LAKE COMO - Varenna

I love lakes, and when I realised that Como – one of the most beautiful in Italy – was just an hour or so from Bergamo airport, we decided we just had to visit.



Higgledy piggledy houses huddled together on the banks of the lake and surrounded by the Italian alps, Varenna is just gorgeous and I was glad we’d chosen it as our base. We arrived just in time for a picnic lunch on a bench overlooking the lake, before exploring our new ‘home.



Villa Elena is a beautiful Palazzo type house on the square in front of the Chiesa di San Giorgio, and next to the tiny church of San Giovanni Battista – one of the first to be built on the shores of Lake Como. We wanted something authentic for our stay at the lake, and the
Villa Elena fitted the bill perfectly.





It was a little cloudy, but when our host threw open the shutters and we saw the view over the lake, we couldn’t contain our excitement. We settled in and then headed down to the lake where we discovered some pretty cafés and restaurants as well as some little souvenir shops.



Once again we were tempted by the delicious ice creams when we came across the Gelateria La Giazzera which is the only ice cream shop in Varenna that offers artigianale (home made) ice cream made on the premises. I was determined to resist until I spotted the Rum and Raisin – oh dear!

We walked round as far as the boat terminal which was much larger and nowhere near as pretty as the one at Mandello del Lario, but obviously gets more use. This side of the village seemed dedicated to restaurants specialising in lake fish and we spotted a few menus that looked interesting for dinner.



There are two ‘villas’ of note in Varenna; Villa Cipressi which is now a hotel with beautiful gardens, and the Villa Monastero, an ancient Cistercian convent at the edge of Lake Como with fabulous gardens.







Everywhere you look there was a picture postcard view and we probably could have spent longer there if we didn’t still have the blisters from Milan. Apparently, part of the house is now also open as a museum, but we never found that! This was still one of the highlights of the visit for me though.



There was just time for a quick spot of shopping. I’d already decided that this would not be the last time I visited Lake Como so I was delighted to find a thick guide book listing all the lakeside towns and villages, and some old fashioned postcards.

The lovely old lady in the shop mistook me for Italian (possibly because of my dark colouring and tan as my Italian is distinctly ropey) and we had a lively exchange. She popped next door for a chat and to get some change because she’d run out, leaving the till wide open in a shop full of tourists with bank notes spilling out. Obviously crime isn’t too much of a problem here!



Another evening and time for another apero before dinner, but this time the setting couldn’t have been better. We chose the bar Il Molo which had a pretty candlelit terrace overlooking the lake and watched as the sun set behind the alps – what a fabulous way to end the day.





So would I come back to Varenna? Absolutely, but I’d make sure that I had a couple of weeks so that I could make the most of the lake and see as many of the pretty towns and villages as possible as I feel that this trip gave us just a taste of the delights on offer...

LAKE COMO - Mandello del Lario

Lake Como is the third largest lake in Italy and is shaped like an inverted Y with Como on the south west point, Lecco on the south east point and Colico at the top.



From central Milan, trains run to Como and from there it is easy to use the water taxis to towns and villages all over the lake, but as we were approaching from Orio al Serio (the Ryanair hub) which is about an hour east of Milan, we decided to follow the eastern prong.



Mandello del Lario was the lake village of my imagination – faded painted houses, vibrant red begonias and pretty blue creepers, and even the odd fresco on the outside of a house! It also had an old fashioned boat dock off a little piazza which was like stepping back in time.



The other side of the village is a large park which was much better maintained than the public gardens in Milan. From here visitors can access the lake from a little ‘beach’ of shingle surrounded by palm trees.



Lake Como is also known as Lago del Lario from which the town takes it’s name, and I could have happily spent a few more days here wandering through the little cobbled streets and just drinking in the peaceful atmosphere.



it wasn’t until I bought a more detailed guide book that I realised we’d missed the church and the remote sanctuary of Santa Maria with a bell tower and beautiful cloister – maybe next time!

MILAN - day 1

It’s amazing how low cost airlines have changed the way we travel. I really had no intention of going to Milan until I saw that Ryanair had started a new flight direct from Figari and we managed to get two returns for 55 euros including a suitcase – what a bargain!



