeses, breads and condiments. All delicious!

Sunset on the way back.

Saturday on Lake, Island and Town

Pool and lounges, ready for guests.

Waiting for the morning excursion.

On Isola San Giulio, we visit the basilica.

Pulpits in these churches always interest me.

Every wall has frescoes.

In the crypt, the coffin of San Giulio.

Beautiful floors, always.

On a quick stroll through around the tiny island.

I loved the way they "shingled" the slate slabs for siding and roofing here.

One of the few shops. This one was part antiques, part gifts and memorabilia.

Back on Orta San Giulio, a walkabout and a bit of lunch.

Our afternoon was free to lounge about the grounds.

I picked a spot right on the lake and even ordered a Campari spritz from the QR code menu.

The most unusual flying insect visited my table.

I spotted Terry swimming in the lake.

And soon Stefanie joined her!

No swimming for me, but I did put my toes in the pool.

The house (or should I say villa?) on the hill belongs to the famous chef who owns Laqua.

Yeah, it was a nice afternoon!

For our farewell dinner, we went across the lake in the boat to an elegant restaurant/hotel.

For dessert, an artful presentation of tiramisu.

Boating away from a beautiful nighttime scene.

Departure Day

I got up early on our last morning to go out and enjoy a bit of early morning quietness by the lake, before people began filtering out. Stefanie had said she’d be getting out at 7 for a swim before breakfast. And sure enough, she was out on the lake! This was a very special way to end our amazing two weeks!

Lounging areas ready for the day.

Cushy lounge chairs directly at the pool's edge.

Ciao!

A bit of the hotel exterior.

Our sweet driver Marco and Ingrid before we drive off.

Sunday Afternoon in Milano

I was dropped off at my hotel in early afternoon, plenty of time to see a bit of the central, famous area of Milan. It was getting hot! Just the beginning of the terrible heat wave much of Europe was going to suffer under for the coming month(s). The timing of our trip turned out to be great, weather wise. Even just a tad too cool in the mountains, but that’s better than heat wave!