Hi readers... I'm back in Stresa. And this is wonderful. I really feel like I'm on vacation. The lazy kind of vacation where one doesn't do much at all, just relaxes and refreshes, and rests. Here's a very quick synopsis of what I've done so far: After arriving late and being picked up at the airport in Malpensa by Colleague we went directly to a barbeque at the home of friends. They have a beautiful garden, they slow-grilled pollo, costine, and salsicce, chicken, ribs, and sausages. We were late for the bbq, but we ate a little bit, we drank wine.

On the next day, my first full day, the weather was gorgeous, and I was able to accomplish everything I had planned to do. I finished a few editing assignments by their deadlines, then went for a short run along the lungolago, then took cappucino with Colleague at Lido Blu. Lido Blu is a lovely new spot on the lakefront to sit and eat light foods or take a cappuccino. Unused and neglected for several years, it's nice to see the spot open again. The rest of the day was spent at the Dino Hotel in Baveno, where we really played relaxed vacationers, sunbathing by the beautiful pool all afternoon. In the early evening I had a lovely treat. I met a blogging friend, Girasoli. Girasoli writes Shaved Ice and Gelato, and I know her from our writings on SlowTravel. She has been traveling in Italy for some weeks and as part of her trip spent a few days here in Stresa. She stayed at the Hotel du Parc, which she liked very much, I think she'll be recommending it on her own blog and SlowTravel soon. She had just gotten off the bus returning from Lake Orta and we went to Buscion, where I had my first Prosecco of the trip. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay long, as I was going to dinner with Colleague and the friends from last night to make up for the late missed one from the previous evening.

But Girasoli and I were able to meet the next morning as well, taking a cappucino at Jolly Bar on Via P. Tomaso before she left Stresa to travel on to her next stop. Girasoli lives in Hawaii, and presented me with a CD of Hawaiian music, which Colleague and I listened to soon after in the car. Grazie Girasoli, it is lovely!

I did some more work that morning, and I bought a bunch of different fruits in the Stresa Friday market, mirtilli, pescanoce, mele, blueberries, nectarines, apples, and some wonderful, flat-shaped peaches from Sicily that I've not seen before. The afternoon I spent reading, about 100 pages of a long 900-page book I've been into. And in the evening, a steak dinner at O'Connor's, an Irish-style pub in Verbania. And later, after walking through the rainy alleys of Stresa with an umbrella and my pants rolled up, a glass of red wine from Montalcino at Buscion.

And that brings us up-to-date. As, you can see, mostly a lot of relaxing. I'm sure I'll visit some tourist sites, some places I haven't seen yet, but for the most part I think many of my days may be repetitions of these. Exactly, perfectly, what I'd like to do. Therefore, in these days, I'll leave you to use what already exists on the site, write me questions if you like, maybe I'll post some updates on my days, maybe not. It is, after all, my vacation.