Our next destination was the sleepy town of Oleggio Castello.  In order to get there, if you do not have a car at your disposal, it is necessary to use Italy’s wonderful train system.  We booked ourselves on the fast train from Rome to Milan, and from Milan, we took a local train to Arona, where a taxi met us, and drove us to the hotel.  We prefer to travel in the executive class car of the train.  There are a few reasons for this.  It is not prohibitively expensive, and the seats are extremely comfortable.  There are less people in the car.  The ticket also includes meal service, which is a full breakfast,  lunch, or dinner, depending on what time you are traveling.  We were served lunch, and were given a menu to choose from.  We were still full from dinner the night before, so we opted for a light lunch of  fish with green beans, and a fruit salad, followed by espresso!

We had booked a suite at the Castello Dal Pozzo, a five-star resort hotel in Oleggio.  Even though the resort includes the castle from which the town takes its name, we were staying in a newer building on the property.  Needless to say, we were more than pleased when we arrived, and saw our suite!

In our living room, we found a chilled bottle of Prosecco, strawberries, and chocolates, courtesy of the hotel.

From the windows of our suite, we could see a very foggy view of the surrounding hills, the town of Arona, and Lago Maggiore below us.

In this trip, we had selected Oleggio Castello as our last destination because, after running around Italy like we had been doing, for a little over a month, we thought it might be nice to simply relax in an atmosphere that was calming, and where we could get out and take walks, have a meal, and breathe fresh air, without feeling the need to get in too much sightseeing.  Oleggio offered all of that, and our stay of three nights proved to be just what we wanted and needed, before taking the long flight back to the USA.

We decided to take a walk into town.  The small bridge over the road, pictured below, actually connects the two sections of the hotel: the more modern building where we were staying, with the castle and its grounds.  We  would explore that in the upcoming days, but for now, we headed down the road to see just what Oleggio had to offer.

The town of Oleggio Castello has a long and rich history.  Founded by the Celts, it was later conquered by the Romans.  The Lombards left their mark here also, when they populated the area, and it was from them that the town got its current name.

For our first dinner in Oleggio, we walked in the rain down to the main road, and had dinner at Ristorante Bue D’Oro.  The food was good, as was the service, too.  The restaurant had a few tables occupied, but it was a rainy night, so it was not surprising that it was not any busier.

We began our meal with oysters, and anchovies with butter and toast.  Both plates were delicious!

Our next plates were sliced steak, with potatoes and zucchini, and sautéed snails.

The meal was finished off with an apple dumpling, and a chocolate nut cake.

 

Next up: On our second day in Oleggio, we explore more of the area, and have lunch at a local pub!

 

Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations that may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for posts from other Italian destinations, including Rome, Milan, Sperlonga, Gaeta, and many others.  Grazie!