Destination Lake Como, Italy

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.

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 14^th century and and took nearly 400 years to complete. It is a fusion of styles but mainly late-Gothic Renaissance.

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.

The gardens at Villa Metzi

Villa Melzi d’Eril, built in the early 19^th 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 15^th-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.

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

Destination Helsinki, Finland

Compact with a small intimate town feel, Helsinki’s heart beats to a creative and cultured rhythm. Lodged between Sweden and Russia, Finland was occupied by one or other of its neighbours until its independence in 1917. The past has left its mark. The streets and low-rise buildings of Finland’s capital articulate a strong east/west vibe. Scandi cool melds with an unmistakable Russian flavour.

If you like walking, good food and a splash of art and history, you will like Helsinki. Easy to get round on foot, you are never far from invigorating sea views. It is everything packaged together that gives the city that certain something.

Design flows through Helsinki’s veins. Quality workmanship is paramount to the Finns. Aside from Alvar Aalto, most of the country’s great designers are relatively unknown outside the country but they are revered within Finland. 

Ariel view of Helsinki

©Jussi Hellstén

Courtesy of Visit Finland

Helsinki Central Railway Station designed by Eliel Saarinen in the National Romantic style, was finished in 1919. This pink granite building set off with a green copper roof has, flanking its main entrance has two pairs of statues of stone giants each holding a round lamp to greet travellers. It is a magnificent creation and well worth going to see.

Founded by Sweden’s King Gustavus Vasa in 1550, Helsinki was to compete with Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, for Baltic Sea trade. From its humble beginnings as a market town, it became Finland’s capital in 1812. Over the years it has been destroyed by fires many times and had to be rebuilt so the city is relatively modern.

Suomenlinna

In 2012 Helsinki was in the international spotlight as the World Design Capital. The city has continued reinventing itself. The waterfront has been revamped, old industrial spaces cleverly reused, museums have been brought into the 21st century and new buildings seem to be going up everywhere. There are also great restaurants and plenty of steamy saunas.

This is an extremely civilised place. Despite this being contemporary, old fashion manners prevail here. I was told by a fellow traveller when I arrived never to cross the road unless the lights are on green even if you cannot see a car or tram. “It is something the Finns do,” he said. He also warned me to watch out for the bike lanes. “Do not walk in them you will get run over,” he added. I saw once I got out there, I needed to heed his advice.

The capital’s landmark, the Helsinki Cathedral, in Senate Square, looms over the city. You can see it practically everywhere you go. The nearby Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral is a reminder of its Russian occupants.

Temppeliakkiu Church

Arguably, Helsinki’s most fascinating site is the Temppeliakkiu Church, known as the Rock Church. Sitting in this circular space that has been carved out of the bedrock, swathed in natural light while listening to piano music is an incredible experience.

Soak up the atmosphere at the Market Square by the harbour. There are plenty of food stalls to tempt you to try their berries and fish as well as salmon soup which the Finns seem to love. There is also an indoor market at the opposite end of the square with lots of places to eat and drink.

From here you can see pretty Art Deco buildings and, in the distance, the forested islands. Not to be missed is a trip to Suomenlinna (Castle of Finland). This former sea fortress, now Unesco protected, was built by the Swedes in the mid-18^th century and encompasses eight small islands.

When Finland became a Grand Duchy of Russia, it was governed by Russia. Eventually in 1918 during the Finnish Civil War, Finland took control. 

A stroll along in the Esplanade Park, a promenade that is reminiscent of a Parisian avenue, will have you mingling with tourists and locals. In the summer you can catch a concert. So you have plenty of time to browse the interesting boutiques and sample the restaurants and cafés that line both sides of the park.

If you find the noise of the trams running along the city’s cobbled streets too much or just need a calm moment, there is always the wooden Kamppi Chapel in Narinkkatori Square. Known as the Chapel of Silence, this is your perfect destress spot.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

British Airways flies to Helsinki. For more information visit britishairways.com  

I stayed at the Helsinki – Boulevard which I can highly recommend. Book your stay through IHG Rewards Club to benefit from IHG’s Lowest Price Promise initiative – a guarantee that guests will get the lowest rates when they book directly with IHG. For further information or bookings, visit hotelIndigo.com

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist