This morning, we took the train to visit Laveno again. The sun was shining. The air was clear. It was absurdly beautiful.

I planned to take the ferry to Isola Bella. I thought the boat ride, followed by the gardens would be a hit with Bambino. First step, was to take a ferry from Laveno to Intra, across Lago Maggiore. He loved the boat ride, especially because we had an entire seating area to ourselves, and I let him run.

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Technically, Intra has been part of the city of Verbania since 1939, when it merged with several other cities. It is not mentioned in Rick Steve’s guidebook, and there is limited online tourist chatter about the city. What I can tell you is that its beautiful lakeside promenade lured me away from immediately buying tickets for the ferry to Stresa (our ultimate location). The sun was shining, the peonies and azaleas were blooming, and we were in no rush.

After a leisurely stroll, I checked on Bambino, who I figured was basking in the beauty of Intra’s harbor from his stroller. Nope.

I was now faced with a quandary. My plan had been to hop on two additional ferries, spend an hour or two on Isola Bella, then trek back to Varese via boat and train. Now, I had a sleeping Bambino. I realized that my plan, no matter how lovely, was completely ill-suited for a 1.5 year old. Intra would have to be enough.

He slept the entire way back to Laveno.

I bought train tickets while my Bambino peacefully slumbered. Then we got on the train.

Yikes! I offered him milk and a cookie.

That just made him mad. (Full disclosure– I offered him that stupid cookie approximately 10 times. Each time, it made him yell louder. These photos are from attempt #10, when I was getting slap happy, and started thinking that this was hilarious blog fodder.)

Then, inexplicably, he remembered that he likes cookies.

We safely arrived back in Varese, where we ran “errands.” I love that my errands this week consist mainly of going to the enoteca and children’s stores. We figured that we deserved gelato after the torture of perusing Barolos. Bambino likes nocciola (hazelnut).

So, parenting lesson of the day. While this is my trip, which I lovingly planned with Matt, I don’t get to call all the shots right now. I like planning. I’m good at it. My theory is that if you plan in advance, you don’t spend your holiday plugged into your guidebook or your iPhone and the Yelp app. Instead, you get to actually experience a place.

Someday, Bambino will get to Isola Bella. But right now, he doesn’t need it. And, in retrospect, a lazy morning on a promenade, followed by gelato is wonderful in its own right. And, perfectly Italian. Oh, and once in awhile, we all just need a cookie. And sometimes we don’t. And, the control freak isn’t always privy to that schedule.

Letting go. Have a wonderful day.>