It is a rare day that we both awaken at about the same time. In sync, we enjoy coffee. My husband decided to try Italian toasted bread. You buy it prepackaged and already toasted. It is hard as a rock. I took a hard pass. He is desperate because there is no toaster in the house. Tomorrow we will try toast via panini maker. I like to improvise.

We decide to visit Parco Pallovicino, which is about ten minutes from the house. We have no idea what to expect, but the commute seems simple enough.

The car park is free and the tickets collected in no time at all. The entry walkway takes us past manicured shrubbery that frame views of Lake Maggiore. We wind past waterfalls and old growth forest until we find ourselves on a farm. There are donkeys and chickens and llamas and goats and a number of other animals to enjoy up close.

Last Spring we wandered through Patagonia and didn’t see a single cavy. Apparently they were all vacationing in Italy, as evidenced by the video above. While we are watching the cavies and the Swiss goats a free for all breaks out in the farm yard. Animals are screaming, bleating, running and ramming to get to the breakfast line. Dozens line up for chow, making the worst racket imaginable. For some reason, the louder they get, the harder I laugh. It is a sight to see. Afterwords, the goats trot onto the bridge. With much reluctance, the billy goats gruff let us pass.

A peaceful stroll on woodland paths are good for my soul. Sometimes you encounter places that speak deeply to you, this is my place. Deer, gracefully walk along side us. Mules stand at the fence with lazy eyes. Wallaby babies happily hop in carefully manicured pens. Colorful birds in tall cages call for attention while prairie dogs dine on hay.

A stress free morning walk in the cool air is just what I need. Except, the park bench at the top of the hill with the perfect view may be just what I need. Or maybe the tall trees with the trunks that are cool to the touch is just what I need. I am at peace in this place. I need it all.

As if we aren’t relaxed enough, we stop by a pleasant pond of ducks to sip cappuccinos and eat flaky croissants dusted with powdered sugar. Life is slow and joyful….the way it is meant to be lived.

We lunch in nearby Stresa. Meats and cheese and pasta in an outdoor piazza. Lingering, we watch the people converge at the lakeside village after departing one of the many ferries landing in Stresa. We laugh with the ladies in the tourism office who tell us everything we wanted to buy was not available and I lament that I want to spend money on trips they can not sell. But we have a car and can navigate the way ourselves….or we can just walk the shores of this beautiful lake. Either way, we are definitely in the right place.