I remember my first — and last — visit to Stresa. It was a beautiful and sunny Sunday afternoon around this time of year in 1985. Early spring in the mountains of Europe is a magnificent time of year to travel through the Italian and Swiss Alps. If you’ve been there, you don’t need any description from me of the sounds, smells and atmosphere in that corner of the world in the springtime.

I had taken a summer job driving a busload of American tourists around Northern Italy and Switzerland. We flew into Milan and went on from there to Florence, which was our home base. We also made many side trips to Venice, Lucca, Verona. Pisa, Padua, Siena, and dozens of little walled medieval towns across Northern Italy.