11:35PM | Sala Comacina | Italy
Began the morning driving through winding streets to the Sacri Monti of Ossuccio, a series of 17th century churches perched along an ancient cobblestone road. We climbed past all fourteen tiny chapels, each depicting a different scene in life-size wooden figures.
At the top was a bar/trattoria full of a huge, talkative Italian family. Considering this endorsement enough, we sat down for a lovely lunchtime meal in a garden in back of the 16th century church named for the Madonna del Soccorso — pasta, vino rosso, and an incredible “torto santuario” made from chocolate, pears, and likely something divine.
Back in Sala Comacina, we found a boat to take us to the small island in the harbor of our town. The only island in the entire lake, Isola Comacina has a remarkable history, with stone foundations dating back to 50 AD, and the ruins of several churches built in the 8th and 12th centuries.
Dinner for our final night in Italy was back on the harborside piazza just steps from our front door. We ate speck-filled ravioli, and gorgonzola-topped steak, as the sun retreated up the mountains across the lake. Communication skills should improve tomorrow as we cross into Switzerland and France, but the view will be hard to beat.
