A Lazy Day on the Lake...

Varenna, Lake Como - you can just see the roof of my apartment, behind the big orange house on the right, with a big tree on the left. You can also see how close I was to the church. Who needs an alarm clock when the church bells ring out loudly every morning at 7am?!


After such a long journey the day before, a quiet day was in order. So after a quiet morning enjoying the peace and calm of Varenna, I took a lake boat and headed north to Gravedona, sailing towards the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland for a quick visit to the lakeside town, and a giant ice cream, before enjoying a relaxing cruise back down the lake to my beloved Varenna.

I'll let Rick Stein tell you a bit more about Varenna:

The town of Varenna is your best Lake Como homebase. Varenna packs its 800 residents into a compact townscape — tight as fifty oysters overloading a too small rock. Individual homes are defined only by their pastel colors. Narrow stepped lanes climb almost invisibly from the harbor to the tiny through road that parallels the lake along the top of town.

With Varenna’s dwellings crowding the lake, the delightful passerella (board walk) arcs past private villas guarded by wrought iron and wisteria from the ferry dock to the tiny harbor. Two centuries ago, the harbor was busy with coopers expertly fitting their chestnut and oak into barrels, stoneworkers carving and shipping Varenna's prized black marble, and characteristic wooden boats catching the lakes unique missoltino “sardines” — still proudly served by local chefs. Today, the harbor's commerce is little more than the rental of paddle boats and a gelateria run by a guy named Eros.

Other than watch the visitors wash ashore with the landing of each ferry, there's wonderfully little to do in Varenna. At night, Varenna whispers luna di miele — honeymoon. And a good place to enjoy that romance is on its passerella. Strolling this lane, passing under wisteria-drenched villas and caryatid lovers pressed silently against each other, you'll understand the importance of packing the right travel partner.