Photo Friday: White Plumage on Isola Madre

Isola Madre, the largest of the Borromeo Islands in Lake Maggiore, may not be as visited as nearby (and showy) Isola Bella, but I thought the villa and surrounding gardens were quite beautiful.

The villa is full of art and other historical pieces that belonged to the family, and a half hour walk through will give you a nice glimpse at everything.

A white peacock struts his stuff for the camera

I spent far more time waling around the grounds, fascinated with the various species of plant life located there.  You can walk through the gardens on a long loop starting at the ticket booth, passing through the Viale Africa, continuing along the Piano delle Camelie through various twists and turns of the beautiful gardens, and finally ending up at the oldest cypress tree in the world, located right in front of the villa.

One of my favorite spots on the island was the Piazzale dei Pappagalli.  Here you’ll find a huge magnolia tree marking the home of a colony of parrots and peacocks.  While they certainly aren’t tame, they’ve become accustomed enough to people that you can get up rather close, and then they’ll primp and preen as if they’re begging you to snap a photo.  I happily obliged.

This photo is part of the Photo Friday round up hosted by Delicious Baby.  Please head over and take a look at the other great travel photos.

Photo credit: Mary Jo Manzanares

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