Rising early on Sunday morning we catch a ferry to the lake island of Monte Isola.
The towering island at the south end of Lake Iseo is easily the lake's most striking feature and merits an effort to get to know up close and personal.
To circumnavigate the island you follow roads and paths for about 15km but it's more fun to cut across the island to see the stunning views over the lake. A handful of villages are scattered around the island and from Carzano you can climb rough stairs to scattered rural settlements - following a path to the top of the island (599m).
It's also possible to get a bus to the top town of Cure but be opted to walk all the way via the small communities dotted around the island. Surprisingly a lot of the smaller paths were practically deserted even though it was a weekend.
