Island Life

Sunday May 28, 2023

This morning we are going to Monte Isola. Monte Isola is the largest inland lake island in southern Europe. there are just a few villages on the island and the circumference of the island is around 4.5 miles. We were taking an 0845 ferry to Pisogne, then a train to Sulzano, and another ferry to the Island village of Peschiera Maraglio, where we are staying. At least that is what I thought. For some reason, the recent change in the ferry schedules had me confused. I know, I am usually very good at all these different schedules we use in our travels, but I missed the boat on this one (pun intended). We get to the ferry dock about 20 minutes early and I look at their schedule while we are waiting. This is when I notice that on Sunday, there is a boat at 0915 that goes to the island from here with a few stops along the way. It gets us there at 1055 which is just slightly earlier than the boat, train, boat option we have planned. On top of that it is a fairly nice morning and we will get a nice ride on the lake. 

We decide to not take the earlier ferry across the lake to Pisogne and wait for the next boat which will go to the village we are staying at on the island. It turns out to be a very good choice. We depart on time and say goodbye to Lovere. From the boat we can enjoy the hills and cliffs that surround the shores of Lake Iseo. We also get to see other towns along the waterfront as the ferry makes stops at some of them. While we are sailing, Carol contacts the owner of our apartment with our new ETA as they are meeting us by the Ferry dock. We pass by a very small island that has a castle on it. Very nice for pictures. We also enjoy the beauty of the lakeside towns with a backdrop of hills and mountains. The boat makes a stop on the other side of Monte Isola and then goes across to the town of Sulzano where we were going to take a boat to our village. Along the way we get nice views of the small village which will be our home for three days. The island is basically a large hill/mountain and we can see the church on top of it that we plan on hiking to. 

Before we know it, we are making the short jaunt from Sulzano to Pescheria Maraglio and disembarking onto the island. The owner had said her son, Matteo was going to meet us but we do not see anyone that has the where are my tourists look in their eyes. We wait a few minutes and Matteo shows up and apologizes for being late. He was waiting at the wrong dock as there are three docks that cater to different routes that the ferries take. No problem for us. Our room is not ready but there is a room where we can leave our packs. He takes us there first and I try to pay attention to a few landmarks so we can find our way later. Part of the reason they met us at the dock is there are no street signs that I see in this small village. The room is not located at the apartment but is where they keep their bicycles that we can use for free. From there, he takes us to the apartment and shows us the lockbox that has the keys inside it for the apartment and the bike room. He will send us the code later when the room is ready. We ask him where we can pick up the trail to the church on top and he tells us how to get there. The apartment is actually at the signed beginning of the trail. He also tells us the best direction to bike around the island and a few other bits of information. We thank him and then we are on our own.

We knew the apartment was not going to be ready and since there is the possibility of rain tomorrow, we planned on doing the hike to the Sanctuary of the Madonna Della Ceriola on top of the island, today. It starts out with about 100 steps from our apartment up to the road above and then there is another trail marker. It seems like we have two trail choices, one says 80 minutes and one says 110 minutes. Both will most likely involve a lot of climbing. We opt for trail one, the 80 minute (or so they say) option. We immediately start climbing more along a stairway (to heaven?) made of stones. We are mostly in forest but do get a few nice peekaboo views of the lake below. After about a half hour, it opens up for a bit and we can see a private castle below that you can not visit and another village on the lakefront called Sensole, which is about a mile or so from our village. We continue our hike which is a steady climb but not too overbearing. We get to the edge of the small village of Cure and the trail turns away from it and continues up. We make it to the top in 65 minutes so I guess we are in better shape than the sign average time. Not bad for two sexagenarians. 

The church is not open but I do manage to take a picture of the inside though a window. While we sit on a wall eating a snack and overlooking the lake, here is a little history of the church. It was the first parish church for the whole island as documented in 1410. The site was most likely used in pre Christian times for cults inherent in forest deities. The term Certosa, perhaps finds a connection with the celebration of the feast of Candlemas, which takes place on February 2nd. The church is perched on a rock 600 meters (almost 200 feet) above the lake where we started. The first construction is traced back to the 13th century with expansion in the 1600s and the bell tower added in 1750. We enjoy our snack with a view and then get ready to head back down.

