b"Out and in aboutLake MaggioreInvelestias apiciis qui blaborum aut etur, odi ducipsa veligni aligendit as dolupta temqui ucipsa veligni aligendit as dolupta temqui.Experiencing our holidays through the eyes of our customers is one of the pleasures of our jobs, and helps us to understand where we can keep improving our tours. Our Head of Product & Contracting, Katie McLeod, recently joined a group of customers on an early autumn trip to Italy and Switzerland on our Discoveries tourLake Maggiore, Lake Orta and the Alps.A NIGHT IN STRASBOURG serving fresh lake fish (perch is aunexpected. Underneath the building Strasbourg was beautiful. Thisspeciality) and risottos. We then sailedare intriguing grottoes decorated with picturesque medieval city has a uniqueto Isola San Guilio, a tiny island withfantastically ornate displays of pebbles, French and German heritage, and Iremains from the Iron Age. When I saystones and shells. I also loved the was glad I checked out the historictiny, the island measures 902 feet byMediterranean-style garden with its quarter of La Petite France, where459 feet! There's a pathway encirclinglemon trees and white peacocks.half-timbered houses with colourfulthe island known as the Way of Silence.window boxes overlook the canals. THE CENTOVALLI RAILWAYFREE TIME IN STRESA The highlight of the tour for me was CROSSING THE SWISS ALPS One of the things our grouptaking the fabulous Centovalli Railway Enroute, we entered Switzerland andappreciated is how the tour balancesfrom Italy into Switzerland. Setting off had our first glimpse of the snow- excursions with free days to lookfrom Domodossola, there were great capped Bernese Oberland mountains. around at your own pace. Stresaviews from both sides of the train as I really loved this part of the journey itself has an impressive heritage andwe travelled over dozens of bridges as did all the customersand we beautiful villas with gardens you canon 'the Hundred Valley Railway' before had fantastic views from the upperlook around. It's a bustling town withreaching the mountains of Switzerland.deck of the train.plenty of good restaurants offering fantastic pastas and freshly caughtOnce in Locarno, we had a few hours Our route passed through the Simplonfish. I have to mention Caffe' Bar Lafree to explore, so I took the funicular Tunnel, used by the iconic OrientVerbanella, a caf by the lake withup the mountain and had lunch with Express, and emerged in northern Italy.exceptionally good coffee! another amazing view, before enjoying We then continued to Lake Maggiorean unforgettable gelato and taking and our hotel, overlooking the water inIt's also easy to get out to thethe boat back along Maggiore (Italy's the lakeside town of Stresa. Borromean islands, with a ferry stoplongest lake) to our hotel in Stresa.just across from the hotel. I decided to A CRUISE ON LAKE ORTA take an independent boat trip to IsolaSpending time with our customers Our first excursion was to Orta SanBella, another miniature island andon their holiday gave me a great Giulio, a pretty village on the lakesidesite of the amazing Palazzo Borromeo.opportunityto help develop this and with a lovely square and restaurantsMy favourite feature of the palace wasmany of our tours.I wouldn't hesitate recommending this to new customers to experience the highlights of Italy and Switzerland.For more information on our Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta & the Alps holiday, see page 24 or visit greatrail.com/LMSLAKE MAGGIOREBEHIND THE JOURNEY 7"