Lago Maggiore and south to Torino

Drove to Lavino for the ferry to Verbania Intra. The ferry is a fun ride across Lago Maggiore. Aren't all ferries fun?

After wandering the small Saturday market, I went to Stresa for a cable car ride. Note Funivia is a hanging cable car, Funicolare is a cable car on rails. A recurring theme this time is "modes of transportation", if it moves it is fun.


MOTTARONE (video)

The cable car to the top is a bit rusty, but the cables are well greased. The view of lago Maggiore is undeminished. It just keeps improving as the car climbs up the mountain.

At the end of the first stage the tiny town of Alpino puts on a noble show with a few restaurants and a mountain botanical garden  I did not visit. I just ran out of time. Links: www.giardinoalpinia.it

At the very top we catch more jaw dropping views from the Eden Albergo restaurant while enjoying a lovely meal on the precariously perched terrace. The food was delicious and  the owner/waiter  was very pleasant joking in perfect French. Since his mother lives in Torino, he gave us an important counter-intuitive tip on how to get out of Stresa.


It used to be a thriving ski resort but now they have added summer attractions such as an aquaslide, and park to stay busy during the progressively longer summer season. A chairlift takes you up to the very top at 1494 metres for the rail bobsled rides.  All manner of antenna populate the mountain top, ironically there are no 3G bars on my phone.

Drive to Torino is all highway. But for the last few kilometres, instead of an all suburb route, the GPS takes us off the autostrada almost to the city center. then through white knuckle rush hour traffic on an and endless chain of rotatoria (traffic circles).  Obviously reckless drivers cut us off at every turn.

TORINO-Montecalieri

We trundle into La Darcena hotel four kilometres east of Turin in Montecalieri. A lovely place, tasty food.