The return trip is easier on the lungs but a little harder on the knees. From the village of Cure, we decide to take a different way down via the road to get to the lake and the village of Sensole, where we might eat. It is going pretty good until I realize we ar on a road that is above the village and does not seem to go down to it. I had taken a few pictures of google maps on Carols phone for just this very occasion and look at them. There are no street signs here but I do see a bar that Carol says we just passed. Is it a coincidence that she noticed a bar, not by a long shot, but it does give us a place to work off of on the map. We retrace our steps looking for a fork in the road that we did not take. We find a footpath first and it goes downhill towards the lakeshore, we think it will do. In a bit it ends at a small road and we take that which leads us right to Sensole. 

We check out a restaurant that is on the lake and the food looks good, so I ask a lady if we can take a seat where a couple just left. She tells me to wait a moment and disappears. We wait for quite a few moments and I tell Carol to stand by the table and I go looking for her. No luck and I go back outside and ask another woman. She is a bit brusque and points to a table in the hot sun, so I say no I want the one in the shade, where Carol is sitting. We wait and the First Lady returns and talks to the Second Lady. We watch an Italian couple walk by us and ask if they have tables. They bring them to the table where Carol is standing and seat them there. Then they bring us to the sunny table. We see another in the shade and they say we cant have that, put the menus on the sunny table and tell us to sit. No thank you. We walk away from the rudeness and get a dirty look at the same time. Their loss, we will not be treated differently than Italian tourists which is definitely what they did.

We continue our walk along the lake at a leisurely pace and receive a text that the apartment is ready. We do not have a problem finding our apartment. We get the keys out of the box and search for the bike room. It was a green door and at some point Carol says I think it is this one. I open the door right into the kitchen of someone’s house. Luckily no one is in the kitchen to yell at me, so I close it quietly and we continue our search. We know it is close by but go down to the lakefront to retrace our earlier steps and find it. Success is reached and we get our packs to bring back to the apartment. The apartment is very nice and even has a small balcony which will be perfect for an afternoon or evening cocktail or glass of wine. Carol is happy as she is already figuring out the washing machine to do a load of laundry. I know, she is a lucky lady, that I can shower her with the gift of a washing machine while we travel. Who am I to not provide her the happiness she deserves. I relax and write a bit for the journal. 

We spent a little time hanging on the small balcony and just settling in. Dinner was already planned, as we walked a little on the road above after we got our packs in the apartment, to check out a restaurant. It looked good and we liked the menu, so we made a reservation for 1930. It looks like more of a locals place as it is not down in the village or along the lakefront. The only down side is the hundred or so steps we have to climb up to the road it is on. I forgot to mention that even though there are a few roads here, there are no cars allowed on the island. That does not mean there are no vehicles. There are a few business and public vehicles which are allowed and it seems that all the locals own a scooter or motorcycle so you still need to look. 

In the evening, we walk up to the restaurant and they have a table reserved for us. Being up higher, we get a little view across the lake. We decide to start with an antipasto that includes a salami, that is only made here. It also has several types of fish, olives, spreads on bread and roasted peppers. There is a smoked fish, a pickled fish kind of like herring, cooked salmon, and little lake fish with onions that you eat bones and all. Luckily for us, they at least do not have their heads on. Everything is amazing and goes well with the carafe of White House wine that we ordered. Our first course is a fish pasta that we share. It is a very large portion and amazing in flavor. Our second course is fish, Carol gets char and I get trout. To our surprise that come with a nice salad (a rare thing in Italy). It is a wonderful tasting, slow and relaxing meal that is incredible and reasonably priced. 

We are so glad the ladies at the place on the lake were rude to us or we would not have come here for dinner. The prices are not only better, the food is excellent, and the expletive are really nice even though they do not speak much English and obviously have a local clientele. We end up sitting for almost two hours and it is now dark. When we leave we climb back down our steps and do an evening passiegetta to walk off some of the calories we ate. This was one of the few large meals we have had here. We can not eat like the Italians do every night but there are certain times that we do. Tonight was one of those times. Our walk along the lake front is very nice and our reward is seeing the lights of Sulzano across the lake. What a great day for us. When I check my watch for todays walking stats, it says we have climbed the equivalent of 113 flights. That is crazy to think about, but means we need to go back and get some rest. We are hoping the weather holds up as this stop is all about slowing down, doing bike rides, walks, or hikes. Time to settle in for the night.

Expenses Ferry from Lovere to Monte Isola 5.20E Beer from Alimentari Bertelli 2E Dinner at Bar Trattoria Al Campel 71E Casadina Apartment 90E Walked 10 Miles 113 Flights Climbed