Lake Como Part Three: Bellano

As I mentioned in my previous blog post on February tenth http://lovelifeandferrari.blogspot.com/2012/02/lake-como-part-two-como.html my boyfriend Luca and I were lucky enough to take a trip to see the beautiful Lake Como this summer. We spent the first few days settling in to our hotel in Varenna as well as visiting Bellagio and Como. For our final day out in the area, we decided that we would combine two of our great loves, climbing and swimming, and took the train only five minutes away from Varenna to the small town on Bellano.

Bellano is one of those wonderful places that you can easily spend several days exploring. It is not the most famous of all tourist destinations in Lake Como and is therefore free of crowds and is mostly local. I chose the town largely because it was rumoured to have a small beach where one can swim and, as the Italians are fond of saying, take the sun. During the summer months especially, the people of Italy flock to the beaches, not to swim, but instead to sprawl themselves out over a rock and bask in the sun. No Italian summer vacation would be complete without a little bit of sun bathing, which of course produces that lovely golden brown tan that everyone is always jealous of when you return back home!

Bellano, is however, not just home to a pretty little beach, it is also the proud site of a magnificent gorge which is known as the Orrido di Bellano.  Although the orrido is not world famous, it has earnt itself a good reputation with foreign tourists, who have affectionately nicknamed it the little Grand Canyon. When Luca and I first arrived in Bellano, we decided to see this natural wonder before anything else. The weather that day was uncharacteristically cool and there had been several thunderstorms with strong winds the night before. Rain spat down upon us as we entered the orrido, but we figured that the spray from the water would get us wet soon enough, so it wasn’t really a problem.

Although the attraction would have been beautiful enough if it had just been left in its natural glory, the owners had puzzlingly decided to turn it into an Italian Jurassic Park, complete with huge dinosaur sculptures and various other tacky displays. As strange as it was, Luca and I still welcomed the opportunity to pose with a raptor in various silly positions before entering the caves surrounding the gorge themselves. Once inside we walked along the narrow bridges which wound their way along the perimeter of the rocks and observed the full power of the water as it poured into the gorge below. The stream resembled a waterfall and there were plenty of places to take amazing photographs along the route.

Once we had our fill of the orrido, we decided to head to the lake shore in search of a restaurant for lunch. Like the previous night, the wind suddenly picked up and we were blown about by what felt like gale force gusts. The lake turned choppy and the few sail boats that had dared to venture out onto the waters, struggled not to be carried away. Personally, I was more concerned with exposing myself to the people of Bellano, as my dress kept flipping up Marilyn Monroe style. It seemed as though I would not be getting my wish to swim in the waters of Lake Como and as we settled in a sheltered café, I felt a little bit disappointed. Luca assured me that there was still plenty more to see and to not give up on the weather. With that glimmer of hope, I tucked in to a large plate of delicious gnocchi.

After lunch we began to explore the town, which is centuries old and a pedestrian zone only. The streets were narrow and adorned with various flags representing the different communities nearby. Around every corner was a photo opportunity, from clothing lines, which were hung from window to window across the streets, to various monuments that had been erected in honour of saints. Being in Bellano was like being transported back in time and as Luca and I weaved our way through the town the view seemed to get more and more spectacular.

The town is located at the base of one of the many mountains that surround Lake Como, and it is possible to follow trails that lead hikers on leisurely strolls to the towns resting above. Luca and I elected to follow one such trail that promised panoramic views of the lake and finished at an ancient church. As we climbed higher and higher, following at first cobblestoned streets and then climbing stairs which were overgrown with grass and moss, my fear of heights began to kick in. It is not that the trails were in any way dangerous, but more that looking out over the water and miniature homes below gave me the feeling that I was leaning over the edge of a very tall skyscraper. Still, I persevered which Luca’s coaxing, after all I wasn’t about to turn back when we had already come so far.

