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!
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.
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...
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...
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