What we hadn’t realised was that hotel rooms in Milan weren’t such a bargain and even a one star near the centre will set you back the best part of 100 euros a night without breakfast. We found the Hotel Del Sole on the internet and it turned out to be ideal – just a few metres from two metro stations and walking distance to the Duomo (if you don’t mind a few blisters!).



The only monument that most people can name in Milan is the Duomo, and justifiably so. The Gothic cathedral took five centuries to complete and is the fourth-largest church in the world. The exterior is even more impressive than Notre Dame in Paris which is one of my favourite cathedrals, and we were lucky that the sun peeped through the clouds for a few minutes so we had a little bit of blue sky for the photos – hurrah!



We’d planned to spend the whole afternoon in the Duomo, but the inside didn’t live up to the exterior. Below the main part of the church is the crypt which is worth a visit, and the treasury which costs 1€, but don’t bother as you can see better elsewhere.

There were a number of statues and tombs of note, but what stood out for me was the gory statue of St. Bartholomew, who was flayed alive. You can see all the veins and muscles, and he seems to be wearing his skin as a robe – very horror-movie’ish.



The roof is the crowning glory of the Duomo. There are more than 3000 statues on the roof alone and the stonework is so intricate it’s like lace. You can climb the stairs for 5€ but it’s better to take the lift for 8€ because there is so much to see, you’ll do enough walking when you’re up there. I am a cowardy custard with heights so I stayed on the ground but I was super jealous when I saw the fab photos and if we’d had clear blue sky I would have had to brave it.

Just across from the Duomo is the Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele II. Here we saw just a taste of Milan’s hugely expensive designer shops; Prada, Louis Vitton and Yves Saint Laurent to name just a few. A quick look in the window at the price of handbags and I quickly decided that I wouldn’t be taking any souvenirs of that nature home with me!



The gallerie itself is really impressive. Huge stone buildings linked together by a glass roof and mosaic floors. We decided to treat ourselves to a ‘gelato’ while we were wandering aimlessly because after all, you can’t come to Italy and not eat the ice cream – it’d be rude! The flavours were incredible and in particular, the ‘cioccolata noir’ tasted just like melted dark chocolate.



It was while we were staring at the roof and lapping up the scrummy ice cream that I got kidnapped by a mad smiling Italian man. I wouldn’t have minded, but he wasn’t the handsome Italian of my imagination! In the end we worked out that he was taking me to the mosaic of the bull that symbolises Milan. Apparently, the Milanese believe that if you stomp over the bulls testicles, it brings luck (presumably not for the bull!).



The other side of Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele II brings you to the Piazza della Scala where the opera house is. La Scala is perhaps the world’s greatest opera house and we spent ages trying to find it until we realised it was housed in a very boring looking building right in front of our noses!



We really wanted to see an opera or ballet here, but there was nothing interesting on the program, so instead saw that you could visit the theatre during the day. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this was definitely a highlight of the trip.



We visited the boxes and got told off for taking photos, then we visited the huge galleries and theatrical museum where we saw portraits of opera singers of a bygone era and costumes as well as the old fashioned posters advertising the shows. What a treat.



From here we headed down the via Mercanti where there were shops, cafés and restaurants lining both sides of this wide pedestrianised street, but all too soon it was time to find somewhere to eat and head back to the hotel via the Via della Spiga, one of Milan’s most elite shopping streets where you can find D&G, Juicy Couture, Roberto Cavalli, Bulgari – the list is almost endless.

MILAN - day 2

Day two saw us up at the crack of dawn in search of cappuccino and pastries – la dolce vita! We already had blisters and as we’d seen quite a few of the sights on the open top bus tour, we decided to get a one day travel card for the metro to save our aching feet.



First stop was Sant’Ambrogio, which I loved even in the cloud. We’d arrived so early that the priest was still giving mass, so we waited patiently until he’d finished before exploring inside. Unfortunately, we didn’t realise that he was going to turn out all the lights, so our photos didn’t come out as well as we’d hoped. Drats! The cloud outside meant that we weren’t going to get any decent photos there either, so we decided to press on.



One metro stop later and we were at Cadorna, just a short walk from the entrance of the Castello Sforzesca . I’d seen this in the guide book and been tempted by the huge castle buildings, but even I was surprised by the sheer scale of the complex.



