Como, Bellagio, and the others

Lake Como and the little villages along it are all that everyone said they would be. It really is gorgeous on the lake! I spent a great 5 days there gawking at the villas, staring at the endless scenery of mountains, water, and sky, chatting with super friendly people, and of course drinking ridiculously good wine.

I found a great little enoteca in Como, very close to my hotel. The owners are an awesome couple who serve bruschetta with various toppings (pumpkin salsa, cream of salvia, pancetta, salami, sun-dried tomatoe) with each glass of wine you drink. They didn’t speak English, but were only too happy and patient to let me use my crappy Italian. I had, hands down, the best Prosecco with them every evening and promised to send my parents to them if they make it to Como in the fall. I also had perhaps one of the best pasta dishes, EVER. It was at a pretty restaurant right on the lake in Como. Giacomo, my new best friend waiter, highly recommended the Risotto with Strawberries; yeah, I was resistant at first too. So glad I listened to him. It was delicious, as was the steak in a porcini mushroom sauce.

Risotto con fragole. YUM!

stop reading and go get a bottle of Prosecco di Valdobbiadene. You will thank me!

I also made a complete ass of myself while at dinner on another occasion. I was quietly eating my gnocchi when I noticed the man sitting with his family at the next table over. He looked me square in the eye and cut loose with a huge smile. I swear to god he looked pretty much just like Austin Powers, horrifying teeth and all. I actually burst out laughing and the harder I tried to stop, the harder I laughed. In fact, it was a tears running down my cheeks kind of belly laugh. I even went so far as to take a couple of photos of him. Now before you judge me, I was kind enough to turn the flash off so he wouldn’t know what I was doing. I totally sacrificed a clear and award winning look-a-like photo so as not to hurt his feelings. Yeah, I know. As I’ve said, not for the first time on this trip, I’m going to hell.

its blurry, but you get the idea.

And before you think completely ill of me, I would like to say I made some wise choices while on my little vacation from Rome. I was talking to a really friendly American couple, from Brooklyn, one night at a lakeside café. They had a car and were going to drive up into Switzerland and hike around in the Alps. After a few vinos, they kindly invited me to come along with them one day. I did consider their offer for a minute or two, but then had flashbacks of almost being killed and having my corpse molested on the Appian Way by the not-so-fabulous Fabbio. Thus, I declined. See, Mom and Dad, I do learn!

While the entire trip was perfect, I do have to say I was disappointed to not run into Senior Clooney. I did, however, go right by his villa on one of my ferry trips. The place is a total dump, or not. There were 4 women, probably in their 70’s sitting in the front of the boat with me. All of a sudden they all stood up and starting fluffing their hair and waving at his villa while yelling, “Ciao, George, ciaooooo”. I laughed out loud, as did they.

these two women are going to be Liz and I when we are older travelling through Italy. They laughed and made fun of people for the entire 4 1/2 hours to Milan.

a little piazza in Como

Cathedral in Como

Como

view from Como's waterfront

a private villa in Como. . . this place oozes money.

A villa at the end of the road in Como.

Lunch!

Tempio Voltiano, a museum to Alessandro Volta, the guy who invented the electric battery.

sunset in Como

Prosecco by the lake in Como

Villa Erba in Cernobbio. Part of Ocean's Twelve was filmed here.

little village on the lake

on the ferry in the middle of Lake Como

a little villa on the lake outside of Tremezzo

crazy gorgeous villa on the way to Tremezzo and Bellagio

on a balcony at Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo. That's Bellagio across the lake.

view, from an upstairs window, of the entrance to Villa Carlotta

nuff said

Bellagio

shopping in Bellagio

Bellagio's lakeside promenade

Bellagio

waiting for the ferry in Bellagio. Damn good Mojito!

leaving Bellagio

waterfall in a small village on the lake

looking at the lake in Cernobbio

house in Cernobbio

Villa d'Este at 700 euro per night, its the lakes most expensive hotel. I only stayed 2 of my 4 nights . . . pfft!

view from Cernobbio's waterfront

signs on the side of a truck in Cernobbio

the main piazza on the waterfront of Cernobbio

an enormous succulent growing out of the wall in the little village of Moltrasio

cemetary in Moltrasio where Gianni Versace is buried. The dead have one of the best views across the lake.

exactly what one needs after scouring a cemetary for a fashion designer's grave

view of Como from the Funicolare heading to the hiltop town ofBrunate

This is exactly the kind of place I want to live in. Sunflower fields, olive and Cypress trees. Perfetto!

Sunflower and wheat fields in Tuscany