As soon as we got back from our trip to the UK, we put our chalet on the market and Jude started packing. We initially bought 20 largish boxes from the local DIY store, but they were soon filled. Little did we know at the time that another 40 would be needed “We don’t have much stuff”, we said. After 4 or 5 weeks of intense packing (n.b. by Jude – I think I managed one, almost) we decided it was time for a break and we went off for a few days by Lake Maggiore.
By then it was mid-August and, thankfully, the thunder storms, which can often ruin your summer evenings, never materialised. We went swimming in the lake and, of course, for a boat ride around the upper part of the lake, visiting some of the lakeside villages and the Villa Taranto Botanical Gardens. I’ve posted about this fabulous location before but, hey, you can never have too much of a good thing! 😊 Though. even I was surprised to find the little creature in photo 24 hopping amongst the leaves by the side of one the ponds.
Alittlebitoutoffocus 
I love the tree frog, and what a fabulous place, especially the botanic gardens. My dad would have adored all the dahlias/chrysanthemums.
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I’m not sure what sort of frog it was, but it looked like something straight out of a David Attenborough TV programme (on South America)! It’s a magical place, full of different species of tree and flowers, gathered from all around the world (as they did and were allowed to do in those days!) I’m sure your dad wold have enjoyed it but you would love it too. 😊
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I really must get back to the mountains. Like Monty Python’s Norwegian Blue Parrot, I am pining for the fjords (or indeed peaks of any kind)
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Yeah, beautiful plumage! 😊 Yes, you will be missing the mountains after all this time. You should make a plan to go next spring or summer.
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We visited Lago Magiore in 2020 furing covid. We had a wonderful time over there. We stayed in Luino and made different excursions by car and boat.
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Yes, it’s a beautiful area and there’s lots to do. 😊
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That dragon fly is friggen cool. Where are you all moving??
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Yes, it’s extremely red, but very common apparently. You obviously missed this post: https://alittlebitoutoffocus.com/2021/08/01/moving-back-to-the-uk-%f0%9f%98%ae/ but we’ve already moved to the North of Wales, to a place near Harlech. I’ll be posting oodles of photos soon, but I’ve been a bit slow catching up with my old photos. In the meantime, the view from our rented property can be seen at the top/banner image of the Home page. It’s different, but not a bad replacement for those mountains! 😊
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I did miss it! I’ve been popping in and out of WP for a while. Work has been kicking my butt! I hope the move was a good one 😊
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It had its moments – like when we were stopped before getting on the ferry (from Dunkirk to Dover) and they asked us to empty ‘everything’ out of the van (which had taken us almost all day to pack)! Needless to say we missed our ferry, but we did catch the one 2 hours later. But, we’re settling in nicely now thank you. Don’t go working too hard!
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LOL. I wouldnt be too stoked to empty out my van.
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Wonderful getaway from the chore of packing, I’m sure you both felt refresh and ready to tackle what was left on your return! Great shots, Mike!
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Yes, it was a nice break and we completely forgot about moving for a while. But then you are soon back into the reality! anyway, that’s all done and dusted now. We left some stuff behind and we were going to drive back to fetch it, but we can’t face the trauma of it all again and so we’re having it shipped over. Much, much easier! 😊
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The thing about packing feels familiar, you always have significantly more than you first think, which you soon realize. So you managed one box!!! That means that it was Jude who mostly needed a break. On the other hand, you did very well by Lake Maggiore when it comes to handle your camera which meant that we got to experience all the beauty that you saw together in reality!!
Thanks for that Mike, your images are amazing, a delight to the eye!!
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Thanks Anita, I have my uses, if not in the box packing area! 😉
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