A Day on the Lake

Selfie on the lake

Monday was our last full day together in Italy. The program was to sail from Tuoro to the Isola Maggiore, one of the three islands in Lake Trasimeno. There is not a whole lot to see, but it’s a lovely place to spend a few hours. As luck would have it, it was a gorgeous day, perfectly clear blue skies and bright sun. We headed down to the dock once we had finished breakfast and cleaned up. We had some time before the next ferry. After October 1, the ferry runs a more limited schedule. We enjoyed the lakeside and after about twenty minutes, we could see the ferry headed back our way. We boarded and took our seats on the open top deck. It’s a short ride to the island, only about ten minutes. Still, it was nice to be on the water. The perspective changes everything. Soon we were landing.

We disembarked and strolled into the little cluster of buildings that constitute the “town” on the island. There were, of course, the requisite number of tourist shops and stalls, but not too many. The town only has one street and there are just a few shops and restaurants. The most distinctive feature of the island is the quiet. There are no cars! 

The sense of tranquility is palpable. We wandered for a while back and forth, but unless one were willing to climb some very steep trails, there was not much else to do. We grabbed a table at a lakeside café and had some drinks and snacks while waiting for the ferry back. It was just so pleasant sitting outside in the warm autumn sun. Soon the ferry was on its way and we climbed aboard.

Since it was early, we decided to head back into Passignano where our time together had begun a week earlier. We had no real objective other than some possible souvenir shopping and maybe some gelato and a walk along the lake. If possible, the town seemed even quieter than the week before. It’s a summer resort and the season was long over, except for a few tourists like us. We didn’t spend a long time, but enjoyed the stop all the same. We needed to head home. Tonight we were having dinner prepared by an in-house chef and we needed to get ready. My sisters also wanted to start packing for their departure for Rome in the morning.

Passignano

Once back at Antiche Pietre, there was a noticeable sense of sadness that this vacation was coming to a close. We had planned for so long and the time seemed to go so fast. It had been such a wonderful time together in a magical place. Alessandro arrived around 5:30 and began preparing dinner. By 6:30, we were all on the veranda looking out at the view that had become such a familiar sight. Drinks in hand, we laughed and recalled some of the funny things that had happened. Then it was time to eat. I thanked everyone for joining me here in Italy, saying that they had made a dream come true. We also toasted Carol and Robert, who both turned sixty back in December. This dinner was really in their honor and it was for them. Needless to say, there were some tearful faces around the table, including yours truly.

Panna Cotta

Then dinner began. We had assorted crostini to start, pici al aglione, a local pasta with tomato and garlic sauce; veal filet with pancetta served with sautéed greens, and, to conclude, panna cotta with strawberry sauce. It was a lovely meal and before you knew it, Alessandro was packed up and on his way.

At least there was time for one more game of Uno!