Grüetzi, Grüetzi! That's Amoré!: A 2015 Italy/Switzerland Trip Report - Complete!

[mare1203]

subbing in here too......dh and I just spent 3.5 weeks in Europe and I'm dying to hear about this one. I actually booked a F&W adventure for this year because I was missing Europe! I have to catch up on your other report first.....you are ambitious! I started my tr 2 years ago and am just now getting to work on it and have a goal to finish before our trip in 62 days.

Haha, I actually have a system to keep myself on track, though I was without my laptop while away this weekend and clearly wasn't able to update! I have yet to figure out a good way to do updates without a laptop.

Good luck with finishing that trip report! I love Food and Wine!

 

[mare1203]

Hello again, adventurers. Sorry for the delay in posting. I was home tending to the pre-wedding duties of hosting a shower and bachelorette party, so I haven't had a chance to post an update. No worries though, I am back and might even give you an extra post to make up for it! Now that I have that out of the way, let’s get back to it, shall we?


When I last left off, we were heading to a couple of the Borromean Islands. We purchased a ticket for just Isola Madre and Isola Pescatori. The captain informed us our best bet would be to visit Isola Madre first, which would take about 1-1 1/2 hours and then hop on the ferry to Pescatori for lunch. Perfect. He then directed us toward the dock where we would be boarding the boat.


It was about a 10 minute ride to Isola Madre. This is the largest of the 3 Borromean Islands, and was the first to be inhabited, though it is the least visited. Isola Madre has been owned by the Borromean family since 1500 and been a thriving botanical garden since about 1550. The family has planted vegetation from all over the world, some quite rare.


There is no reason to visit if you aren't going to also visit botanical gardens and palace, and you should be warned that it is a separate ticket. We purchased our tickets and were then on our way.








The scenery on the island was beautiful and lush. The path winds around with some great botanicals to see and even better picture opportunities.






Also on the island was a small bird sanctuary.






We enjoyed taking in the views and admiring all the lush foliage.




Outside the palace is a giant cypress tree of Cashmir, held up by many ropes. It was almost ruined by a tornado a number of years ago, but due to a feat of engineering, it was saved and still prospers in its place just outside the palace.
​

Inside the palace, photography was not allowed. There were a variety of bedrooms and other artifacts set up for us to see. One of the best sights in this small palace was the theater room. The family would put in elaborate plays with marionettes and a variety of set pieces. One of them even blew fire! It was pretty neat to see.​

We did manage to snap a picture of my dad posing like the portraits in the portrait room just before the house started.






Once you are outside the palace, there is a small courtyard and ponds, but that is basically the end of the area. The captain was right, and this took us just over an hour to complete. I thought it was a good way to spend some time. Our next stop was some lunch on Isola Pescatori.


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[mare1203]

Aaadventurers! Told you I might get an extra post out and here it is!




When we left off, we had just finished our tour of Isola Madre. We headed down to the docks to wait for the boat that would take us to our next destination.




While we waited for our shuttle, we took the opportunity to people watch the various boats out for an afternoon on the lake.




Isola Pescatori is basically a haven for restaurants. There are only a small number of full-time residents, mostly fishermen. The few kids on this island have to take a boat across each day to attend school. This is the smallest of the 3 islands and many restaurants go all the way through to the small courtyard in the middle. We walked around the entire island in about 20 minutes and then decided on a place for lunch.




We ended up eating at a small cafe in the middle of the island called La Nostra Carta. Knowing we had the welcome dinner coming up, we went with a small lunch. Each of us chose a pasta dish.


Kathy chose the lasagne. It was a traditional meat lasagna and she enjoyed this. The cheese was nice and creamy.


My dad had a craving for pasta carbonara, which is one of the reasons we chose this place. He enjoyed his pasta carbonara and thought it was a good portion size for lunch.


Unsurprisingly, a good many of the restaurants specialize in seafood or have lots of seafood options on the menu. I just had to try something with seafood, so I decided to go with the Spaghetti Frutti di Mare, or seafood pasta. I thought this dish was very good. I loved the flavors together and the fish was clearly fresh with a light tomato sauce.


Overall, I enjoyed this lunch, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend this place over any other. There were a lot of good options and if we had done a little more research on the island, we may have chosen somewhere else. A number of families ate at the restaurant belvedere a few nights later when the guides offered to make reservations and said it was a great meal. We looked at the menu for that one and it did indeed look delicious, but too much for the lunch we were seeking.


