COMO

20 Days in Italy: Part IV - Lake Como

By Joey Pasco

(See also Part I; Part II; and Part III.)

Christina and I arrived in Como just after sunset, and it smelled like frost. Our hosts at Il Talento Nella Quiete told us they’d had snow flurries the previous night.

We knew it would be a little colder up north, but snow?! In late April?!

Nestled in the foothills of the European Alps, Lake Como is a deceptively massive body of water whose shorelines are speckled with small towns. On our first morning, Fabio (one of our hosts) suggested we drive down to the town of Lenno, where we could park the car and purchase a tourist pass for the ferry. This would allow us unlimited passage on the ferry to visit the towns in the mid-lake region; namely, Tremezzo, Bellagio, and Varenna.

Just walking the shoreline looking for the ticket office, I was astounded at the beauty of this lake and the mountains that surrounded it. Ancient stone walls covered with moss… vines climbing up the legs and backs of sculptures… wisteria spilling over wrought-iron fences… the sound of water lapping against the pier…

Lake Como is gorgeous and magical, in a way completely unlike the beauty and charm of Tuscany, Rome, or Cefalù.

During our 3-day stay in Lake Como, we repeatedly hopped on the ferry to bounce from town-to-town. In Bellagio we stopped in a little shop and bought a watercolor painting directly from the artist, who set aside her brushes in order to help us. We toured Villa Balbianello and learned the history of this fascinating property: formerly a monastery before passing to owner after owner, eventually landing in the hands of an Italian explorer/adventurer and art collector. We spent a few hours hiking the Greenway trail, winding our way up and down the hills through the lakeside neighborhoods. In Varenna, we enjoyed lemon granita on the steps outside the shop and laughed as we watched a grandfather trying to feed gelato to his baby granddaughter.

Again and again, we got to feel the lake breeze on our faces as the ferry carried us between the towns encircled by this lush and stunning landscape.

The beauty of Lake Como speaks for itself, so for this final entry in my 20 Days in Italy travel journal, I’m going to let the images do the rest of the talking. If you haven’t seen them already, previous installments can be found here: