We are back from 2 days on Lago Maggiore, a gorgeous area north of here that borders Switzerland.  Amazingly it didn't rain!  Poor Vicki has not had the best weather but these two days were very nice.  We have walked so much every day my knees ache and I make much too much noise when standing up.  I generally leave all the travel driving to GP so this was my first venture out of these parts on my own.  I drove on the highways, (in the slow lane), up and down a dozen tiny twisty mountain roads with sheer cliffs on one side, (without looking at the stupendous views), and in all types of traffic where Italian craziness abounds. We lived!  On Lago Maggiore, we followed the lake up to the border of Switzerland.  The towns are lovely, very prosperous, touristic places that cater to the Swiss and the Germans.  There are loads of huge villas and estates that we desperately wanted to explore but doubted the owners would let us in if we knocked.  Damn them!  On Saturday we came upon a Carnival procession where towns people were dressed as royalty, jesters were jesting and court musicians were playing.  They all stopped to eat and drink at a bar near us where I could swear I saw the Burger King!  XXOO me

Kayak Tree on Isola dei Pescatori

It's Burger King!