Day Cruise on Lake Como to Bellaggio

Italy Tour – Thu 30^th June 2016 – Lake Como Cruise to Bellagio

Weather: 16⁰C min – 25⁰C max, thunderstorms and heavy rain, clearing to fine and cloud

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” Don’t count the days, make the days count “ ~ Muhammad Ali

Waking up at 6 am to the sound of continuous, rolling thunder and torrential rain was not the ideal start to the day, particularly as I had planned to cruise Lago Como to Bellagio and back. Weather such as this was not supposed to happen; according to the forecast there was only a 40% chance of rain. Besides, the words on the wall above my bed said something wonderful was meant to happen today. I therefore lay in bed for another hour and started to contemplate Plan B, which would be to laze around my spacious and comfortable two-floor apartment in the heart of Como centro.

First I went to the little café around the corner and had a simple continental breakfast comprising a croissant and a sweet pastry (pasticceria dolce) followed by a cappuccino. To my delight the rain had stopped and there were even patches of blue sky, so I hurriedly walked to the Navigazione Lago Di Como ticket office down at the little jetty on the lake in time to catch the 9:10 am ferry. The ticket lady flattered me by saying, “the return trip on the slow boat will be €23.50 because you are obviously not over 65”. I had to show her my driver’s licence to convince her I was actually a septuagenarian, then she obligingly gave me the €5 senior’s discount. Sometimes it is good to be old!

Located at the foot of the Alps, right up against the Swiss border, Lake Como is Italy’s deepest lake (410 m) and third largest in area (146 square Km). Its peculiar inverted Y-shape was carved out of the mountains by an ancient glacier, which formed one of the most astonishing and picturesque lakes in the world. What sets Lake Como apart from the other lakes is the tall, steep mountains surrounding the perimeter, giving the lake its green colour. Over the centuries man has added to the natural beauty by constructing an endless succession of lovely old towns, churches, medieval towers, majestic mansions and luxuriant gardens on the steep slopes beside the lake. Man-made beauty well-integrated with natural beauty makes a marvellous combination.

After two pleasant hours the ferry had completed its 35 Km journey to Bellagio, a small village at the tip of a long hilly promontory between the two southern branches of Lake Como. Bellagio is an elegant and long-established tourist resort, which still retains considerable charm despite the daily influx of tourists. Although only having a population of around 200 permanent residents, it has 900 beds for tourists. Most locals live in other hamlets and villages on the headland.

The village of Bellagio oozes with charm and character with its romantic cobble lanes, streets and architectural classical Italian buildings. The setting is absolutely gorgeous with breathtaking views of Lake Como and surrounding hills and villages.

Bellagio has an interesting history too. Inhabited since prehistoric times, it was the residence of the Roman patricians and then of Lombardy’s noble families, who built magnificent villas here. Over the years Bellagio has enchanted artists, poets, musicians from all over the world. Villa Serbelloni just next door to Hotel Metropole has had many famous people as guests, including Leonardo De Vinci, Mike Jagger, President John Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Roosevelt, the Rothschild’s, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Maria Schell, Clark Gable, Robert Mitchum, and Al Pacino….to name just a few!

Having taken so many photos on the way to Bellagio, I was able to relax and savour the return journey. At one stage I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warm breeze on my face. The only sounds I could hear were the throbbing engine and the rippling wake which, together with the gentle rolling of the boat, soon had me dozing off. In no time at all we had arrived at Como, a place which will live long in my memory.

I knew something wonderful would happen today!