Leaving the shores of Lake Maggiore
after a fun 3 days on the peaceful Camping La Sierra, we were
relieved to have a destination that was just 45 minutes drive away at
the nearby Lake Orta to the south west. Having been on the road for
just under a month since leaving the Hague and we were starting to
feel the after effects of having been in 'holiday mode' since then,
trying to make the most of every day. Waking up, immediately planning
what to do, where to hike, what to see when we got back from our
hike. We both felt ready to take it a little easier for a few days.
Also, with the rest of the ACSI campings in our guide ending their
discounted rates for the high season, we knew that we would have a
more nomadic month period of from mid-July to September staying on
Aires, which tend to allow 48 hour stays at most, with the majority
being 24 hours.
We plotted our course to Camping Royal,
nestled in the wooded hills above Pettenasco on the shores of LakeOrta, that was offering ACSI discount for another 5 nights. Despite
some more SatNav fun that ended with me reversing our 2.3m wide
motorhome out of a 2.35m road with backed up traffic looking on, we
eventually made it safely to the impressive Camping Royal shortly
after lunchtime on Sunday, in the middle of a downpour, to be greeted
by the very friendly Paulo. The site itself seemed to be mostly full
of long term caravans with just a few touring pitches and we picked
out our own little spot right next door to the swimming pool!
Despite the heavy rain, from the front
of our motorhome we could see straight through the few trees on the
campsite down to the surface of Lake Orta just a few kilometres away,
surrounding by forested hillsides and dotted with little boats
cruising between the shores. Lake Orta is much, much smaller than
Lake Maggiore which we had left behind, but the area has the same
tranquil atmosphere we had enjoyed since arriving in Italy. We
immediately felt very at home and decided to stay put until the ACSI
rate ended later in the week.
Our plan of resting up and taking
things a little easier during our stay was also helped by the
frequent heavy rain and thunderstorms that settled on the area for
the first 3 days of our time here. Sunday and Monday night in
particular were spectacular with lightening flashing across the sky
and illuminating the inside of the motorhome followed by some ear
splitting thunderclaps. Most of our days in the early part of the
week followed a simple routine of getting up, doing some exercise, a
quick shower and back to the motorhome to read and relax until
mid-afternoon when we'd take a short stroll (between rain showers)
down the steep hill into Pettenasco to sit or wander along the shores
of Lake Orta and listen to the waves lapping on the small stony
beaches.
Watching other campers come and go, we
enjoyed our slower pace of life. We did consider taking a longer
stroll into the surrounding hills, with some 1400m peaks within
hiking distance. However, by the time the rain showers started to
lift in the afternoons we weren't sure if we'd have time. Besides, we
were quite enjoying putting our feet up.
The sunshine returned to the area on
Wednesday, so after our morning exercise and a peaceful hour lounging
by the pool (don't be fooled by the pictures, that water was very
cold!) we set off on a longer stroll. Our aim was to reach the SacroMonte at Orta San Giulia a few kilometres along the lake. The Sacro
Monte is a complex of 21 chapels, each depicting a different scene
from the life of St. Francis of Assisi, gathered on a hilltop that
juts out into the lake. The pretty route which climbs out of
Pettenasco through the woods was even livened up further when we saw
our first snake! (Esther later had us googling snakes in Italy! There
are some poisonous vipers in Italy, but this wasn't one of them).
Unfortunately, just an hour into a walk we saw the now familiar storm
clouds gathering on the far bank and heard the rumble of thunder so
we decided we'd have to head back. Somewhat frustratingly the storm
clouds cleared later in the afternoon and the evening bought back the
bright sunshine again, although we overcame the frustration somewhat
by lounging by the pool some more.
On Thursday we did eventually make it
to the Sacro Monte, this time taking our bikes for a spin along the
lakeside road. The complex of chapels, mostly built in the 1600s and
decorated with hundreds of colourful frescoes and statues depicting
scenes of the St. Francis's life, was very impressive. It has been
declared a UNESCO World Hertiage of Humanity site and the wood
hilltop around has been made into a nature reserve. We followed the
'devotional route' around the wooded hilltop (which is also home to
millions of midges) visiting each chapel in order before heading down
the hill into the beautiful little town of Orta San Giulia itself and
wandered through the narrow alleyways and ancient houses, before
taking some time sitting by the square and watching to boats come and
go to the Island of San Giulia.
Which brings us to Friday and after a
lovely week putting our feet up it's time to hit the road again,
although we haven't made our minds up where to yet.........
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