Readers' Mail --- Q&As

Monday, September 6, 2010

Readers' Mail --- Q&As

5:05 AM |

Dana Kaplan, Stresa Sights |

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August was a busy month for Stresa Sights readers, many of who were here in town during the summer or preparing to be so very soon. We received much mail, including these questions on bugs, boats, and blessings.

Q: I am a magnet to every biting flying insect. I was wondering how inhabited Stresa is by such? Will I need mozzie coils?

A:

I, like you, am a magnet for them. They LOVE me. So with that in mind, I will tell you that here is better than average for me. In the evenings, if I am sitting outside at a cafe, especially near to the water, they tend to get my ankles. I have also had food bothered a very little bit by the small bees we call yellow jackets. We've usually been able to distract them by giving them a portion of their own on the other side of the table.

So overall, I'd say yes, there are some bugs, but really very few. The air here this summer was cool and not humid, really fresh and lovely, and in the autumn it should be even more so. I don't know that you will need any mozzie coils, but perhaps carrying bug-off wipes wouldn't be a bad idea, just in case.

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Q: We plan to have either a civil or symbolic wedding in Stresa in July 2011 and would like to contact either the Town Hall in Stresa or the gentleman in person. We have looked on many sites but cannot find the direct contact details, can you help us?

A: The Mayor, or Sindaco as he is known here, does perform civil wedding ceremonies. Anyone interested should contact il Sindaco's office through his

assistant. Please contact as far in advance as possible to have the best chance of arranging your ceremony on the day that you want. You can contact the tourist services department of the mayor's office at: servizituristicoculturali@comune.stresa.vb.it.

If you need assistance planning a reception or other wedding activities here, many of the larger hotels offer services, there are wedding planners at your disposal in the area, or, contact us here. We'd be happy to help.

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Q: Will the ferry timetables in October differ very much? (The ones we can find online only go to mid-September.)

I don't want to yet confirm any ferry service for mid-October, because as you discovered it has

not been published yet; the current schedule runs through only September 19th. Looking back at last year, the schedule changed on October 19th, just after the major attractions closed. We can assume this year should be the same. There may be fewer ferries running to certain locations, such as Santa Caterina. The ferries to the islands should be much the same as during the summer. The palace and villa on the islands, as well as Santa Caterina, close for the 2010 season on October 17. If you will be here in the autumn please check the ferry schedule or ask at an imbarcadero ticket window for exact times.

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Have a question? Don't hesitate to ask! Write to us at stresasights@gmail.com.