Bella Italia: messages from Italy

We have been chatting with our overseas friends and a couple of our Italian Local Contacts have messages they would like to share. At a time when travel is not possible for so many, it’s a refreshing read to keep us all connected in some small way. We’ll start with Elisabeth and Stefano in Mompeo, on the Umbria route, Italy…

“Lockdown has been at the same time very different and not so different from our usual lives. The very different aspects are obvious: no guests, no getting the trails ready at the beginning of hiking season, no daily cooking for guests, no welcoming and chatting about the walking tour, about the area, about what we do, when we started,… Schools closed in the beginning of March, to remain closed until September. It must have been since my own school going years that I was so relieved for the school year to be over! Let’s say the online learning experience was challenging at times.

“On the other hand, we live in the countryside, in a relatively remote area. So we are used to not seeing much other people outside of the touristic season. Doing groceries once a week or every 10 days was not that challenging. And the biggest advantage of living here: having lots of outdoor space, being able to go outside, take a walk to the river. That has been the true luxury during these months.”

Stefano and Elisabeth and their two children, Marit and Theo, live and work on an organic olive farm and eco-agriturismo, ‘Le Mole sul Farfa’. Stefano and Elisabeth host the final nights of the Umbrian walk and are also the Local Contacts.

“We kept busy with repairing fences around the olive groves to keep the donkeys inside, making gates, clearing an abandoned olive grove, lots of baking, working in the garden and vegetable garden, picking herbs and flowers to dry for tea…

“On June 18 we welcomed the first guests of the year! We are happy to open our doors again and be able to give a relaxing experience to our guests. But we truly hope that, if not this Autumn, then next year we can host people from overseas again!”

Here is a recipe for a Le Mole classic, that is as easy as it is delicious:

Chocolate and walnut cake

200g dark chocolate, in small pieces
170g sugar
100g ground almonds
100g ground walnuts
4 eggs (white and yolk separated)

1. Mix the sugar and the egg yolks until foamy. Add slowly the almonds, nuts and chocolates to the egg yolks, folding gently. Beat the egg whites and gently fold everything together.

2. Pour everything in a cake tin. Put in the oven (preheated at 180°C). After 25 min the cake is ready.

3. Serve with whipped cream!

Recipe courtesy of Elisabeth de Coster from Le Mole sul Farfa, Mompeo, Italy.

(Footnote from On Foot bakers: we were unsure whether the chocolate should be melted first. We’ve tried it both ways, and the version with melted chocolate probably wins! Great warmed up with cream or ice cream.)

***

Heading north, our Local Contact for Tuscany, Daniele Cavazzoni (bottom left) has been in touch to share his thoughts on his time in lockdown. Daniele lives in a small village to the south west of Siena. He says:

“Since March I have been enjoying and admiring my region like I’ve never done before! During the lockdown it was a real exploration leaving home on foot, meeting nobody except deer and badgers and really surprising myself about the many beautiful hidden corners just on those hills that I used to see from my window.

“Now I look at those hills with different eyes. It was a really strange but amazing experience. Something I feel ashamed about saying, because of the terrible things happening with the epidemic. I pretty much lost my job but I tried to find the greatest opportunities of the situation, doing things that I always postponed; filling my refrigerator with kilos of wild asparagus, playing birdwatching home-challenges with some friends and so on. Since we have been permitted to travel by car, I have tried to do day-trips around Tuscany – doing what my clients would usually do on their vacations. I really felt the pleasure of visiting this region and making the most out of it.

“A message to everyone out there: I would do anything to travel in Australia, US, Canada etc..so do it for me as I’m doing it for you!”

A final word from Daniele:

“I have never spent so much time without speaking English.. Yesterday I found myself chatting with some imaginary travellers on the backseats of my car while I was driving home, telling and explaining everything about the landscape…”.

Ciao, let’s keep in touch!

Coffee on a sunny terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples. An abbey decorated with glorious frescoes, with the sound of monks chanting in the distance. The crunch of dry leaves underfoot on a wooded hillside. Vineyards laden with ripe fruit. Just the thought of Italy conjures up visions of warm days, heavy with the fragrance of lemon trees, and the promise of a delicious meal and a glass of the best local wine to reward the weary hiker.

Don’t take our word for it – experience the charms of Italy yourself with one of On Foot Holidays’ self-guided walks. We offer six routes in this lovely country, showcasing the different landscapes. In the north are the mighty Dolomites and beautiful Lake Maggiore, as well as a challenging walk through the hills of Liguria to the coast. Further south are the classic landscapes and the historic hilltop towns of Southern Tuscany, the rural charms of Umbria, and the stupendous Amalfi Coast. And there are walks for everyone, from easy-medium to challenging.

Yes, it’s a walking holiday, of course it is. That’s why you’re here! For the mountains, meadows, footpaths and tremendous views. But a visit to the Italian lakes of Maggiore and Orta has lots more to offer to hikers and those who would like to have a more leisurely holiday, with some flexibility to take a day off from walking and explore the cultural history of the area.

