Slum dog

We have swapped the stress of our hire car for the stress of the notoriously unreliable Italian trains and are just praying that we make some very tight connections. Each train is a little late which works well for us as we lug our suitcases through crowds… up and down stairs when there is no lift. Our final leg from Milan to Bellano is supposed to take an hour…but nearly three hours later…hot and bothered due to unseasonably warm temperatures and no air on the trains (and me sitting the whole time on the suitcases as there was nowhere to put them)… we do finally arrive.

I guess it is reasonable to expect on a trip like this, where we have stayed in so many fantastic places despite our pretty tight budget that we would end up with a dud somewhere. Well this was it! We felt like we had arrived in the slum…if there is such a thing on Lake Como. My disappointment was palpable as I had envisaged our lovely room with lake views in Varenna… and was really looking forward to it. Well…we did have lake views…if you stuck your head out the bathroom window. Not sure how we got it so wrong…but anyway…we only had to sleep in our slum and would spend the rest of our time exploring the beautiful villages of the lake.

Lake Como sits at the top of many bucket lists for travellers visiting Italy. A popular retreat for the rich and famous since ancient Romans fled Milan’s summer heat to cool off in the villas along its steep shores… this Y shaped lake continues to exert a powerful pull on imaginations thanks to the historic private waterfront villas, stunning gardens, exquisite, sleepy villages and resorts lining its shores, not to mention the gorgeous views of the mountains. And of course, as it is the vacation homeland for the dreamy George Clooney…

Postcards of Lake Como usually feature brilliant, sunny views of the mountain villages on beautiful summer days… and we were blessed with stunningly beautiful weather for our short stay here (the last time I visited it had been grey, gloomy and raining).

As we are so late arriving there is little time to explore…. and very little to explore in our little village. At least there are no crowds (why would there be 😂). Its most famous attraction is the naturally formed Orrido di Torrente Pioverna, a plunging, 15 million-year-old ravine formed by erosion. You can get a great look at the gorge thanks to viewing bridges that allow you to take great photos of the caves and the sparkling blue water inside the ravine. This may have been impressive if we hadn’t had only a few days ago visited the amazing Vintgar gorge in Slovenia which was so so spectacular.

A we find a half reasonable little bar on the waterfront to have an aperitif…

…dinner at a recommended restaurant that felt like grandmas house…and an early night. Nothing to keep us up here…except maybe the constant traffic noise.

We leave our slum apartment, funnily enough called ‘Fall in love with lake Como’ to do exactly that. We head off early to avoid the crowds… to Bellagio, located at the northern tip of the triangular landmass that divides the lake into two branches.

This village is widely considered to be amongst the most beautiful towns in Europe… with its unbeatable panoramic views and flower lined streets, dark cypress groves and rhododendron-filled gardens, beautiful lanterns, bright shutters and quaint little balconies…

Bellagio is undoubtedly the most famous town on Lake Como, which of course also means it is the busiest.

Still it is definitely worth visiting to indulging in Old World elegance, shopping in the little shops facing the water and on its cobblestoned alleyways and maze of steep stone staircases. We have a wonderful lunch under the vines at one of the many waterfront cafes.

We then hop in a ferry to Menaggio. On a promontory, with a busy little port, elegant hotels and many flowered parks, Menaggio, like most popular towns on the lake, has a promenade along the lakeside, a main square full of cafes and a small historic centre to explore.

It is dominated by the bell tower of the 17th century church of Santo Stefano, located in the centre of the populated area at the end of Via Calvi, pulsating heart of the historic area.

We had a quick wander through, the girls did some shopping and then we were off again.

We arrive in Varenna… where I originally thought we were staying and it immediately steals my heart.

What makes you love a place…when we have been to so many amazing places? I guess it’s the same thing that makes us love a person…a special charm… I guess it varies for everyone. Varenna possesses whatever it is in abundance. From the moment we arrived in the village it wrapps us in its sun drenched embrace. I fell in love…and sadness that we are not actually staying.

Spilling down a steep hill on the eastern shore of Lake Como, Varenna is traditionally a fishing village. Featuring mesmerizing terraced gardens and brightly-colored fishermen’s houses and villas that sit close to each other on the cafe-filled waterfront lined by a scenic flowered boardwalk… …providing a dreamy backdrop for a passeggiata. Rustic and quaint, it is both romantic and peaceful.

In truth there is probably not much to do here except admire its waterfront beauty and laid back charm- perfectly capturing the essence of dolce far niente (SFA). We enjoy some gelato…

…and wander aimlessly exploring the steep cobblestone alleyways… clicking away as everywhere we look is picture perfect. We find a little eaterie and enjoy an aperitif (or two) while taking in the views of its breath taking surrounds. We stay for pizza… what else do you eat on your last night in Italy… and watch the sun dip behind the mountains as the sky turns to flames with a glass of wine in hand.