Once we were finished with lunch we decided to go back to Stresa for some relaxation. It was pretty hot that day and Kathy and I also wanted to check out the indoor pool. It is located in the basement of the resort and also offers a full spa. The spa isn't included, but access to the pools and emotional showers (yes, the brochure actually used the term emotional showers) are included.




The brochure said the indoor pool has a cave-like feel and is kept at 30 centigrade. However, it was definitely not 30 centigrade. I know because as a Phoenician, we usually like our pool water to be about 87 degrees before getting in, which translates roughly to 29-30 centigrade (fun fact, 28 centigrade is about 82 Fahrenheit) and this was way chillier than that!




The pool is described as a multi-sensory experience, with sounds, lights, and a variety of water features. It is the epitome of relaxation and I think all 3 of us dozed off in a comfortable bliss for a while. Also accessible were the Turkish baths, a steam grotto, and a sauna. The steam grotto was very warm and comforting, and I had the chance to sweat out some of my toxins in the process! I felt stress free and completely at ease after an afternoon at this pool. I recommend experiencing both pools if (when!) you go on this trip.


Before heading up to get ready for our welcome dinner, we stopped at the outdoor gazebo bar for a drink. Kathy and I both got a prosecco, while Bob went with an Italian lager. They have a full bar and a number of tables outside. They’ll also serve you at the outdoor pool.
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[kanadar]

That pool was super cool! I wish it had been warmer because then it would have just been perfect! But it was still a nice relaxing afternoon!

 

[Cousin Orville]

Looks like a great start before your welcome dinner!

 

[mare1203]

The Adventure Begins!

Our welcome reception was set to start at 6:30. Kathy and I bet one another about what time my perpetually early father would want to go down. We are often the first people to show up to parties and such, though I can't say much because I am also perpetually early. He surprised us by waiting until 6:20 (Kathy had 6:12, while I had 6:15, haha) to head down the 2 flights of stairs to meet our fellow adventurers. Turns out, we had an early-bird group and about 1/2 the adventurer families were already there. The Ferrari show was winding down, but there was still a bustle of activity happening in the lobby.


We also saw the tail end of the fashion show, which accompanied the Ferrari show.


When we arrived, we had a chance to take a family welcome picture and mingled with some of the others while we waited for the festivities to begin.


Soon, we heard the call 'Aaaadventurerrrs!' and were led into the bar area that had been set up with light appetizers and beverages along with a seating area for everyone. We all took our seats and the guides started their introductions. Kathy was both in charge of the camera and had the best view for pictures during the welcome, but didn't take any pictures. Sorry! (One day I'll get her properly trained...just kidding Kath, you did good).


One of our guides was Jessica. She seriously, 100% has my dream job of working full-time as a VIP tour guide at Walt Disney World. I maaay have asked her an inordinate amount of questions about life as a VIP guide, lol. Jessica is originally from Finland, but lived in Switzerland for 5 years before moving to Florida to work for Walt Disney World. She speaks Finnish and German and has occasionally been deployed as an adventure guide for the alpine magic itinerary. Jessica is guiding this summers' worth of itineraries.


This dork is Stephanie. She has been guiding for 8 years and is originally from Germany. Prior to adventure guiding, Stephanie worked at Disneyland Paris and also did a year at German pavilion in Epcot as an international CP (sadly, we missed each other by 6 months on the college program). It was when she was working at the German pavilion that she attended an information session about adventure guiding and has been doing it ever since. Stephanie guides the Germany and Central Europe trips in addition to this one every once in a while (you may also recognize her from her cameo in the newest viewbook). Next year, she will also be guiding the new River Cruise adventure, so if anyone signed up for that sees her, tell her hi for me!

Stephanie and Jessica got along well and we loved having them as our guides. They told us that this was a fun itinerary and we had some exciting things on tap for the week. We were starting in beautiful Stresa for what they referred to as 'La Dolce Vida', or, the good life (an apt description, for sure). Then, we were heading to Switzerland for some great views and the more physical portion of the trip.


Once the girls finished giving us a brief overview, we were each asked to introduce our family and what we were most looking forward to or why we picked this particular itinerary. Our guides said the last group mostly said that it fit into their schedule, which I found humorous. We had a total of 33 adventurers on this trip. I thought it was a good number. There were all types of families, from multi-generational to couples and they ranged in age from 8 to what I would guess to be mid-70's. Over the course of the week, we got to know most of the families. We did have one group of 10 consisting of 3 related families and some of them sort of stuck to themselves. There were 2 families who had never done group tours at all before and this was the family reunion family's first trip with ABD, but they had done Tauck in the past.

