Sunday, June 26th
Guido, Katia, and I drove to Iseo to have breakfast on the lake (Lago d’iseo). Iseo is such a beautiful place! We eat outside at this tiny bar (yellow building under the umbrellas in the 2nd photo below) every time I visit. Italian breakfast consists of a Brioche and a coffee. I had an espresso macchiato and a brioche filled with crema.
After breakfast, Katia and Guido took me to a church where they may marry if they cannot get married in the church in Coccaglio. It was very beautiful.
We returned home to have a big Sunday lunch with Katia’s family. Katia’s brother, his wife, and their baby girl Marta and Katia’s grandmother who just turned 85 were also there for lunch. We had a cold pasta salad, melon and prosciutto, other meats, bread, and wonderful vegetables. For dessert, we had a birthday cake (very different than the typical cake) filled with a type of gelato and creme and then some little pastries from the same pasticceria that we visited on Friday. I ate much too much!! I felt like I would not be able to move for hours!
I put all the pictures I have taken with Katia and Guido on Katia’s computer including a picture of her grandmother with her birthday cake and then I made a slide show for everyone to watch. Her grandmother was amazed to see the pictures on the computer. I told her grandmother that I was going to take the picture of her back with me to Hawaii to show everyone. She thought I said that I was going to take her back with me and said she could not go with me to Hawaii!
After a wonderful lunch with Katia’s family, we went for a drive through the beautiful Franciacorta countryside.
Our plan was to visit an abbey and a monastery, both located along the Cluniac road of Franciacorta.
We first visited the Abbiaza Benedettina Olivetana di San Nicola / Olivetan Abbey of St. Nicola, located in Rodengo Saiano. This abbey was founded around 1050 by Cluniac monks. We were only able to visit certain areas but did sneak into part of a tour while there. I would like to return some day to visit more of this beautiful abbey. The sign below provides info about this abbey.
Then, we visited the Monastero di San Pietro in Lamosa / Monastery of San Pietro in Lamosa located in Provaglio d’Iseo. We were even luckier to get a private tour of both the church and the Sala della Disciplina, where there are 16th century frescoes with scenes from the Passion of Christ and the Crucifixion. You could see the layers of paintings on some of the walls.
We were told that the Monastero di San Pietro in Lamosa is the only church in the world with 4 arches built in 4 different ages and of different styles – two Baroque, one Gothic, and one Renaissance. You could see the layers of paintings on some of the walls. The very enthusiastic gentleman told us that this is the only church in the world with four arches build in four different ages and different styles (two Baroque, one Gothic, and one Renaissance). *IF my notes are correct!
This church/monastery was amazing! I would definitely recommend a visit to this monastery, which is located not too far from the lake. Check first though to make sure it is open.
After our two visits, we returned to Katia’s house to change for dinner. I said goodbye to Katia’s parents, thanking them for everything, as I wasn’t sure if I would see them again the following morning. We went back to Guido’s and met six of Katia and Guido’s friends at his house. Then we all drove to this wonderful pizzeria and ristorante for dinner.
Once everyone’s pizza was ready, the waitress came announcing the various pizzas. Everyone raised their hand as their pizza was called out. It was a night of rapidly spoken Italian, funny jokes which Katia translated for me, and wonderful food. It was a very interesting night.
About midnight, we said goodbye to all of Katia and Guido’s friends and went back to Katia’s house. I spent the next hour packing and then went to sleep.
Thoughts on my stay in Coccaglio: I enjoyed another wonderful stay with my dear friends, Katia & Guido. This is another area where I have been fortunate to experience the local life. Katia’s family is always so kind to me and Katia & Guido spend time each of my visits entertaining me and taking me all over.
Although Coccaglio is a very small town, the main church is huge with so much detail inside on the walls and the ceiling. In the little town center, there is an amazing Pasticceria. I love the food in this area of Italy (both at Katia’s house and at all the restaurants we visit). Franciacorta is a beautiful place to drive through and Lago d’Iseo is a great little lake to explore.
shave ice & gelato 