Flavors of Northern Italy: Day 8

Saturday 10/9: Lago d’Iseo Boat Tour + Franciacorta + Final Dinner

Our final day began with a boat tour of Lago d’Iseo, departing from Sulzano, where we met our local guide Elide. She provided a commentary about the lake, the main island Monte Isola, and the two minor islands. The weather was a bit cloudy, chilly, and windy, but Mr. E and I both had prepared with enough layers so that we could stay outside in the stern of the boat for the whole tour to get the best views. We then had about 40 minutes to wander around Peschiera Maraglio, the town closest to the mainland, where we climbed through the winding streets.We especially appreciated the scooter-only parking ramp (personal cars aren't allowed on the island).

This area gained a lot of international recognition back in 2016 when Christo completed the floating docks installation that linked Sulzano with the town and with Beretta island. The installation took two years to complete and was only available for about two weeks. Too bad we missed that opportunity to walk among all of these sites!

Our next stop was to Al Rocol Franciacorta, where one of the family owners, Francesca, provided a tour and thorough explanation of how the famous sparkling wine is made, following the traditional méthode champagnoise but going beyond that style in the aging process. By the time we were ready for our pre-lunch tasting of two wines, the sun had come out to lighten up the terrace, making an ideal setting for this final wine experience of the tour.

Lunch was at the estate’s restaurant and included additional wine with each course, per usual for the week. We also got to see the winery’s resident rabbits and cats but didn’t catch a glimpse of the goats or deer.

 

On our return to Borgo, we stopped at a nearby agrigelateria for a late afternoon snack on the sun-dappled terrace. Then back to our lodging, where Mr. E and I took a walk through the vineyards for a final viewing and photos of “our” tower and one of the many plaques on the local farmhouses that commemorate the awful battle. Back at Borgo, we took care of packing and completing the various steps of the check-in process for our return flight home the next day.

This evening’s dinner was a bit lighter, consisting of a series of antipasto dishes and a beautiful flour-less chocolate cake for dessert but with no primo or secundo courses in between. We’ve definitely gained a new appreciation of celery, fennel, and polenta this week, as they’ve all been used in multiple and creative ways that we will likely try to replicate at home!

Given the early departure tomorrow morning, we made sure to take our leave from dinner by 9:30pm for our final stroll through the vineyards.