Photographs: Sunrise Over Lago Maggiore

Buongiorno... Good day to everyone... 

And what a day it is. How can it be a bad day when it begins with a sunrise such as this? These are unretouched, unaltered photographs of sunrises over Lago Maggiore. They were sent to me by a friend who lives near the lake and witnesses many sunrises.

This friend is a fisherman, a painter, a volunteer firefighter on both land and boats. He rows on a crew team and he runs. He has co-written a book about the history of fishing on the lake. He does construction and painting work, often on the Borromean islands. He collects old postcards of the lake... Someday I must tell you about those....

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There is the obvious common link in his activities. The lake. He is so often near it, on it, in it, looking at it. And as you can see, never taking it for granted.

These photographs were not taken on the same day. They are just a few of many taken over the span of a couple of years. The time of day is somewhere between 7:00 am and 8:00 am for all of them. I've sort of arranged them here from darkest to lightest, as if they are one sunrise, but you can also see from the views and background that they are not. 

FYI, looking due east from Stresa (straight up on the map below) means looking across the lake toward Laveno on the opposite shore. From Stresa, it is over those hills that the sun will rise. And remember, these are photographs of many different mornings... That is the great news... It means this wasn't a fluke. It wasn't one amazing dawn. This happens often. So, be a mattiniero or a mattiniera, an early-riser, and you can experience this too.

To my friend, when you read this, grazie, for having the eyes and the soul to capture these magnificent sunrises, and for the kindness to send them to me to share them with us all. May all your sunrises be beautiful ones.