"Thousands have Lived without Love, not one without Water"

"Thousands have lived without love, not one without water."
-W. H. Auden  

Fortress in Castiglione Del Lago

Some of the prettiest spots I have seen in Italy are near water. Whether it is a lake, river, or sea, I always enjoy the beauty of water around cities. Italy, being a peninsula, luckily has no shortage of water. Most of the cities we have travelled to are near the sea or a lake, or even have a river running through them. Water is fundamental to our lives, but water also adds a peaceful, beautiful element to most landscapes that I can’t help but appreciate.

Isola Bella

Capri

The first solo trip we went on was to Castiglione Del Lago. The city is right next to a giant lake, Lago Trasimeno, and we got to see it from many different viewpoints. We started off our morning by sitting on a dock right by the lake where we just enjoyed the coolness of the water. There wasn’t a beach, but a grassy field right beside the lake where we also laid out for a bit. After that, we went to a café where we got to sit at a table that overlooked the water. It was beautiful, delicious, and actually quite cheap. We also went up to a fortress that still resides in the city. From the top of one of the towers, the panoramic view of the lake on one side, and the city on the other was just stunning.

On our trip to Lake Maggiore, we visited the Isola Bella. Riding the boat up to the island was gorgeous. You could see the gardens from the boat and one of my favorite parts of the view is the striking color difference between the bright green of the plants and the deep blue of the lake. From the gardens themselves, you had a scenic look over the lake to the other shores that was amazing.

This past weekend we went to Cinque Terre. Each city was centralized around the shore and my favorite part was how all of the buildings are different colors. It was beautiful and every chance I got, I was aiming for the artsy shot of the buildings with the water in the background. Most of the cities also had stunning beaches where we would sit and relax. Specifically in Vernazza, we got Italian ice cream and sat on the shore just enjoying the scenery. It was relaxing and a nice afternoon spent with close friends.

Gardens in Isola Bella

This weekend we are travelling to Venice and I cannot wait to see the city. My Venice bucket list is to ride a Gondola down the river at night. We’ll see how that plays out!

Erin Fore