Then we headed up to Lago Orta. It is a very small lake with an even smaller (of course) island in the middle of it. We took a boat out to the Isola Di Silenzio as it is called due to the fact that there is a convent on it where all the nuns take a life long vow of silence. It's a pretty quiet place.

There is a foot path around the island, The Way Of Silence. We walked around it. Along the way, there are many signs to help one mediatate. We didn't see any nuns while we were there... didn't hear any either.
Mark Being His Usual Reverent Self

Next, we toured the town. It was quite lovely. It's all right along the lake shore with cobblestone streets and a dozen or so small shops. We had a picnic lunch in the park after stopping in this small store:

The owner spoke Italian, French, German, and English. He was quite a character as well, offering everyone who passed by tastes of the cheeses and meats and sips of Amaretto. We also got to taste some amazing vinegar (50eu for a small bottle). They claimed it was good on ice cream. It was mighty tasty, but we didn't buy any.

Here are a few more shots arond the town:

Then I saw this dog swimming:

After Orta, we decided to drive up over the ridge to the next lake to the east, Lago Maggiore. On the crossing, we sighted these strange birds! We watched them set up and in a flash, take off. I wanted to try it as well. I figured you don't need to know much to get it aloft. Landing is where all the technique is.