On a hot, sunny day we reluctantly said arrivederci to Il Castagno and set off toward Rome for our final night in Italy. I had looked at the map and chosen a place to stop for lunch on the way, Bolsena. The town was beautiful, the old buildings merged perfectly with the new.

We parked the car and walked the plane tree-lined avenue toward the lake.

Some of the homes were absolutely stunning.

As we neared the lake,

we knew exactly where we were having lunch. Trattoria del Moro, perched right over the water, had spectacular views of Lake Bolsena.

The largest volcanic lake in Europe has, fortunately, been dormant since 104BC.

We dined al fresco, the fish was excellent and with the vino and the sunshine, we could have lingered for hours.

Instead, we slowly made our way back to the car,

trying not to think about the imminent end to our wonderful trip. I think Michael would fit in well in Italy.

We will be returning to Italy next year and will make sure a trip to Bolsena and lunch by the lake is on the agenda.