Four separate entrances lead onto the central cobbled courtyard – thank goodness I’d worn my comfy sightseeing shoes – and a number of museums such as art and sculpture from the middle ages through to the 18th century, frescoed walls and ceilings, stone masonry.



We’d been told off for taking photos before we’d made it past the second room, but there were just so many beautiful things that it was impossible to take it all in. I particularly loved the enormous tapestries and brightly coloured frescos – amazing to think that they are so old but seem to have lost none of their vibrancy.



One of the ceilings is an enormously detailed fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, but as with many of the more precious works, there were staff on hand to make sure that there is no flash photography.



The other masterpiece is Michelangelo’s Rondanini Pietà which is stunning, but the grey concrete background really does it no justice at all. There is also a fine art collection ‘Pinacoteca’, a musical instrument museum, an armoury and bizarrely an exhibition dedicated to Madame Butterfly. It was here that we came across our first Chinese wedding before heading into the gardens.



The Parco Sempione was really quite a disappointment. There were huge green spaces, but really nothing else apart from another Chinese wedding party, and another, and another! We began to wonder if it was the 8th as I know that is the luckiest number in the Chinese culture (thanks HSBC for the informative TV adverts), but as it was the 6th, we couldn’t understand it. We passed the Arco della Pace at the back of the park which is similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and headed up the Corso Sempione for lunch.



Dish of the day was noodles with fresh vegetables but I was also tempted by the Bresaola (dried salted beef) with parmesan, rocket and lemon. It was just too difficult to choose so in the end we ordered one of each so we could share!



After lunch we made our way back skirting the Parco Sempione which is when I spotted the aquarium. I absolutely love aquariums, even if they are fairly naff, so I was delighted to find that not only was this one free, but there was a friendly octopus who came to say hello!



Fortunately we’d had the sense to book ahead to see ‘The Last Supper’. The whole rigmarole seemed a bit OTT to me, but then I’m not a real art freak so perhaps that’s why. They only allow 25 people through at a time and you’re allowed to stay a maximum of 15 minutes. There are a series of automatic doors and security is tighter than most Italian airports!!



As we weren’t allowed to take photos (and we couldn’t cheat!), we decided to buy a postcard as a souvenir but the price in the gift shop and the silly doors that trapped me half in and half out, put us off. Just outside is a street trader which was less than half the price, but we spotted a stationary shop almost opposite in the via Ruffini where we ended up paying just 0.20€ per card!

Our guide books told us that most visitors see the Cenacola Vinciana (The Last Supper) and completely miss the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie just next door – what a shame as this was another highlight of my trip.



What I really loved about this church were the decorations. I’m not a big art fan, but I do love frescos and arches, so I was in hog’s heaven. This was another one where we were there on the dot of 2:30pm when the church opened, and just in time for them to turn off the lights!!



This church did have an added attraction in my view which was a priest all dressed in white who greeted us with a warm smile and sat himself down in the centre of the church so that people sat and chatted with him. Sadly, he spoilt the moment by picking his nose, but I guess they are only human after all...



Having grown up in the UK and now living in France, crossing the road is a constant trial as I never know which way to look. Trams complicate this problem further, but I was fascinated by the old fashioned orange and yellow contraptions. We tried for ages to get a decent photo and eventually I shouted out ‘I see something orange’ which prompted the woman next to me to smooth down her badly dyed orange hair self consciously – oh dear.



There was just time for a spot of shopping in the non-designer Corso Buenos Aires before we settled at a table at the bar Cin Cin for an aperitif. OK, so the setting wasn’t the best, but it was a good spot for people watching and I was glad to rest my feet. Our drinks arrived with some crisps and olives to nibble on, but we also discovered that there was a buffet inside that was included with the cost of the drinks, so the 7€ per drink didn’t seem so bad after all.



We’d spotted a traditional style osteria just opposite Sant’Ambrogio so we headed back there for dinner. They were fully booked so this is one to book in advance, but we must have looked quite sad as they managed to squeeze us in if we were happy to eat quickly before the next guests arrived.



We chose the gnocchi al Gorgonzola (little potato dumplings with a cheese sauce - a personal favourite) and the tagliatelli al funghi porcini (pasta with Porcini mushrooms). Both dishes were so delicious but after trying a few bits and bobs from the buffet and then eating pasta, we were well and truly stuffed!

