Lake Como Part Three
Our last day in Lake Como we had originally planned to visit the town of Como. After doing some research once we arrived we realized it was just going to take way too long to actually get to Como from where we were staying on the lake, and instead we decided to take the ferry to Menaggio! During our ride over we talked to a nice couple from Scotland and enjoyed the sunny weather. When we arrived we walked along the waterfront, bought some pasta to take home, and then got gelato before taking the ferry back to Bellano.
That afternoon we decided to take advantage of our pool and hung out at our Airbnb before visiting the Orrido di Bellano. The gorge is over 15 million years old and really worth visiting if you are visiting the lake! Inside it felt like the rainforest filled with ferns. After our visit we took the train back to Varenna for dinner. When we arrived in town we spent a long time watching a family of swans before eating. After a long dinner we took the train back to Bellano and packed up for our last stop, Venice!
Lake Como Part Two
Today I'm sharing part two of our first full day in Lake Como! After exploring Bellagio Dale and I took a ferry to Varenna and started exploring. This was one of my favorite towns we visited, it was a little less crowded than Bellagio but just as charming. First up we got gelato and then walked through the town. We knew we wanted to hike back to Bellano so right before leaving we stopped at a grocery store to get some pasta and bread to cook back at our Airbnb and then we started along the path to Castello di Vezio.
The Vezio Castle is almost 1,000 years old and it was quite the trek to get there from Varenna. Before we started the hike we thought it was mostly downhill back to Bellano, but it was exactly the opposite! But the views from the top of the tower were definitely worth it. After a quick beer on the castle grounds we started the long (but beautiful) trek back to our Airbnb. We saw waterfalls, vineyards, slugs, and truly stunning views of the lake. There were also lots of olive and cherry trees along the path. When we finally made it home (our Airbnb was directly on the Sentiero del Viandante) we immediately started cooking our dinner! It was nice to have a meal at "home," after having had so many meals at restaurants during the trip. After dinner we had some wine and researched the strange bird we had seen all over the lake, the eurasian coot. While our hike was a much longer route than we were expecting it really was beautiful, and one of our favorite days of our entire trip!
Lake Como Part One
Sunday morning (June 3rd) we were up early to grab breakfast before taking the train from Milan to Lake Como. (I had some amazing focaccia bread with tomatoes which was the perfect start to the day!) After a one hour train ride we were at the lake! Our Airbnb host picked us up from the train station to drive us to our BEAUTIFUL place for the next few days. We were grateful for the ride because it was basically straight uphill from the station. After a tour of the apartment we decided to just spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool. That night we ventured down the hill into the town of Bellano and ended up having pizza at a restaurant right by the lake. It started to rain a little bit but we luckily made it back to the house before it really started!
The next morning we took the ferry to Bellagio after a quick croissant at the same restaurant we ate at the night before! The rain from the night before continued into the next day but it cleared up right as we made it to the gardens at Villa Melzi. The gardens were stunning, I especially loved the water lilies. After visiting the gardens we headed into the town to wander around and had the best pasta at Far Out. I tried the pappardelle noodles and Dale had the gnocchi. Next we did some shopping before taking a ferry to Varenna. I took so many photos that day I decided to split our afternoon into its very own post, be on the lookout for that soon!
Milan, Italy
Ciao! On June 1st we arrived in Italy, possibly my favorite country in the world. We took the train from Nice and headed straight to our next Airbnb to drop off our bags. First up was pizza (Dale's favorite food, so I was especially excited for him to experience this first pizza in Italy!). After eating we took a short nap before heading out to explore. We saw the Columns of San Lorenzo and then got coffee (and a lemon soda for me). We were lucky to be very centrally located so the Duomo was only a short walk from our Airbnb. That night we had dinner at a restaurant near the canals designed by Leonardo da Vinci before heading to bed.
The next morning we headed straight for the Duomo! On our way we grabbed coffee and croissants at a restaurant right by where we were staying and then got our tickets. The line moved pretty quickly, especially since we had chosen to take the stairs to the roof. We enjoyed the beautiful views of the city before entering the cathedral (the marble floor was my favorite part of the interior). By this point we were really hungry and found a restaurant a few blocks from the duomo for lunch. I ordered the pesto pasta and Dale of course had pizza. We had to get gelato for dessert, too. Next up we walked to the Francesco Sforza Castle before buying our train tickets to Lake Como for the next day. We had dinner at a different restaurant near the canals, and stopped by the Duomo so I could feed the pigeons! Milan is the perfect quick stop on the way to Lake Como, especially if you are in the mood for shopping. I can't wait to share our dreamy few days in Lake Como next!
Italy GoPro Video!
It's done! I have been working on creating a GoPro video from Sophie and I's Italy trip for a few weeks, and it is finally finished! I love how it really captures what we saw from our perspective, and is a little less polished and formal than all the photos. Enjoy!