The Borromean Islands

On the terraces of Isola Bella

On Foot Holidays’ route will bring you firstly to Lake Maggiore’s delightful Borromean Islands, a mini archipelago owned by the aristocratic Borromeo family since the 16th century. Isola Bella and Isola Madre both have grand residences and gardens, while Isola Superiore has remained a traditional fishing community. You’ll stay on the latter, also known as Isola dei Pescatori, and can wander its narrow alleyways after the day’s visitors have left. Try the lake fish at a restaurant looking out over the water, to the sound of gentle waves lapping on the shore as the lights come on across the lake.

Time here can be well spent using the ferry service to hop between the islands. Isola Bella is the big draw, with a huge baroque palazzo built to impress and gardens to match. The grand public rooms turn “showing off” into an art form, amazing visitors such as Napoleon Bonaparte and various royalty over the years, while the decorated grottoes beneath are a rustic novelty.

In the undergrowth of Isola Madre

The gardens are pure theatre – a monumental backdrop of massive carved scallop shells and ornamentation faces the lawn, and the layers of terrace climb behind, bristling with statues and overflowing with climbing roses, lemon trees and urns of flowers. It’s a place of human invention, trimmed, decorated and dressed to impress, where the natural world is confined to an aviary of chattering parakeets and picture-perfect peacocks standing proud for the ever-present camera phones.

For a more gentle and pastoral experience, the neighbouring island of Isola Madre is a short ferry ride across the water. Here the lavish tendencies of the Borromeo family were reined in a little, and the palazzo is a more modest affair. However, it would be a mistake to dismiss it as dull in comparison with its flashy neighbour – here you will find the family’s puppet theatre, with fantastical scenery and some surprisingly grotesque puppets.

The rambling paths and shady lawns of the gardens are informal and romantic, and quite English in style. It’s a botanical delight, and keen plant lovers will find well-labelled specimens from all round the world, from Himalayan rhododendrons to an experimental collection of South African proteas. And there are more fancy birds here, with brightly-coloured pheasants lurking in the undergrowth.

Alpine beauty at the Giardino Botanica Alpinia

More gardens

If you have time to spare at the end of the Mergozzo to Pallanza walk, a short detour will take you to the Villa Taranto in Verbania (there is a ferry dock immediately outside the garden entrance, at which most of the local ferries make a stop). Created by Scotsman Captain Neil Boyd McEacham in the early 20th century, it contains a huge collection of exotic plants from across the world, as well as some ingenious engineering to pump water from the lake to the many pools, waterfalls and fountains.

A little gem for lovers of alpine plants is the Giardino Botanica Alpinia, which you’ll pass on your way to Gignese. The origins of the collection range from the Italian Alps to China and Japan, all set in a woodland garden with a fabulous view across the lake.

There are more villas and gardens around the lake to visit if you have extra days to spare. Parco Pallavicino near Stresa is noted for its well established trees, and is also home to an animal park of deer, goats, zebras and more.

Some unusual local history

Walking from Armeno to Orta you’ll pass by the Calderara Foundation in Vacciago. Housed in a 17th century house that was the home of painter Antonio Calderara, the exhibit includes over 300 sculptures and paintings by the artist and his friends and contemporaries, charting the milestones of 20th century art.

While in Gignese, why not pop into the Umbrella Museum? This small town became well-known for the production of high quality umbrellas and parasols, and the museum contains many decorative examples, along with the history of the industry in the area and the unique Tarùsc language developed by the craftsmen in order to protect their trade secrets.

Another slightly esoteric (and unique) museum on the walk is the Museum of Taps in San Maurizio d’Opaglio – at the time of writing, On Foot hasn’t visited the museum, so we’d love to hear from anyone willing to give it a try!

In Legro the walls of many houses are painted with frescoes inspired by films made in the Lake Orta area and by the works of local writer Gianni Rodari. You’ll pass a signpost with a map of the locations on our route – it could make for an entertaining treasure hunt, should you be familiar with these themes…

Spiritual Lake Orta

One of the chapels of Sacro Monte di Orta

On reaching Lake Orta, the cultural opportunities are significantly more sacred. Isola San Guilio makes a picturesque backdrop to the lake view, and a short boat ride will take you to visit the Basilica (look for information about the discovery of a supposed dragon bone in the crypt). The abbey that dominates the island is not accessible, but you can walk along a narrow street behind the lakeside houses, designed as the ‘Way of Silence and Meditation’ – though you may not find this experience especially silent or meditative on a busy summer afternoon.

Orta’s highlight, however, is the series of twenty chapels of Sacro Monte di Orta, standing along a devotional way that winds around the hill above the town. Each chapel uses frescoes or statues to illustrate an episode in the life of St Francis of Assisi, interpreting them as similar to events in the life of Christ. Built between 1590 and 1788, they also represent a range of architectural styles from late Renaissance to rococo, and are well worth a detour from your walk.

Top Tips

Follow the links above to local websites for opening times and prices. See ferry timetables and prices here for Lake Maggiore – it is possible to buy a “Free-circulation” ticket so you can hop on and off any ferries between two points within a day, and there are discounts for those aged 65+.

Joint tickets for visits to any combination of Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Parco Pallavicino and Rocca di Anghera (a castle further south on the lake) can save a few Euros. If you plan in advance, these can be bought online here.

Isola Bella and Isola Madre can easily be visited in one day. There are plenty of lunch opportunities at Isola Bella and Isola Superiore, and Isola Madre has a small cafe.