When I introduced us, I said we were looking forward to the ropes course and I myself was ready for some chilly weather in the mountains. Spoiler alert: It was NOT chilly. So much for getting out the Phoenix heat!


After introducing ourselves we got our first pin. Sadly, it was the same pin from our last adventure, but we also don't collect pins, so it doesn't really matter. I would say Disney cheaped out on the lanyards this year, but having bought my fair share of giveaways at the university, it could have also just been the company they usually go with changed their material or that was the one that matched this years colors. It wasn't nearly as thick and sturdy this year.


As always, I appreciated the hidden mickeys in our name tags, because I'm a dork like that.


We were then led into the restaurant where dinner was set up. It was served buffet style.

After we sat down, Stephanie informed us that the sign for alcohol included meals would be a thumbs up with smile, while the sign for alcohol not included would be thumbs down frowny face. Happily, this was a thumbs up!


This was the salads and appetizers. There were a variety of roasted veggies, fruits, and cured meats to choose from. There was also a fish in an aioli style sauce (I say aioli because it was quite delicious and it often weirds people out if I say mayo, even though they're essentially the same thing...). The fish was one of the dishes the guides recommended trying from the area.


If you were in the mood for a salad.


We decided this was a white fish, but I'm not sure what kind. Something that swims in Lake Maggiore, I'm sure. It was yummy.


Simple pasta in tomato sauce.


I'm trying to remember what this was. I want to say polenta, but that seems wrong.


Dessert was sort of an almond custard cake with strawberries on top.

I thought the welcome dinner was very good for a welcome meal and I enjoyed the variety of foods to try. Don't expect anything gourmet, but you'll have plenty of time for that anyway. We had a chance to get to know some of our fellow adventurers and left excited to start the tour! The family we sat with were also big Disney fans, so it was fun to talk Disney with them (love it when I find my people, haha!). Most families started to disperse around 8:00 p.m. It was way too early to go to bed, so I'll be back soon with another post about our evening shenanigans!​

 

[tgeorge]

Was this trip full if crowds like the Viva Italia trip is? I'm just thinking if it isn't I may be able to talk DH into this one. There is no way I could ever get him to Rome and Venice so that will be a solo trip,but this one may be an option I'm trying every angle to talk him into it.

VIP tour guide...I think that would be my dream job. I tried to talk my brother, who is an occupational therapist, to apply at Disney, but I guess that is my dream job and not his It is unfortunate they don't need research molecular biologists or else I know where I would be applying!

 

[Cousin Orville]

After introducing ourselves we got our first pin. Sadly, it was the same pin from our last adventure, but we also don't collect pins, so it doesn't really matter. I would say Disney cheaped out on the lanyards this year, but having bought my fair share of giveaways at the university, it could have also just been the company they usually go with changed their material or that was the one that matched this years colors. It wasn't nearly as thick and sturdy this year.

Do you mean the ABD logo pin or the Day 1 pin was the same? If it was the Day 1 pin, that does seem strange. I thought they were all unique to each trip. That's interesting about the lanyards. I didn't notice it, but you're right. I compared it to the DCL lanyard we got this year and DCL one is very nice compared to the ABD one.

The low 30s is a nice number. We had 31 in Australia and that was a good number. We had low 40's in France for our first ABD and that was a lot.

It certainly looks like a beautiful hotel you started at. Looking forward to your upcoming posts. We're hoping to do this trip next fall.

 

[mare1203]

Do you mean the ABD logo pin or the Day 1 pin was the same? If it was the Day 1 pin, that does seem strange. I thought they were all unique to each trip. That's interesting about the lanyards. I didn't notice it, but you're right. I compared it to the DCL lanyard we got this year and DCL one is very nice compared to the ABD one.

The low 30s is a nice number. We had 31 in Australia and that was a good number. We had low 40's in France for our first ABD and that was a lot.

It certainly looks like a beautiful hotel you started at. Looking forward to your upcoming posts. We're hoping to do this trip next fall.

These are the first 2 pins we got. The Pinocchio one was also the first day pin for the Viva Italia trip. Like I said, we don't collect pins, so for me it's a silly complaint, but I know people that do collect them and thought it was strange. I do love the 10th Anniversary ABD pin, though and that one was brand new.

We liked the low 30's as well. It was small enough we got to know everyone. I think the only place a larger group on this trip would be a problem is the ropes course. We also had the low 40's for our first ABD, and although we didn't think that was too many people, we could definitely tell the difference between 33 and 42.​

 

[mare1203]

We lingered around dinner until about 8:00 when everyone started dispersing. We had plans for that night at Stresa's #2 attraction...the sky bar.




