To those poets thinking of coming : We suggest poets apply to Arts Council for funding. They have funded poets to come for past editions. (But they won't fund Poetry on the Lake - "no wide British public". No, not in Italy!)
THOSE COMING: let me know day, arrival time, flight,
so you can link up for taxi sharing HOTELS AT ORTA Special price for POTL poets and friends:
Hotel San Rocco, lovely 4 star hotel right on lake, with restaurant,swimming pool and beauty salon, offers participants in Poetry on the Lake 2010 a 20% discount for the weekend!
So single rooms cost from € 100 a night with breakfast, doubles from € 120.
San Rocco has a delightful lakeside terrace and is only a few minutes walk
from the centre of Orta .
* Also by the lake in Piazza Motta is the Albergo Leon D'Oro,
where Nietsche and Samuel Butler stayed. It has an excellent restaurant
overlooking the island
A wide choice of rooms and suites anda spacious restaurant
serving regional specialities, also on terrace overlooking lake in summer.
Nearest airport is Milan Malpensa, roughly 60 mins by road to Orta.*
Taxi Malpensa-Orta costs 150 euro (2009) for one to four passengers (!). Cheaper to get hotel to send taxi to meet (95 euro in 2009). If up to eight poets arrive roughly at the same time (say around 2.00 p.m Friday 1 October) hotel can send a minibus so fare works out about 15-20 euro per person)
Railway station is Orta-Miasino. Trains direct from Novara and Domodossola (Simplon pass to Switzerland). From either city it takes 55 mins.
Trains from Turin and Mlan: go to Novara and change to Domodossola line.
Or take a direct train from Milan to Arona (roughly an hour) and a taxi to Orta.
Road: from Milan take the Autostrada dei Laghi. Exit at Arona and turn left. Lake Orta is sign posted (in brown).
By car: Orta centre is closed to traffic, except for residents. Some hotels, not all, have car-parks. There are large car-parks just outside the centre and a toy train for those who do not wish to walk (5 mins) to centre.
n.b. Cobbled, sometimes steep, streets, thick soles advised. And a woolly for evenings, plus a light mac and brolly might be useful.
* *The one thing which worked last year - and was only that one year instituted after 8 years of my pleading and praying - was the shuttle bus from Malpensa to Orta, promoted by the Provincia di Novara. Six a day each way and only € 10.
This year the Province of Novara has scrapped it! So now those arriving at Malpensa have to pay a taxi a minimum of €100 to Orta - and passengers have been asked as much as €250! (Thieves!)
Those who feel as indignant as I do, please write/mail (iEnglish is fine) to the Mayor of OrtaSindaco@comune.ortasangiulio.no.it
and
send a copy to Assessore al Turismo turismo@provincia.novara.it
and copy also to :
Distretto dei Laghi infoturismo@distrettolaghi.it
Consorzio Cusio Turismoinfo@lagodorta-cusio.com
Further information on arriving and hotels to follow shortly
Il Beuch
a charming little wine bar with a candle-lit cellar, situated in the oldest street of Orta, Via Besani. Choose from a wide range of excellent wines and, if you are hungry, a platter of local cheeses or salami, or the speciality of the region, the Bagna Cauda: cruditè in a dip of hot olive oil, anchovy and garlic.