As we neared the top of the mountain, the sun emerged once again and we ascended a very old and steep set of stairs with stone and wooden carvings lining the way. These carvings depicted Christ carrying the cross on the way to his crucifixion and Luca said that they were known as the Stations of the Cross. Flowers and candles had been left at the base of each of these stations and with the now blue sky serving as a backdrop; I experienced the sense of the awe that religious pilgrims must have felt when visiting the area centuries ago.

The church itself, was rather modest when compared to the natural scenery around us and we explored the area nearby in search of other routes that we could follow. Right behind the church was a path that looked untouched by time and it inspired in us a sense of mystery and intrigue. It was surrounded by very high stone walls and every so often Luca and I would pass miniature doors that looked as though they had been constructed for dwarves and not in fact for average-sized people as we walked along it. Suddenly a small dog poked his head through a hole in the wall and began to bark and growl! Luca and I at first recoiled in fear and then laughed because he was in fact a rather adorable mutt. As we continued to discover this hidden gem for ourselves, we decided that one day it would be nice to purchase a home of our own on the Lake Como mountainside.

For the last activity of the day, Luca agreed that we had a little bit of time remaining to take a swim in the cool waters below. After climbing back down to where we began our Bellano journey, we took half an hour to dip our feet in the lake and reminisce about the week that we had just experienced. Lake Como is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world. In our short time in the area, Luca and I experienced so many different things and yet there was even more that we had to miss due to the time restriction. I would recommend it to both travellers on a budget and to those who have a little bit more money to spend. Simply put, there is something for every price bracket, every interest and every season at this charming Italian destination. I know I will never forget it, and who knows, I may even be lucky enough to return again some day.

Lake Como Part Two: Como

For those of you who haven’t already read “Lake Como Part One” from my February 5^th blog http://lovelifeandferrari.blogspot.com/2012/02/lake-como-part-one-varenna-and-bellagio.html , I visited Lake Como this summer accompanied by my boyfriend Luca. We spent the first few days discovering Varenna (where our hotel was located) and neighbouring Bellagio before deciding to take a journey to the city of Como.

I was especially interested in the little town of Brunate, which is located in the hills above Como. I had read prior to visiting Lake Como that the views of the lake from Brunate are spectacular and that riding in the cable car that takes you to the town is an experience in itself.

Luca and I decided to take the ferry to Como, rather than riding the train. There were two options; the high-speed ferry or the regular ferry. I had noticed several high-speed ferries while we were in Bellagio and at first labelled them as “runaway ferries” because they literally looked like they were out of control and even rose partially out of the water while rocketing to their various destinations. The only word that I can use to describe these ferries is epic, absolutely epic!

While parts of us longed for speed, Luca and I opted to take the regular ferry, partially because the price was significantly lower but mostly because we both wanted a long, relaxing boat ride with a good view of some of Lake Como’s most beautiful villas. The journey to Como was approximately four hours long, but you can never tire of the fabulous mountains and buildings all around you. Aside from passing several picturesque small towns that were located off the beaten track, we were able to see Villa Balbianello. The Lenno villa was made famous after it appeared in the film Star Wars: Episode II starring Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen. Pictures really do not do it justice and it is absolutely breathtaking when you are able to see it in person. 

As the ferry approached Como, the waters changed from being calm and serene to choppy and bustling with activity. It was also obvious from the colour of the water, which became murkier, that we were entering the realm of a city. Como is magnificent when approaching by boat, especially because everything else in the area is so small. You can recognise the city’s large duomo instantly looming on the horizon and the surrounding mountains are full of houses.

Once our ferry docked, Luca and I immediately set out to find the cable car, or funicolare as it is known in Italian, to Brunate. Luckily there were plenty of signs to point us in the right direction and a steady flow of tourists seemed to be following the same route that we were. It is impossible to miss the quirky wooden building where you can purchase your tickets and wait for the arrival of the next cable car. Unfortunately on this particular day, the cable car was out of service. Apparently the sweltering August heat had forced the whole system to shut down and as a result many disappointed travellers were left wandering around aimlessly outside the building. Luca and I decided to make the most out of our time in Como and explore the city.

