Lake Life
Well the good news is that the church bells don’t ring all night in Varenna. The bad news is that they start bright and early. At 7am this morning, we were woken from peaceful slumber with a jolt, as the booming church bells chimed loud and proud, no less than 65 times. Yep, SIXTY-FIVE times! Negating any sleeping in, at least the bells get everyone up and out early. I could use some at home.
Ross did a reconnaissance jog around town to get his bearings and see what was happening today. Breakfast at our cute little hotel was included and we descended the stairs to find our very own table laden with jam-filled croissants, yoghurts, fresh bread rolls, ham, salami, cheese, juice and GOOD coffee. The Italian coffee is perfecto! Ross can hardly believe his eyes when he sees ‘macchiato’ actually written on the menu. We met a lovely mother and daughter from North Carolina at breakfast who had travelled extensively through Italy. They had lots of tips up their sleeves and recommended a beautiful villa we must see in the town of Lenno.
Lake Como is surrounded by pretty little towns that dot its shoreline, the most famous being Bellagio, and all are accessible by ferry. Our ferry passes allowed us to hop on and off any ferries on the lake for the whole day so we were ready to explore. We joined the crowd of eager tourists and boarded the boat, about half the size of the Manly ferry. From onboard we could appreciate the vastness and beauty of the lake, marvelling at the mountains that surround it on all sides. It’s such an incredible part of the world!
Our first stop was Bellagio – playground of the rich and famous – and we immediately noticed it had a much more cosmopolitan and upmarket vibe than sleepy Varenna. Dressed to impress, people were dining alfresco and hanging out in the designer shops, draped in gold jewellery and sporting fancy hats. We were contemplating a swim at an impressive hotel pool but everyone decided they’d rather swim in the crystal clear waters of the lake instead. Franco, the helpful doorman gave us directions to a popular swimming spot that was 20 minutes away on foot. The Bellagio foreshore was lined with rows of pink and white oleander trees, with a walkway running beside the lake. Bellagio’s gardens were pretty flash and would look right at home on the cover of House and Garden with manicured hedges and bowling green lawns. There were also rows of pretty light green trees with heart-shaped leaves, their foliage like pom-poms on top of their straight trunks, like oversized standards, throughout the town. An elderly man played the piano accordion under a shady tree, providing the perfect soundtrack for our walk in the sunshine. There was a gated garden along the route to our swimming spot but we baulked at the $40AU it was going to cost us to stroll through and decided to circumnavigate it instead. We followed the road and veered off down a meandering path beside a stream, emerging at a grassy bank on the pebbly waterfront. The fresh lake water, refreshingly cold, was a change from the salty Mediterranean and graceful white swans swam by us as we paddled. There was a pontoon off the beach which the kids had fun jumping off. A helicopter circled overhead and I wondered if it was Mr Clooney coming home to see the twins after a hard day at work. I gave the chopper a hopeful wave. Come on in, the water’s fine! Maisy also found the dog of her dreams – a Sheba- which she’s only ever seen in pictures and asked for a photo with him. She said it was a highlight of the trip so far!
The food in Italy has been DELICIOUS! We lunched at the Hotel Du Lac (thanks for the recommendation Bozzies) and I don’t think I’ve tasted better pasta in my life. Bellagio is definitely good for a spot of people-watching and as we sat lakeside on the promenade there was a constant flow of tourists on show. We have enjoyed the sport of guessing where people are from and we can spot an Aussie from 40 paces. There have been lots of Australians and Americans around Lake Como so we can converse with our fellow-travellers much more easily than we can be understood by the locals. It’s amazing what you can say with your hands! It does get confusing going from one country to another and having different languages to grapple with. It’s easy to mix up your ouis and sis, your bonjours and bonjournos, gracias’ and grazies. You have to constantly remember where you are!
After lunch we boarded the ferry once more, stopping at Menaggio first and then the tiny town of Lenno. Fishing boats lined the beach and we followed the signs along the cobbled streets to the Villa Balbionella. Inside a big park set on a hillside there were several walking path options to choose from, all leading to the same destination, ranging from a 45 minute round trip, to the lazy option of a speedboat short-cut to access the villa by water. No guesses for which one old lazy bones here was gunning for. Sadly I was outnumbered and about to set off on our uphill climb, we were met by a hot and sweaty American family who kindly gave us the heads-up that the Villa was closed on Wednesdays. They’d found out the hard way. What a bummer!
Popping in to our local laundromat, we were hoping to throw a load in the wash but found there was only one washing machine on offer. Who ever heard of a laundromat with only one machine? There obviously isn’t much demand. While it may have been lacking in the washing machine department, this laundromat did have a couple of alcohol vending machines. You can just pop in a couple of Euros and score anything from champagne to spirits, beer and wine. Have a schooner while you wait for the clothes to dry. Alcohol is on sale absolutely everywhere – fast food outlets, supermarkets, ferries…laundromats. The licensing laws in Italy are loose to say the least!
We chanced upon a lakefront table at the delightful Varenna Caffe tonight and snapped it up. We dined on sublime pasta again (because too much pasta is never enough when in Italy!) and had the pleasure of watching the sun sink behind the mountains, casting its golden glow on the lake as we drank in the warm night and phenomenal scenery. Some of the cobblestones have been replaced with glowing lights, completely invisible by day, they light up at night to guide you homeward along the path. Perfect for a stroll home with a gelato. We have fallen in love with a Varenna!
