The first snow of the year… Well, not in Stresa, but up at the top of Mottarone Mountain, 1491 meters (4920 feet) above Stresa, there has been snow in the past days. Not enough to block the roads either, but just enough to change the view from one of a dry, brown, autumn landscape into an early winter one, with a glowing, brilliant white surface. Choose a clear autumn day, and take a trip up the mountain for a temporary taste of winter and a breathtaking view of northern Italy.

Mottarone has its charms in all four seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall. For cableway prices and schedules, and more information, visit the website: www.stresa-mottarone.it/home_eng

It's Friday, and so I bring you a market report from the Stresa Outdoor Market. The weather is getting colder; there was a chilly wind today too, and as I strolled through the market to pick up my roast chicken I knew exactly what else it was that I wanted to shop for. A sciarpa, a scarf. Of course I have scarves already; it is practically a law that women must wear them here, but on this stormy morning I was feeling I needed a warmer one. Something soft and toasty and fluffy. I am in luck, because the vendors, in their prescience, know that I am not the only one who will be shopping for a scarf in these days, and the stalls are filled with choices. I see scarves of all sizes, materials, patterns, and weaves. Mostly I see purple. Purple is definitely the color of the season, and not only for scarves. The market is a sea of purple, violet, and lavender. This is what I like best about visiting the market weekly… the constant change and the speed with which trends and tastes make their way here. Quindi, therefore, I buy the fluffiest, warmest, purplest scarf I can find. The problem is, not having been born Italian, I seem to always have trouble tying my scarf into a proper Italian knot. It never has that certain casualness that I'm after, even though I have researched online how it’s done. Oh well! I’m warm now, and I’ll have all winter to practice.

The Stresa market is held every Friday in Piazza Capucci. Open from early morning until 1 pm.

This is a great day trip for spring, summer, or autumn, and no car required, and one of the most popular excursions to do from Stresa. The Lago Maggiore Express offers the opportunity to enjoy incredible Alpine scenery, charming mountain villages, beautiful churches, regional cuisine, a leisurely lake cruise, and two countries, all with relative ease and comfort.

Does it sound impossible? It’s not. Here’s the basic itinerary:

If you’re in Piemonte in the autumn, beato te! Lucky you! You’re here during truffle season, which after the vendemmia, the grape harvest, may be the most important annual event of the year. The white truffles, tartufo bianco, that are found in Piemonte, and especially in the countryside around the city of Alba, are the most expensive and highly sought after in the world, with a single kilo selling for between €2,000 and €4,000. Each autumn the harvest is celebrated at the International White Truffle Fair of Alba. Weekends throughout October and November there are festivities such as tastings, hunts, concerts, lectures, classes, and more, with the heart of it all being the exhibition hall in Alba. This weekend, to mark the close of the season, there will be a truffle auction, and a Truffle of the Year will be chosen.

Here's an interesting news item I just read... The Legambiente, the Environmental Society, has completed their annual study of the capital cities of the Italian provinces. Of the 103 cities examined, Verbania, which is 15 minutes to the east of Stresa along the lake, was found to be the fourth most "green" city in Italy. Several aspects were studied; the ecosystem of the area, and well as the facilities in place that allow its citizens to live a more sustainable, smaller carbon-footprint, life. Even better news is that Verbania moved up from its 16th place ranking of last year. The city produced less trash, used less water, recycled more, and testing showed cleaner, better air quality. People not only used the public transportation systems more, but also decreased their use of cars and increased their use of bicycles.

Stresa, not being a capital city, was not ranked in this rating. But I feel certain those same findings would apply here as well. And it's nice to see in official words what I've known all along... that this is a special place, of exceptional natural beauty, filled with people who appreciate it and are working to keep it so.
stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa

Fabulous wine, fabulous cheese, fabulous armagnac, all at a wine and cheese tasting at the fabulous, five-star, Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees in Stresa. Organized by AIS, which is the Association of Italian Sommeliers, and sponsored by SOPEXA, marketers for the French wine and food industry, this event was attended mostly by restaurateurs, with the motive of educating themselves as to proper pairings of French wines and cheeses. I wasn’t there for professional reasons; I will freely admit I was only there for the wine. And the cheese. And the scrumptious lunch buffet served during the pause in this all-day event. And although this course was taught in Italian, that wasn’t the difficult part for me. The difficult part was staying awake after the lunch buffet in order to taste the six different armagnacs. That was hard.

Wouldn't you love for this to be the suitcase you needed for work everyday?

They say that into every life a little rain must fall, and when it does here, what better way to spend that day than by visiting the Museo dell'Ombrello e del Parasole, a quirky museum dedicated entirely to those devices we use to protect ourselves from the rain. This region was the home to over 150 umbrella-making families in the 1800s, and today, housed in a building shaped like three open umbrellas, you can learn why, and view hundreds of unique umbrellas, parasols, and other items. Gignese, where the museum is located, is a picturesque little town, a bit higher up in the hills; pairing this museum visit with a lunch at an agriturismo would be a really nice way to pass the day when the weather doesn’t cooperate with your outdoor activities.

Open from 1 April to 31 October, 10.00 – 12.00 and 15.00 to 18.00. Closed Mondays, unless the Monday is a national holiday, in which case the museum is open.

The museum is an easy 20 minute drive from Stresa by car or reachable on public buses.

Web site: http://www.gignese.it/museo/

Fashionistas, this is for you. The American, off-price, megamall concept has come to Europe! If an important part of your Italian vacation is to bring back some of the latest fashions, or if you're looking for a good rainy day activity, this mall must be on your must-do list. With 160 shops, seven restaurants, and its own casino, Foxtown combines the best of American ideas — discounts! — with the best European style. You won’t see these shops in your local mall back home. Here, you’ll find clothing, shoes, and jewelry from all of those fabulous and exclusive Italian and European designers, sold at discounts of 30% to 70%. You’ll travel home wearing something that everyone will drool over. But don’t worry, you can find gifts for them here too; truly one-stop shopping. And if you’re feeling lucky, go drop a euro or two into the slot machines at the casino while you’re here. I bet you can’t do that in your mall back home.

Okay, now the rain starts to become a bit much. It’s been almost a week of some sort of precipitation every day, and the forecast isn’t looking very promising either. But rather than mope around and wait for the sun to return, the weather has made me think it’s time to add a new section to this blog, Rainy Day Activites. Allora, prendi l'ombrello, bring the umbella, we’re going out!