It was insanely hot on that particular day and I recall that after stopping for lunch, the entire backside of my khakis were coated in sweat, making it appear as though I had wet myself like a small child! Despite the oppressive heat, which made us both want to lounge around like a pair of bearded dragons, Luca and I persevered slowly and managed to see the sites of Como. The nicest of these sites was the duomo, which was surrounded by several lovely old cafes. Both tourists and locals mingled here as everyone tired to escape the August sun. Much to Luca’s delight, there was also a Formula 1 model shop located down one of the city’s winding allies and we spent several minutes observing the displays while soaking up some much-needed air conditioning.

 

As the day neared to a close, we elected to make our way back to our hotel and ventured to the ferry stop to have a look at the timetable. Much to our surprise, the last ferry to Varenna was just about to leave and it was, indeed, one of the runaway ferries that I had first observed in Bellagio.

The high speed ferry was built much differently than the regular ferry. It consisted of two decks which were both enclosed, presumably to prevent passengers from falling into the lake as the ferry takes flight. There was to be no leisurely drinking of coffee or taking of photos on this ride, our journey on the high speed ferry was set to be more like a rocket launch than a boat tour! As Luca and I took our seats on the bottom deck, we excitedly braced ourselves for take off.

At first, there seemed to be no real difference between the regular ferry and the high speed ferry, other than the very poor view but soon we heard the engine get ever louder as the vessel approached maximum velocity. Before we knew it, the front of the ferry was out of the water, creating waves outside of our window and we were motoring from town to town! You really get the feeling of speed riding on a high speed ferry and I couldn’t help but laugh as various boats were forced to quickly move aside as this nautical monster approached! Come to think of it, the whole thing is a bit of a disaster waiting to happen, but we still had fun!

Once we were safely back in Varenna, Luca and I enjoyed an evening spent by the water, eating beautiful food and listening to live music at one of the local restaurants. As we sipped on cocktails and enjoyed the cooler evening temperature, we couldn’t imagine a more relaxing place to be than Lake Como.

To be continued…

Be sure to keep checking my blog if you want to know more about Lake Como as I plan on writing about Bellano in the next few days.

Lake Como Part One: Varenna and Bellagio

It is another bitterly cold day in Lodi. I read that much of Europe is experiencing the same kind of icy conditions that we are here in Italy. Some countries, such as Bosnia, have even declared a state of emergency and in Rome there has been absolute chaos as a result of the snow. Hopefully this sudden cold spell clears up soon and no more lives are lost.

Thankfully Lodi seems to be through the worst of the weather and blue skies are on the horizon. It is unusually quiet outside and I think that most of the people in the city are indulging in a lazy Sunday at home with a blanket. My saviour is a tiny heater that I keep next to my computer. Without it, the room that I am currently in would surely be an ice box.

The mountains that are located within an hour of my home must be absolutely stunning right now. I was able to take a few photographs of them when I flew into Milan last month. The snow-capped peaks defined their rocky surfaces and created a wonderful view. Now they will be completely covered, making the area a photographer’s dream.

Of all the sites that I have seen in Italy, Lake Como (which is situated within these mountains) is arguably the most breathtaking. I was able to visit the famous destination this summer and took some of the best photos of my life while I was there. Most North Americans have heard of Lake Como because many celebrities, such as George Clooney, have homes there. Indeed when I mentioned to friends that I was planning on spending a week in Lake Como, many of them reminded me to say “Hi” to George, as if we would be frequenting the same places.

Until this year, Lake Como wasn’t even on my radar as a place that I wanted to see. Usually I am not very fond of places that are overly touristy and prefer to have a more authentic experience when I am travelling. Thankfully, my boyfriend Luca mentioned wanting to visit the area and so, on a warm August day, I found myself on a train bound for the small Lake Como town of Varenna.

