Travel: Lago de Como, Italia

 While Lago Maggiore left me enchanted, I believe I died and went to heaven visiting Lago de Como. So if you don't hear from me again…. You know why :)

Firstly. I have to come back and spend just ten days in one of the villages on the lake, preferably in autumn. Wow, wauw, wow! Secondly, the small city of Como is cute with a nice cathedral and square, typical pedestrian  stoned/tiled street leading there, cafes, restaurants and shops on the way. Perhaps those photos as a separate blog with a few left overs as we drove the entire Lago de Como. 55 kms long.   It is an upside down y shape. Map below. The left hand side up to Cadenabbia is exquisite. Italian colourful villages with a little church, dotted up the luscious green mountainside a ll overlooking the lake, and Alp forested mountains. After a few days of 32 the cooler clouds and rain were welcome! 

Cadenabbia 

             Colonna 

      Below famous Bellagio

     A sea of flowers in the air and on the ground 

Colonna has a legacy that all its women are ugly so the men are happy, as they will work hard and not be stolen. Some Italian machoism for fun. 25million euro plus villas along Lake Como include owners such as George Clooney, Saudi family and an oligarch Russian banker. 

We took took the ferry from Cadenabbia, to Bellagio a famous place with famous brand shopping, bags from 490,00 euro (but you smell the leather when you walk in :), jewelry made for superstars on stage performing I guess and multiple cafes, restaurants etc etc. Note, no bars. Only in hotels. Delicatessen coffee menus, traiteur sweets and savouries, and did I mention flowers? This is what is most striking about Bellagio. Flowers everywhere!!! 

Imagine 55 kms of lake and on either side the Alps with villages dotted every few kms. 

Arriving in Bellagio. Ferry also takes takes cars of course. 

The gaps in between the houses are the stone stairways that lead up to the mountain hill. 

The Oleander tree lined avenue Lungolago, in white pastel pink and cerise are adorned with flowers, their petals all over the sidewalk and grass and their scent wafts everywhere. The Avenida runs along the lakeside. Climbing roses around lamp poles, multicolored flowered beds, protected by mini green lawns, and the Oleanders, pruned two metres high of branches, unlike the SA ball shape, literally steal the day! Their confetti of flowers everywhere provides a wedding like welcome walk of natural confetti! 

The ferry arriving in Bellagio 

Stairway surface 

Some are busier than others 

The Alps, forested and luscious hug the lake in all directions and one could take a panorama pic but you need a 360 degree bubble. The mountains and contours, emerald lake and flowers literally just do make it more beautiful than Norwegian western fjords that I saw. Sorry Janniche sweetheart! But, it’s the Italian ambience, the artisan shops, the vibe, the stone steps leading up, the place is literally just unbelievable. But of course it is because one is able to drive entirely around the lake as well. The right hand side (East) has more tunnels and the roads are narrow but if you visit Lago de Como , one must drive the road to capture all its beauty!   

Typical village driving the west side north 

The Italians have style! Dressed to the nines, long cool beautiful dresses smelling divine. Handbag and shoes to match the outfit. So cool! And of course Italy, so old, so authentic, so decorative. Something old isn’t plastered up in fake show quick paint or commercial banner. No it is left to rot with rusted balconies, crumbling bricks, collapsed roof, trees and nature growing through. I love it! 

There were also quite a few Swiss cars as Lugano is around the corner. Lago de Como and Maggiore would win hands down from Monaco and Nice, except the latter have the Mediterranean. One can swim in Maggiore but not Como. Not sure why. Well at least in Bellagio. 

Adios amigas y amigos! Ciao …