Bellagio, Lake Como

Leaving Venice we took the autostrada towards Milan. We had about a four hour drive to Bellagio, which would put us there by mid-afternoon.

As lunch time approached, an Autogrill appeared on the horizon. Perfect timing! We were ready for our Autogrill experience.

Similar to truck stops along the turnpikes of America, the Autogrill is a chain of cafeterias and lunch counters dotting the thousands of kilometers of autostradas in Italy and Europe.

For a quick snack or a coffee, you simply go to the cashier and tell him/her what you want and pay. Then, you take your receipt to the counter, they get what you ordered and you stand at the counter or at one of the tall tables while you eat your meal and drink your coffee. Simple and fast. If you wish to sit and eat, there is a cafeteria that stretches across the six lanes of the autostrada.

Equipped with a salad bar, pasta bar, grill, and dessert bar, the cafeteria has a variety of choices for the hungry traveler. We opted for pasta, risotto, a salad, and dessert, of course. It was decent food at Ciao, or is it "chow" restaurant.

We also got two coffees, which you get from the coffee bar downstairs after your meal.

Back on the road, we followed the sometimes stern commands from our GPS (she can get really testy when you miss an exit in a round-a-bout) and found this narrow road that was barely a lane and a half in most spots hugging the lake.

The scenery was nice. Although, I think I was able to enjoy it more while Wayne concentrated on the road.

We arrived in Bellagio as planned, around 3:00, and met Sylvie, Fabio's wife, who would show us where to park near the apartment. She was on her bike and peddled up the hill to the top of the town without breaking into a sweat.

Bellagio is a very nice town built into the side of a hill descending into the lake. It caters to the summer tourists. Lots of high end silk shops, jewelry shops, and nice restaurants in this small town. It's located on a point in the middle of Lake Como, which is in the shape of an upside down Y. Bellagio is in between the two lower branches of the lake. Being on the side of a hill, the streets are steep and oddly stepped.

Everything is in its place in Bellagio. The buildings are impeccably maintained, the flowers are perfect, and the streets are clean. A bit too Disney for us, but it was nice nevertheless.

We had a peek-a-boo view of the lake from our apartment window. If you stick your head out and look left, that is. But no complaints on the apartment. It was clean and had all of the necessary amenities except for a cork screw. Crazy, I know, being in Italy!

It was nice, though, having a small kitchen to prepare meals. One day, we stopped by one of the three small grocery stores and bought some salami, cheese, bread, and water for a quick lunch. Dinner is pasta with red sauce and italian sausage.

There are only four, I believe, apartments in the building called Il Borgo located on this small street leading down to the lake. This view is looking up towards the main road that loops around the walking streets of the city.

The area is very quiet and peaceful. Not much happening. The main event, besides eating and shopping, is sitting on a bench and looking out at the lake and mountains. It apparently doesn't get too cold here in the winter since there are plenty of palm trees along the lake.

One of our three day visit, we opted for a boat pass that permitted us to visit several lakeside villages nearby. Each leg took about twenty minutes, and the ferry boats circulated every thirty or so minutes. Except during lunch. The ferry boats shut down from noon until 2:00pm for lunch.

We found ourselves in one of the larger towns on the westside of the lake, Mennagio, during lunch. Wayne had his heart set on a pizza baked in a wood fire brick oven. Walking from the ferry terminal towards town he saw a sign advertising pizza al forno. So, we followed the signs up the road away from the tourist area of town and landed here.

It was a very good find indeed. The carrot salad was fresh, and the pizza was delicious. While eating, locals were coming and going, eating in and picking up pizzas. I think we were the only ones with cameras. Obviously tourists.

Back on the boat after lunch, we cruised the lake stopping at all the towns our ticket allowed.

The towns were all very similar and not terribly interesting, but the boat ride was nice and relaxing.

The claim to fame in this part of Italy are the villas along the lakefront. George Clooney is reported to have one in Bellagio. The ones we saw from the boat were shuttered and quiet. Must not be the season for the owners.

After a quick stop in another village with more immaculate gardens,

we made our way back to Bellagio. Time for an afternoon nap before dinner. Such is the quick and hurried pace of life here on Lake Como.

