It's la vigilia di Natale, Christmas Eve, in Stresa. It's raining, as it has been for some days now. Not the bestweather for this special night, but the events have gone on as planned. All evening the churches in the small frazione, the villages, of Stresa have held their annual Christmas Eve masses, and afterwards they've all served vin brule, the traditional warm, spiced wine, with the traditional cake panettone, and cioccolata, hot chocolate. One could have, if they had so wanted, made a pilgrimage through the small villages in the hills, starting at 9 pm at the Chiesa di Someraro, and then at the Chiesa di Brisino. By 10.30, if one made their way to the village of Magognino, they would have seen the live presepe. And after the mass there they could warm up at the bonfire lit outside the church. But all are aperitivi for the main midnight masses, at the larger Chiesa di Stresa and the Chiesa di Carciano, after which, of course, there was distributed more vin brule, more hot chocolate, and more panettone.

And at one house in Stresa, projected high onto an exterior wall for all to see, a beautiful Christmas image, to put one in the proper spirit, rain or not.