Off to Como (2nd day of trip)

The second day of our trip, we were off to the stunning and ethereal Lake Como. Taking the train from Milan, we arrived in Como and took a cab to the waterfront. A number of ferries traverse the lake, going from town to town, filled with tourists. Villages along the lake are literally built into the sides of the Italian Alps, and the homes run the gamut, from modest to stunning. The setting certainly makes even the most humble of the homes appear dreamy.


Even the sidewalks in Como were lovely.


Here's an Art-Deco-styled hotel in Como that I liked.


We headed off from the town of Como up the lake, with Bellagio as our destination. Spectacular homes, built into the hillsides, line the shores.






Hey, if you think these pictures are pretty, you should be there in person. These pictures are a poor representation.






The longer we rode, the prettier it got. Finally, after stopping at a number of towns, we arrived in Bellagio.

No, it's nothing like the casino in Vegas. No, there is no casino in Bellagio. It was a quaint and picturesque village with steeply-stepped narrow alleys going up the hillside, with silk shops, antique dealers, silversmiths, and glass dealers galore. I wanted to stay there all day. Alas, we had much other sightseeing to do, and we had to depart a lot sooner than I would have liked. Sorry, I didn't take any pictures of the narrow little alleys. I could have stayed here for days. The hotel we stopped at for lunch was a period piece, built in the 20s, and was a lot more charming than the brusque waiter who served us our worst meal in Italy on its outdoor porch. I had a ham-and-cheese sandwich on toast that was pathetic. Jess had some type of crepe that was equally low-quality.

After lunch, we hurried over to the ferry dock to catch the ferry back across the lake to Tremezzo. Tremezzo is home to the spectacular Villa Carlotta, and I was looking forward to seeing it. We had seen several television travelogues that advised it was a must-see. As we crossed the lake from Bellagio back to Tremezzo, I could see that I wasn't going to be disappointed.