The sky bar is located next door at the hotel. They built a rooftop bar with phenomenal views of Stresa, the lake, and the mountains.


We decided to have a drink and enjoy the sunset.


Our table was apparently not up to snuff, or perhaps a bit wobbly. Roberto is trying to fix it and Kathy's reaction makes me laugh.




I went with a popular Italian summer cocktail known as the Aperol spritz. It is traditionally made with Aperol liquor, prosecco, and a splash of sprite. Aperol is a bitter apertivo with a taste that is somewhat acquired. It took me ordering one or two to really start loving them, but now I totally wish they were catching on here in the states!




Kathy went with a strawberry purée and prosecco. She loves anything strawberry, and also prosecco, and thought this drink was perfect.



The sky bar was quite busy, but the tables turned over pretty often as well.






This is somewhere people come for a drink or two and then move on. We saw a number of our fellow adventurers that night. We also got some good pictures.



Before going in for the night, we had one last stop. Gelato, of course! This time we tried K2, which Jessica had recommended. She told us they make the gelato in the back of the store, so it's super fresh. They had quite a few different flavors and also offered a hard chocolate top. Our favorite gelato shop in Rome also offered this option, so we happily obliged.


My dad got a cone. K2 ended up being his favorite gelato.


Kathy picked a chocolate hazelnut and straciatella. She liked the gelato, but didn't love that there was hazelnut in the chocolate. She prefers a smooth gelato for the most part.


I picked straciatella and pistachio. It was also quite yummy.
We enjoyed our gelato while heading back to our room for night.
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[sayhello]

That bar looks fabulous! And you guys are really becoming gelato connoisseurs!

Sayhello

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Your trip looks wonderful so far. The views from the Sky Bar are incredible.

Can't wait to read more....

 

[ksromack]

Ok, really serious debating on trying a ABD European trip for our next one. It's going to be really really hard to beat the Rick Steves tour we took but there's no way to compare until we've tried both.

We only spent 2 days/nights in Switzerland (Lauterbrunnen Valley) and it was snow-city up in the mountains.....looking forward to seeing what you all did!

 

[mare1203]

That bar looks fabulous! And you guys are really becoming gelato connoisseurs!

Sayhello

Haha! Yes, yes we are! It's only right while in Italy.

Your trip looks wonderful so far. The views from the Sky Bar are incredible.

Can't wait to read more....

The Sky Bar was very fun! The views were incredible. One of the big attractions in Stresa, the Mottarone Cable Car, is actually under refurbishment right now with a lack of funds to finish, so no one knows when/if it will re-open. It is usually how tourists get some great views,so it's nice to have the option...with drinks!

Ok, really serious debating on trying a ABD European trip for our next one. It's going to be really really hard to beat the Rick Steves tour we took but there's no way to compare until we've tried both.

We only spent 2 days/nights in Switzerland (Lauterbrunnen Valley) and it was snow-city up in the mountains.....looking forward to seeing what you all did!

I think you'll get a better idea as I continue with the trip. It will give some good ideas about what a lot of ABD tours include and whether or not it might be a good decision for you. I think it's most important to read through the itineraries and go with one that includes most of what you want to see. Disney does a great job, but so do many other tour companies.

 

[mare1203]

Hello again, Adventurers! I am going to do 2 posts. One about the actual experience and then a second one with some pictures of the island, which absolutely earns its name. Okay, who’s ready to go to Isola Bella? Andiamo!



The next morning, we were to meet the group at 9:00 a.m. It gave us plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast. When we arrived in the lobby, Jessica and Stephanie introduced us to our local guide for the day, Daniela. She was going with us to Isola Bella, the most popular of the 3 Borromean islands, for the morning.



We walked to the boat dock to catch the ferry over. Here's a fact for ya: You will notice that the new 'popsicle' does not have Adventures by Disney written on it. This is for security purposes, which Disney takes very seriously, and I understand. It was always fun to take pictures with the popsicle, though, and just having the compass isn't the same.



While we waited, Daniela showed us a map of the area so we could acquaint ourselves.









In the brochure and on the website, this is listed as a ‘mini boat cruise’, which makes me giggle. Only Disney would describe a typical ferry ride as a ‘mini boat cruise’, but it works. Also, as with most things, Disney doesn’t do much on these tours without a ‘point’; everything seems to intertwine in some way. It was a nice little cruise over, and along the way Daniela gave us some facts about Stresa.





