Grand Finale

After a long drive in heavy rain, we arrived at the beautiful Lago Maggiore, the second largest lake in Italy (the largest being Lake Garda which we have also visited). This is the last station of our trip before we have to make our way home again. The region around the Lago Maggiore is known for its mild climate both in summer and winter. And the weather indeed did not disappoint us: we had wonderful autumn sun since we arrived – perfect for playing in the water and going on further hikes! The views from the hamlets we hiked (Sant’ Agata, 473m, Molineggi, 454m, the artist village Ronco, 350m) over the lake and the surrounding mountains are just gorgeous – some of the peaks were already powdered with snow!

We stay in Cannobio, which is said to be one of the prettiest towns on the Lago Maggiore. It is nestled between the western shore of the Lake and the mountains, with charming old, pastel-painted buildings, a lovely lake-front promenade with lots of cafés, bars and restaurants, a nice beach and lots of green space for doggies – truly a worthy conclusion of our trip!

But something was soon disturbing my sensitive doggy senses: I did not want to enter the camper at night any longer, went restlessly back and forth inside, jumped on mom’s bed which was far too high so that I fell down – luckily I did not break my legs! My mom was first scared and then angry with me, since she did not understand the sudden change of my behavior. But after two sleepless nights, a nibbled apple which she left on the table gave her the explanation for my nightly anxiety: we have a mouse in the camper!! Normally I am not scared of them, but sharing a narrow camper with these little night-active creatures was too much for me – I simply freaked out! To give us some rest, my mom booked us into the lovely Hotel Cannobio which is directly located at the promenade with breathtaking views over the Lake! Not the end of the trip we both envisaged, but for sure a memorable “Grand Finale”!