MILAN - day 3

The next day saw us out again bright and early, heading towards the Cimiterio Monumentale. For some reason, I wasn’t all that enthusiastic about visiting the cemetery, but as soon as I got there, I was amazed at the huge russet red and white building.



Inside, there were colonnades and arches each filled with the tombs of notable Milanese, and views over the grounds. The central atrium was more like a cathedral than a cemetery and was decorated in rich blues and golds. The more important statues are here protected from the weather, and there are also plaques for famous people like Leonardo da Vinci.



Below, the graves have been arranged more along the lines of a garden than a cemetery, and there are even information posts to show where you can find the tombs and statues of note. Some of the funerary statues were amazingly detailed and really beautiful – there was even one depicting the Last Supper in bronze





Unfortunately, the cloud overhead made decent photos impossible, so we wandered back to the crypt where all the war memorials are. It’s impossible for people of my age to fully comprehend the atrocities of the first and second world war, but it really brought home to me how young these boys were who were sent off to fight for their county.



We’d managed to spend a whole morning exploring the cemetery, so we decided to have a spot of lunch before our next visit, and settled into a table outside the Caffé Litta where we could watch the world go by whilst we tucked into vegetable risotto, cannelloni and cheesecake to follow – yum!



From here we had a view of the Palazzo Litta, but it was the less conventional sites that held our attention. First was a bloke dressed as Jesus (underpants, sandals and even a wooden laurel) who wandered past, hardly raising comment from the locals. Next was a woman in what looked like fancy dress but was probably a very expensive haute couture dress and heels so high that as she was riding her bike along the cobbles (!) her heels were scraping the stones.

Just along from here is the little known Monastero Maggiore di San Maurizo.



There is no entry fee here and guides are on hand to talk to you about the monastery and the history of its frescos. I was surprised that photos were allowed (without flash) in most places in Milan, and they came out surprisingly well.



We had two guide books with us; Michelin Guide in French and a DK Top 10 of Milan but neither gave this rave reviews because this church is truly a work of art. Even if it wasn’t really my cup of tea, you can’t help but appreciate the work and dedication to complete something like this.



From here, we headed to San Lorenzo Maggiore. I’d read about the row of 16 free standing Corinthian columns but to be honest, the back drop of graffiti covered buildings did nothing to enhance setting and I really wasn’t impressed. It was only 2pm and like most places in Italy, the church itself was closed until 2:30pm, so we decided to press on to the Basilica and Museum of Sant’Eustorgio.



We were surprised to find that the entrance fee was 6€ for what looked like just a normal sized church, but actually it was well worth it. Behind the church was a series of rooms containing frescos and excavated columns, a vaulted room with views over the courtyard and a treasury room.



This is much more impressive than the treasury at the Duomo. OK, so the glass fronts are alarmed, but you can’t help thinking that otherwise, it is probably pretty much presented as it would have been when the monks were here.

The Sacristy (treasury room) leads to two inter-linked chapels, one of which is the Cappella Portinari





This is where the intricately carved marble sarcophagus for the bones of St. Peter the Martyr is kept. The frescos depict scenes from the life of the saint and the Virgin Mary. You can also visit the underground area of the church where they have excavated a Paleo-Christian cemetery. It was quite claustrophobic so not for scaredy cats like me – I couldn’t wait to get out!



Today was turning into a church tour as we headed back to San Lorenzo Maggiore to see the frescos from the 4th and 5th century. Entry to the mosaics was just 2€, but after the amazing artwork we had see already today, we’d become a bit blasé so we didn’t linger long.



We headed back towards the hotel via the Via Dante which is another pedestrianised shopping street filled with café tables and parasols, sun bleached stone buildings and old fashioned shops.



As we meandered towards the metro, we came across a little man sitting on the pavement carving beautiful animals and flowers from vegetables! They were so lifelike it was incredible, so we dropped a couple of euros in the pot and chose a carrot goldfish on a stick.



We were so excited until reality kicked in and we wondered what we’d actually do with it tomorrow when we had to get back to the airport for our visit to Lake Como, so we gave it back and asked if we could take a few extra close-up photos instead.



We’d stuffed ourselves so much at lunchtime that I really couldn’t face another filling pasta meal, so instead we opted for an aperitif and the buffet at our favourite bar Cin Cin in the Corso Buenos Aires before an early night.