I published the following article back in 2012 after an extended stay in Italy. Although not my first time it was certainly memorable as I was solo after a difficult separation. I hope you enjoy my Italian sojourn…
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I’m sitting at the Bar San Remo overlooking beautiful Lake Como in the picturesque village of Bellagio sipping my second cappuccino of the day, the first devoured in a thirsty appreciation of the Italian way of making a great coffee…so simple yet so delicious!
Of course, a breakfast cappuccino at 11:20 am is so decadent, but after my alarm woke me for 6:45 am (yes, I was actually going to go for a run) I rolled over and fell back fast asleep, although lightly woken each hour as the church bells rang out each successive hour I lounged in bed until 9:15 am. It was one of those deeply restful sleeps that takes you a little by surprise but refreshes you to your core if you know what I mean.
I arrived at San Giovanni di Bellagio yesterday afternoon; this sleepy little village is situated about a 2 km stroll along the shore of Lake Como from Bellagio. A well renowned escape from the summer heat of Milan, Bellagio has been home to the rich and well to do Milanese for centuries and is about an hour and a half drive from downtown Milan.
The road ends at Bellagio as it’s situated at the end of a peninsula within Lake Como. In my mind Lake Como is one of the natural beauties and should be considered a “must see” on your next trip to Italy. Lake Como is also the home to many of the current rich and famous; from George Clooney, Madonna and Richard Branson to name just but a few. I’ve actually lost count of the number of times I’ve been to this part of the world (haven’t actually seen any of the rich and famous yet) and as you can tell is one of my personal favorite places on the planet!
This time around I decided to rent a one-bedroom apartment (Apartments II Vicolo) on Via Sant’Abbondio N.13) rather than stay at a hotel, and what a brilliant choice as my apartment comes with a bunch of extras that a hotel doesn’t offer including a full kitchen, lounge room and a large sun-lit terrace that could accommodate a significant sized cocktail party (perhaps next time around I should invite some friends to join me?) did I also say that it includes wireless all for the same price as a local hotel at this time of year.
I must admit it was more good luck than good management, so I can’t take complete credit for lucking out on this little gem. The price was right and my dates worked for them…the rest is history!
I had the afternoon stretching out before me, so what better thing to do but to take a cruise out to see Villa del Balbianello. Not so fast, after chatting to Lucca the local proprietor of the Bellagio Water Taxis service and determining that his tour was sold out (I guess it was Sunday after all), his wife Jennine (Australian no less) told me that I could catch the local ferry service to Lenno and either hike to Villa del Balbianello or hire a water taxi to take me.
The stage was set for a great afternoon’s adventure so after procuring a ticket from the ferry terminus I leisurely strolled the cobbled streets of Bellagio and enjoying a typical Italian lunch (salami and mozzarella on a crusty role) until the next ferry left for Lenno.
The hot afternoon sun warmed me to my core as the ferry slowly chugged its way back and forth across the lake stopping at a couple of villages before docking at Lenno some 25 minutes later. As I disembarked, I noticed a sign that pointed to the Villa del Balbianello and off I set, but not before treating myself to the first gelato of the trip. What is about the taste of great gelato?
The Villa del Balbianello is located on a heavily forested peninsula that juts out into Lake Como and was recently used in the James Bond movie remake of Gold Finger. I realized as I hiked up out of town of Lenno up the steep grade toward the Villa of the similarities between where I was hiking today and my hike last year in Papua New Guinea as I was now hiking in a dense rain forest surrounded by towering trees of every variety, vines, ferns, moss and most surprising of all wild hydrangeas! Even the heat of this rainforest felt similar to PNG, how could two places in the world in so very different locations be so similar?
As I passed through the gates to the Villa, I was bombarded with magnificent views of the lake and surrounding gardens. To my surprise there was a wedding scheduled under the loggia and so our English tour of the residence was fast and furious, dodging other tours and trying to beat the wedding ceremony that was scheduled to start in just a few minutes.
The Villa was a highlight of my day, although after trekking back to Lenno to wait for my return ferry back to San Giovanni di Bellagio I was able to have a rather restful powernap under the shade of a tree adjacent to the terry terminus – that’s what holidays are for!
I’ve been frequenting Bar San Remo since arriving in San Giovanni di Bellagio; by the third day the waiters smiled warmly as I nod and say in my best Italian “Buongiorno”. Today they don’t bother to bring me a menu but confirm that I want “the small breakfast”, which consists of a cappuccino, fresh crusty roles with jam, honey and a large apricot croissant…. although hardly small.
In Bellagio its mid-week which means there are few tourists about, mostly just a handful of locals sitting in their usual spots at the bar enjoying their morning espresso and likely on their way to work. How long have they been coming here to have their morning coffee and watch the world go by? By the look of some of them at least 50 years, perhaps more! A much more civilized and social way to start the day don’t you think? Men, women of all ages and walks of life, it truly is a slice of life.
All the shopkeepers are now bustling around me as they unload their days deliveries along the quay where I sit, rolling up the shutters to their shops, sweeping the footpaths and generally getting the day underway. The thing I love about my mornings in Italy is being able to take my time with no schedule or agenda, nor place I have to be and just people watch.
Italians have a love affair with their scooters! Even this morning as I sit here, they’re zipping back and forth, people of all ages, men and women, old and young alike. This morning I even witnessed an older gentleman (would have to have been in his 80’s) with only one arm jauntily riding along quite happily, his shirtsleeve flapping gaily in the breeze.
Every brand, size and variety from the fancy new ones with all the bells and whistles to the ancient Vespa’s that would be better served in a museum, but I suspect the cool factor wins out instead for those owners and rightly so, as they chug past blowing thick clouds of bluish grey smoke. I think if I lived here, I’d definitely have to have an old Vespa if nothing more than to just fit in.
Here’s to many more idyllic Italian days during my sojourn…
Until next week.
Ciao!