Stresa

More appropriately defined as heaven on earth. Beautiful weather, beautiful lake, beautiful town! The lake it is on is called Lake Maggiore which was formed by a glacier so its super deep. People don't really ski on this lake though..There is an island that we went to called Isla Bella which a member of the SUPER rich Italian Borromeo Family built for his wife who's name was (you guessed it!) Isabella. There is a giant fairy tale palace on it, which sadly we can't take pictures of, but it was amazing. There was a grotto that they built in the basement level that had been built over a period of 80 years with shells and lava rocks and it looked like something straight out of the Little Mermaid. But we could take pictures of the garden...

Welcome to Stresa!

Heading out on the boats

Isla Bella and Palazzo Borromeo

Entrance to the garden

fairy tale

Yeah sure that's the backdrop to all the concerts we have in our garden. Oh, and the white peacocks? Yeah they're everywhere.

So amazing

literally Beauty and the Beast

View from the top

PBP

Gotta love Jenn

ChloeChloeChloe

Momma peacocks and their babies

These hydrangeas weren't just in the garden, they were ALL over Stresa! 

Right after I took this he almost bit me

Yum :)

From the back of the hotel that night.

Lobby of the Grand Hotel Dino.

We all took a hike up to the back part of the city where the real Italians live and got to see this

and this

and this

What if you lived here?

Good morning from our room in the hotel.

 See what I said? Heaven on earth. Miles take note..We are going back someday :)