Stresa was founded as a fishing town, and is the closest land to the Isolas on Lake Maggiore. It has obviously become a tourist hamlet, but it’s been that way for over 100 years. For example, the Regina Palace Hotel has been in operation since 1908 and has welcomed guests as distinguished as Ernest Hemingway over the years. Stresa is known for its unusual vegetation, as it experiences a more Mediterranean climate despite being so close to the Alps. The area is known for mild and rainy winters.









Isola Bella, Italian for ‘The beautiful island’, really is such. It houses a garden and palace which are owned by the Borromeo family, though they no longer have any power. Due to the rainy season, Lake Maggiore does flood periodically.



Before going into the palace, we were shown this line, which was the height of the flood in 1869. This guy was about 6'4", btw.



There was no photography allowed in the palace, so I will just give you a few facts. Our tour took us through the main floor of the palace, which was used mostly for entertainment purposes. The family actually still lives at the Palace periodically, though their private residences are on the upper floors. The palace and gardens were finished in 1670-71, though work continued to be done for many years. One of the highlights of the palace was the 6 grottoes, which are studded with shells and pebbles and remain cool even during the summer. It was a popular respite before the age of air conditioning. The party and ballrooms were also quite impressive, and decorated with many paintings, as the Borromeo family are big art collectors.







Upon leaving the palace, we made our way to the gardens. We also got a snack. Of course, if you've ever been on an ABD you know that Disney keeps you well fed. And if you haven't been on an ABD, now ya know (and you should totally book an adventure)!





Here, our guides took some group pictures and then gave us an hour to look around before we were to depart. In the actual gardens there is a small cafe and a small shop, but once you leave the actual palace/gardens area there is more shopping and a few places to grab a small bite, if you want.


We weren’t hungry and finished looking around relatively quickly, so we ended up chatting it up with some fellow adventurers while relaxing by the lake.





We then met up with the group to head back across the lake!

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[mare1203]

Here are some more landscape pictures of Isola Bella. Enjoy!





























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[Sarabi's Cubs]

Wow!!! Those gardens are incredibly gorgeous!

Laurie

 

[mare1203]

Wow!!! Those gardens are incredibly gorgeous!

Laurie

Yes, they were beautiful! Definitely a great stop on the trip.

 

[mare1203]

It's WINE time!

When we completed our mini boat cruise, we were directed into the town of Stresa for a wine tasting. Well, actually, the adults went to a wine tasting, while the kids got to indulge in some gelato.


Our destination was the Enoteca La Cambusa. It's a short walk from the hotel, just off the square and we had walked by this little wine shop earlier in our visit, but not stopped in. As you can see, they have a huge selection of wine, liquor, and other food items.


They have quite the selection of creme liqueur's and visitors are welcome to try any of them. We went back to the shop the next day and bought a couple of the liqueurs. I didn't buy any myself, but I thing Bob and Kathy got a strawberry and hazelnut I'm sure they'll chime in if I'm wrong.




We were directed into the back of the shop where they had set up a cozy area for the wine tasting.


Our wine tasting was led by the owner of the shop. She has retired from working, but comes back to lead the wine tastings. I am very sorry that I did not write down her name, but she was incredibly personable and funny. Disney does a great job in their research finding people who enjoy working with tour groups and have great personalities. We all enjoyed her energy and stories. Her son now runs the shop, and you'll see glimpses of him as he was her helper.


Are these all for us?! I hope so!




To start, we were given some bread to dip in an olive oil and spice mix. We ended up buying some of this spice mix and it’s great on bread, in pasta sauce, or even on top of roasted veggies. It also made my bag smell glorious!


Next was a 10 year aged balsamic, which was thick and sweet.




Our next taste was a truffle sauce. Truffles are pretty common in Italy, and this truffle sauce was great. One member of our group was gluten free, so she was given cheese to dip during this portion.




We also had this cookie with hazelnuts inside and some regular nuts as well.

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​

Soon, we were on to the wines. We tried 4 wines in all - 2 red and 2 white. Many in our group enjoyed the sweet white wine. I thought all were good, but none spectacular.




Yes, they had us double fisting!​

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Family wine tasting pic! As you can see from the pics, there was quite a selection of wines in the shop. The owners and staff will help you find a bottle if you had certain specifications.

We spent about an hour doing wine tasting, after which we were reunited with the junior adventurers and given the afternoon on our own. ​

 

[ksromack]

I.miss.wine.in.Italy
Those gardens were beautiful and I'm sure even more so in person.