Federico Ashton - Pecetto of Macugnaga and Monte Rosa, 1887

The true star of Lago Maggiore is, always was, and always will be, its natural scenery and splendor. No matter what beautiful palaces have been built, no matter how many restaurants there are serving delicious regional food, no matter the markets and the shopping and the music festivals, the true attraction here is the lake and the mountains themselves. Remove the natural elements and I'm not certain that people would travel here for the aforementioned sights, but remove the palaces and restaurants and markets, and people would still come, senza dubbio, without any doubt, just to sit and marvel at this incredible landscape.

Guido Boggiani - Chestnut Wood Above Stresa - 1884

It's a love affair, this museum... On the part of Massara, but also it's evident in all of the works here. Through the eyes of dozens of different painters, sculptors, and artists of various media, the visitor sees how so many others have seen, and then depicted, this local landscape. Of particular interest to me are the scenes that include people, structures or street scenes. I know, one can argue that they are not truly landscapes, that the buildings intrude, but Massara believed that they were, and I enjoy the glimpses of a time before photographs, into those moments captured.

Achille Tomanetti - Ploughing at Miazzina

“In nessuna età come la nostra, inquieta e variabile, si è sentita più profondamente la misteriosa affinità che lega l’anima umana al paesaggio”

"In an era like ours, restless and variable, in one is it felt more profoundly the mysterious affinity between the human soul and the landscape."

Okay, now the rain starts to become a bit much. It’s been almost a week of some sort of precipitation every day, and the forecast isn’t looking very promising either. But rather than mope around and wait for the sun to return, the weather has made me think it’s time to add a new section to this blog, Rainy Day Activites. Allora, prendi l'ombrello, bring the umbella, we’re going out!

What are some good things to do if it rains while you’re here? There are always museums of course but I have a better idea. Do the same activities you would do at home, but remember, it isn’t the same old activity when you’re doing it in another country. It’s an opportunity to observe the cultural differences and to take part a little bit in the day-to-day life here. So how about a movie? If your knowledge of Italian is intermediate or better this is great fun. Choose an action film, less dialogue and more visual cues. Or how about shopping? While just another day at the mall at home sounds pretty boring, don’t discount the fun of shopping in an Italian mall and comparing the stores and fashions. Try on some outfits; see how ‘Italian’ you can look. And if you have access to a kitchen, then stop at a supermarket, buy some local ingredients and a bottle of wine, look up a recipe, and create your own Italian banquet.

I’ll expand on some Rainy Day Activities in future posts; click on the Rainy Day Activities link on the sidebar to see them all. But the point is, a little rain shouldn’t be any deterrent at all to having fun. And chissa, who knows, perhaps a great adventure is waiting you in one of these everyday places.