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Rain and hail micro-storm before we left Levanto.

 

Portofino from the bus.

 

Paul (How about some more chocolate?)and Barbara in Orta.

 

Bonnie plays paparazzi in Orta.

 

Jim and Cathy in Orta
(Photo by paparazzi Bonnie)

 

View from the terrace at our hotel.

 

Isola San Giulio in Orta

David hand drew a special “Thank You” card for Karin that everyone signed, complete with Princess Karin doing her best “Boh” (Italian for “I have no idea”).   Since some of the group was leaving very early on Friday to catch their flights home, we said lots of goodbyes and had lots of hugs as well.  What an incredible experience with a group of folks that I now consider friends.

The hotel hosted a welcome party and we all brought whatever wine was left that we didn’t want to carry home.  We had a nice time reminiscing with our new friends before our last dinner together.  Upstairs, we had our last group dinner and Karin asked us to share our thoughts of the tour.  There were a few damp eyes (maybe more than few).  We presented Steve with his birthday card and a “towel” that was actually a very thin material and an Italian souvenir (but it was reminiscent of the towels in some of the hotels…).  We couldn’t help but sing “Wash like an Etruscan” to the tune of the Bangles “Walk like an Egyptian.”

We bought some soap at a great little shop on the corner of the square.  The shopkeeper was a friendly woman who spoke perfect English when Cathy wondered aloud about the English translation of one particular soap fragrance.  The buildings lining the square have great architectural style.  We explored the square and walked up to the church Chiesa dell Assunta (or Church of the Assumption).  It started to rain again, so we dug out our umbrellas and walked back to the hotel.

After a short “rest”, Karin took us into the main part of Orta and oriented us.  Some folks went to visit Isola di San Giulio to see the church and walk the “path of silence”.  Constructed in 1844 as a seminary, it’s now a nunnery for Bendictines nuns.   

We arrived in Orta San Giulio to a light rain.  Somehow, on the way into town, we “missed” the bus parking and Giorgio drove us all the way to the hotel (I think this was a violation of policy, but we didn’t get arrested).  We checked into the wonderful Hotel La Bussola and had a great view from our terrace.

“Lake” Orta is the smallest of the major lakes in northern Italy (Maggiore and Como are much larger).  Along the way, we had lunch on the road at one of the Italian rest stops called “Auto Grilles”.  The Auto Grilles are a combination gas station, convenience store, restaurant, and rest area.  A pleasant surprise, the food was prepared and presented similarly to a buffet at a nice restaurant, but was inexpensive and tasted great.

 

Street scene in Orta San Giulio

 
 
Jim and Char do one last buddy check!  Check to make sure you buddy has enough wine...

 
 
Nancy, Juanita, and Joan toast our adventures.

 
 
Cathy in Orta.

 

Char can't hold a straight face for long... or maybe it's the wine.

 
 
A couple of houses near the church in Orta.

 

Cathy turns the camera on Jim...

 

Jim and Cathy at our farewell dinner in Orta.

 

Karin gives us her best "Boh" (I have no idea)
I think David captured it perfectly...

 

Docks at Orta San Giulio

 

A small boat in Orta San Giulio

 

An interesting rain spout in Orta.

 
Cemetery at Orta with pictures on the headstones.

 

Detailed mosiac at cemetery.

 

One of the chapels at Sacro Monte.

 

Lion at one of the estates in Orta.

 

Karin proposes one final toast to the group.

 

Exploring Orta San Giulio

 

Snow in the mountains is a sure sign of Italy's approaching autumn.

 

The view from Sacro Monte.

 

We discovered this beautiful statue on our walk.

 

David presents Karin with our heartfelt thanks.

 

Happy Birthday Steve. What a thick, plush towel!
We got one last use out of “Tutia Guiora a ta”

 

Elegant ladies Cindy and Bonnie.

 

Char and Bette

 

Wendy, Jim and Deana share a laugh in Orta.

 
 
Karin poses with Jim and Cathy on our last night together.  Karin rocks.  Alfeo is so lucky...

 

Piazza Mario Motta in Orta San Giulio

 

Piazza Mario Motta in Orta San Giulio

 

A mother and her babies enjoy the light shower.

 

A local waits for the rain to stop in Orta.

 

Looking back towards the square in Orta.

 

Church of the Assumption in Orta San Giulio.

Sacro Monte has twenty chapels built from many different time periods (1590 through the late 1700s).  There is no charge to enter Sacro Monte and visit the chapels, but donations are accepted in an offering box near each chapel.  The chapels range from simple to ornate depicting various religious themes and are definitely worth the time.  Sacro Monte has some of the best views of Isola San Giulio, Orta, and the surrounding area.

We walked around a little and then hiked up to Sacro Monte where there are many unique chapels. On the way, we stumbled onto an old cemetery that looked pretty interesting, so we stopped for a look.  Many of the crypts had photographs of the deceased.   I found this really unusual, but also very compelling to see what the people buried here had looked like. 

Day 14 - Friday, 28-September-2007

At breakfast, I started to feel pretty congested, and Nicole gave me a decongestant (again, showing that she was well prepared).  Those of us that were left said our goodbyes.   Cathy and I were headed for a short post tour trip to Stresa so we arranged with the hotel to store our bags while we went out to explore a little more of Orta San Giulio.

We were really fortunate (Siamo veramente fortunati) to have Karin as our guide.  Princess Karin, we want you well (te vogliamo bene). David is quite a budding artist.  I see a second career in his future...