Sunday 13th April
Today has been a wonderful but also a very heart-wrenching day. We have made the final stage of our journey into Italy and met up with part of our lovely family - Peter and Hannah, Emilie and Adam, but have also received the news that our dear friend Judith is drawing close to the end of her life. We are sorry not to be by her side, but she knows we love her and are holding her very close even though we are so far away from home. Last Monday she gave us her blessing to come on this trip ....
Although we had heard that there could be a long wait to enter the Gotthard Tunnel, this morning it was a piece of cake - no holdup at all and not a lot of traffic in either direction. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that there was no toll to pay (unlike the Mont Blanc tunnel we understand). Patches of snow on the hillsides added to the beauty of the countryside as we made our way south to Lake Maggiore. The morning haze had lifted and the lake glistened in the sunshine. The road that follows the lakeside on the western side was a trifle narrow for the likes of us in places, especially when it twisted and turned around rocky outcrops, but soon the road widened towards Verbania, until we reached our destination - Camping Orchidea at Feriolo.
Emilie and Adam threw themselves into our arms - what a lovely greeting. They soon showed us round their little cabin and we parked up on the grassy pitch next door. A leisurely lunch together was followed by a stroll to the little sandy beach and along the promenade beside the lake to sample the local gelato. So much icecream was piled on our cornets that it overhung the sides. Mmmmm. Then we looked at the menus of all the restaurants to choose which one to visit later - so many decisions to be made when you are on holiday! Of course, we had to try real Italian pizzas - another mmmmmm.
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