We have just returned from a holiday to Italy where we stayed on Lake Maggiore - stayed tuned for a future post about this - but for today I want to invite you to to visit lake Orta with me and in particular the village of Orta San Giulio.
The joy of this place and of its accompanying Island of San Giulio out in the lake (which unfortunately we didn't have time to visit) was the fact that there was nothing to disturb the harmony of the buildings
no monstrosities of the sixties or seventies to spoil the flow of the architecture
no jarring colours to spoil the predominance of earth tones that softly blend into the landscape
rather, an ancient square with frescoed houses
roads along the lake that once may have led to Rome,
or just back to the central square
and little jetties where you can enjoy a drink or an ice-cream overlooking the lake
In all just perfect!