Travels in Italy--Lago Maggiore (Part 2 of 2)

Our tour of Isola Bella on Lago Maggiore continues. 

The Garden:  After visiting the palace, we toured the Baroque-style garden that covers about half of the small island.  The extremely ornate garden is like a rectangular, many-tiered wedding cake, covered with mythological figures, exotic trees and shrubs and beautiful flowers. 

A model of the garden

A view of the lakeside town from the top tier of the garden

Susan and Greg on the top tier of the garden--sort of like the bride and groom on top of a wedding cake

The bird cage

Some of the exotic residents of the bird cage

The Borromeo family's flag.  When it is flying, the family is residence in the palace. Unfortunately, the Count and Countess were not available for tea the day we visited.  Such a shame. 

And now for the white peacocks.  We had never seen white peacocks nor did we know they existed.   They exist and we saw them.  They are white like snow.  The garden is home to many white peacocks that roam freely.  (Are the peacocks albino?  Nope.  Apparently, they are genetic variants of the blue peacock.  Who knew?)

Why do they call the island Island Bella?  Check out the photos below.

Thanks for visiting Lago Maggiore and Isola Bella with us.

"For however fanciful and fantastic the Isola Bella may be, and is, it still is beautiful."  

--Charles Dickens

P.S.  Have you ever seen a very large lemon?  Take a look at the lemon pictured below, next to Susan's hand.  They know lemons in Italy.