Even the journey to Varenna was beautiful. As you depart Milano Centrale train station, the view gradually transitions from industrialised buildings to enormous mountains and a sparkling blue lake. It is truly amazing how close this picturesque wonder is to such a large city. Amusingly enough, there was a couple sharing our train car who seemed to be even more excited than my boyfriend and I. The woman opened the train window as far as it could go and kept leaning perilously outside while taking various photos. Her husband remained inside, but kept pointing frantically at different things, presumably directing the operation. On more than one occasion, she would re-enter the train only moments before it sped through a mountain tunnel with absolutely no fear whatsoever.

Upon our arrival in Varenna, Luca and I were drenched in a layer of our own sweat and began a 10 minute walk that seemed to last an eternity. The main road led us up and down the hills of the ancient town towards our hotel and although we were exhausted, we were completely in awe. Varenna really is one of those places that you envision when you think of Italy. With its cobblestone roads, multi-coloured houses and even a castle looming in the hills above, it is the perfect destination to relax and experience what the Italians refer to as the dolce vita.

Because Varenna is still largely unknown to the majority of tourists, it is also surprisingly free of the crowds, junk and cash-grabs that you find in neighbouring tourist-trap Bellagio. In addition to this, hotel rooms are very reasonable in the town. Luca and I stayed in a lovely place called Villa Elena which was located only meters from the lakeshore. http://www.villaelenavarenna.it/eng/index.php One double room cost only 50 Euros per night, an absolute bargain in an area where you can easily drop more than 100 Euros for a single room. The only downside was that there was no air conditioning where we were staying. Surprisingly, however, this was not really an issue because we were out every day and the nights were cool and mosquito-free. On those occasions when you do need to cool down, drawing yourself an ‘ice’ bath can prove to be initially comical, but ultimately soothing.

In the mornings we would often venture down the cobblestone stairs to the lakeshore. The town is littered with these steep paths that are both unique and beautiful, albeit difficult to navigate. Most paths lead directly to the local restaurants that overlook Lake Como. There was one particular café that Luca and I were especially fond of where it was possible to eat a croissant, brioche in Italian, and simply watch the water. There were several days when we both agreed that we would be happy to remain in that spot and do absolutely nothing at all. Varenna is a place where you can literally feel all the tension and stress of your everyday life melt away.

If you do choose to venture outside of Varenna and explore the neighbouring towns, getting around is very easy. There is a ferry station not far from the hotels in Varenna and ferries depart frequently for destinations all over Lake Como. The best views of Lake Como can be seen from a boat. If you do not have money to spend on renting your own vessel or taking a private tour of the villas, the ferry provides a cheap alternative. You can really see a lot from the top deck and the feeling of the sun on your face, accompanied by a cooling breeze is enough to lull you into slumber.

On our first day out of Varenna, Luca and I decided to visit Bellagio because it was the one town that both of us had heard of before our vacation. The trip from Varenna is very short (about 15 minutes by ferry) and the views of the town are spectacular. As I mentioned above, Bellagio is extremely busy and filled to the brim with tourists of every nationality. Prices are expensive and I was definitely glad that I did not choose it as a base of operations. Thankfully there are many interesting local stores spread out amongst the cheap junk that are worth exploring. My favourite was a glass store. All of the ornaments, furniture and accessorise had been hand-blown by the owners. The most fabulous pieces included; a one-of-a-kind chandelier, a colourful penguin and some very unique pieces of jewellery.

There are a variety of restaurants in Bellagio but the best value for money that we could find was a local pizzeria. While I have had better pizzas in Italy, the food that we ordered was reasonably priced and delicious. For Luca it was an especially religious experience. After not having eaten true Italian pizza for several years, he appreciated his food as if he was eating in a Michelin standard restaurant. For those of you who have never eaten true Italian pizza in Italy…yes, it really is THAT good.

Overall I found that the best thing to do in Bellagio, just like in Varenna, was to walk around exploring the twisting allies and historic buildings. Make sure to wear your walking shoes, after a few hours under the scorching Italian sun, you will feel as though you have just been through a workout at the gym.

Bellagio was no Varenna, but in Lake Como every town is both spectacular and unique.

To be continued…

Be sure to read part two of three to hear about my day out Como!