Image you have stepped off the world and landed in paradise.
Because that is the only way I can describe Lake Como.
Picturesque villages hugging the shoreline, stunning villas with manicured gardens set against a backdrop of mountains make this
sophisticated little corner of Northern Italy seem like a film set. Only the
sight of ferries chugging backwards and forwards across the blue still waters
reminded me this beauty spot was for real.
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| Lake Como from Como Courtesy of
Provincia di Como
Settore Turismo Ufficio Promozione |
“Watch as the haze lifts and the midday sun changes the
colours,” said my Italian art
master from the Abele Experientia Artis, as I was enjoying my lesson.
After learning how to prepare colours using antique Renaissance techniques, it
was time to unleash my own talents. I certainly did not create a masterpiece but I had a lot of
fun and learnt plenty about colour and lighting.
“A treasure whom the earth keeps to herself”, was how the
poet William Wordsworth described Lake Como. And I could see why. This
wonderful vision made me starry-eyed and, no, I did not see George Clooney, who
has a villa here. The only star seducing me was the inverted “Y” shaped Lago di
Como as the Italians call it.
After arriving from Milan, I glimpsed my first sight of the
lake at the city of Como. The silk capital of the world, as it is known, sits
on the southern tip of the lake. It has grown-up around the magnificent Duomo (cathederal) which started to take shape in the 14th century and and took
nearly 400 years to complete. It is a fusion of styles but mainly
late-Gothic Renaissance.
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Aerial view of
Bellagio’s peninsula with Villa Melzi
By Lanfranconi
|
Sauntering around the pretty streets of the medieval town taking in the historic sites. I was soon seduced by Como’s elegant charm. However, my visit was short and sweet. Before long it was time to take the hydrofoil to the small town of Bellagio. Once a Roman settlement it has grown into the main resort and has everybody who visits smitten.
Awash with pastel-coloured buildings, a labyrinth of cobbled
streets lined with cafés, restaurants and chic boutiques, climb their way up
the hill to the centre. Sitting by the tree-lined wharf with a glass of
prosecco, I felt a million miles away from reality. Here I was soaking up Old
World glamour and I could not get enough of it.
Walking into the luxurious
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni (not to be confused with the Villa
Serbelloni) was like taking a step into the days when travel was all about
style. Here period charm melds with unpretentiousness. It was enchanting. This
was such a lovely hotel that I could have stayed there the duration of my trip.
But the allure of the grand villas and their gardens fronting the lake was
calling.
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| The gardens at Villa Metzi |
Villa Melzi d’Eril, built in the early 19th century by Francesco Melzi d’Eril, count of Lodi and vice president of the First Italian Napoleonic Republic, has the most spectacular gardens studded with rare and exotic plants. There are also Egyptian sculptures and Roman statues to marvel at. A more romantic garden would be hard to find.
No wonder the likes of Leonardo da Vinici and Queen Victoria
stayed at the 15th-century Villa Serbelloni, now owned by the
Rockefeller Foundation. You cannot visit the villa but you can enjoy the
gardens that slope down towards the lake and the jaw-dropping views that they
enjoyed. (Can only be visited by guided tours.)
In the evening, I climbed up the steep steps that lead up
from the lake to the main shopping streets to have dinner at the family-run
Ristorante Bilacus. Sitting on the secluded terrace, decked out with flowers, I
enjoyed a most delicious meal. This is what I call Italian cuisine, good
quality fish served with mixed vegetables simply cooked. I would go back just
for the chocolate cake which I had for dessert. It was so moist, it melted in the mouth. The service here is
excellent. The owner, Aurelio Gandola makes sure that everybody is well looked
after.
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| Bellagio’s centre: Salita Serbelloni at sunset By MT – Afb 1999 |
I think it would be hard not to eat well in this town. The
perch, a speciality here from the lake, I had for lunch at the Bellagio
Sporting Club was also worth writing home about.
The next day I took a 20-minute ferry ride to Tremezzo to
visit the stately Villa Carlotta which dates back to 1690. Once the home to a
marquis, the villa is now a museum. The gardens, bursting with plants and trees
from around the world, were the big
draw for me. They are stunning.
By the time I had finished sauntering around the grounds, I
had worked up quite an appetite. So I visited the five-star Grand Hotel Tremezzo which was close by. This
opulent establishment with Art Deco interiors has a beach club with trucked-in
sand and a “floating pool” on the lake.
After devouring salmon sashimi followed by
cooked-to-perfection sea bream, I boarded another ferry to spend the rest of
the afternoon at the Villa del Balbianello, in Lenno. This monument to Italian
adventurer Guido Monzino which rises up on a small wooded promontory above the
lake, is renowned for, you guessed, the beautiful gardens.
Lake Como has many other gorgeous towns such as Varenna,
Menaggio and Cadenabbia along its
shores vying for your attention. Time was of the essence so I picked Varenna.
This tiny, so-pretty
town clings to the eastern shore of the lake. Stroll along the
winding lanes and you will come to the Villa Monastero. Once a monastery and a
noble’s residence, today's visitors are
drawn to its lakeside gardens.
Lake Como has a unique magical quality where I found tranquillity and a peace of mind
that is so rare to find.
By Daralyn Danns
Getting there
British Airways flies to Milan (Malpensa Airport) from £45
each way. Visit britishairways.com
to book and for the cheapest rates.
Take a short train ride from Milan to Como(for times visit trenitalia.com) and take
either the slow boat (2 hours) to Bellagio or the hydrofoil (1 hour).
Alternatively, take a train to Varenna and take the ferry from there
I stayed at the spectacular Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
Rates from £395 per room (including breakfast) per night based on two people
sharing. To book and for the best deals visit villaserbelloni.com
For tourist
information about Lake Como visit lakecomo.it
Or call IAT
in Como phone 031/269712 lakecomo@tin.it , Bellagio 031/950204 prombell@tin.it (You can also visit
Promobellagio’s website bellagiolakecomo.com) and Menaggio phone 0344/32924 infomenaggio@tiscali.it
For details
of art classes with Abele Experientia Artis visit abeleexperientiaartis.com/en/
First published in All About
Hair (All About Hair UK), the
travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist
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