We pack up the car tomorrow morning and head for France via the Mont Blanc tunnel. Looking forward to getting back to France where I can communicate!

Traghetto, Grand Canal, Arrivederci Venice

It has already been a couple of weeks since our return and I think we have settled back into the groove. Time to continue the trip journal. This entry wraps up our time in Venice.

Exploring Venice requires a lot of walking. Water busses can take you quickly from one district to the other via the Grand Canal or the perimeter of the island, but to actually see the districts and explore the streets, one must walk. To cross from one side of the Grand Canal to the other, you can use one of the two main bridges, the Accademia and the Rialto, but getting to these bridges often requires navigating a labyrinth of streets. There is no straight line in Venice!

There are short cuts, however, called traghetti. The traghetto is a gondola piloted by two gondoliers which transports you from one side of the canal to the other for a mere 50 centimes. 

We were in the Ca' d'Oro district across from the Rialto market and, instead of meandering back to the Rialto bridge, we decided to take the traghetto. While waiting, a French couple arrived toting their copy of the Guide Routard (a wonderful and popular travel guide among the French) so I asked if they were going to take the traghetto.

They, like us, were attempting it for the first time based on a recommendation in their Routard. And, as noted in the guide, we were all going to remain standing during the crossing as the Venetians do when taking the traghetto.

The traghetto can probably hold only six or so passengers. We were only four and once in the gondola, we shoved off into the Grand Canal.

Perhaps for speed, or perhaps for better maneuverability, traghetti have two gondoliers. Ours were all business and no small talk.

We moved out into the canal, flipped around, and begun our crossing,

giving us a great view down the Grand Canal towards the Rialto bridge.

For some reason, the old arcade game, Frogger, came to mind as we crossed to the other side. There was a lull in boat traffic making for a smooth crossing. No challenges this trip. 10 easy points!

We reached the other side in under five minutes. Less time it would take to walk down to the bridge and back up to the market.

Well worth the 50 centimes. Time saver and scenic crossing.

The food market closed several hours earlier to be replaced by tables selling bric-a-brac. We found a treasure on one table, an old padlock with the original keys.

After making the tour of the market, we returned to the vendor and inquired more about the lock. She believes it's from the region north of Venice and dates to the 1800s. Regardless of provenance, we handed her 20 euros for the lock.

With lock in hand, we set out to explore some more as we headed towards a pastry shop for a late afternoon pastry and coffee. Later in the evening, we headed back to the Rialto district for a drink and snacks before dinner, popping out on a police dock for a better view of the Rialto bridge.

After a quick tourist pose on the bridge...

we found a table at a cafe overlooking the canal. We nursed our drinks and snacked on chips for almost two hours while watching the world go by.

This gondolier must be high ranking, we surmised, given his uniform, arm band, and hat. I thought the picture also captures a cross section of Venice: the local in his small boat next to the professional gondolier next to the water buss with several people trying to get a picture of the approaching Rialto bridge.

The next day we had to move on. It was time to say arrivederci to Venice. With suitcase and bags in hand, we walked to the vaporetto stop.

We opted for the express vaporetto that travels the larger Giudecca canal.

We'll be at the parking garage in just a few stops.

The water busses aren't filled with tourists early in the morning. Mostly locals or students going to work or school.

We were headed to Lake Como, a five hour drive from Venice, for our next three day stay.

We both agreed that Venice was our favorite city so far in Italy, and that we would have to return for a longer stay, perhaps renting an apartment, during the spring or fall seasons. We can't wait to go back.

Murano

Sunday morning in Venice, and soon it will be Sunday morning on Sugarloaf Key. Zuzu and Tootie will meet their friends for their Sunday walk along the canal.

Our morning began with a vaporetto ride to the backside of Venice where we picked up line 42 to Murano.

 With a one-way fare priced at 6 euros, we saved quite a bit with our 35 euro three-day vaporetto pass.

The trip to Murano took about an hour, but there was plenty to see along the way.

Venetians seem to always be out on the water, whether they are fishing, going from one island to another, or simply taking a ride. There is a lot of boat traffic all day long.

The city's cemetery is located on an island, Isola de San Michele, located between Venice and Murano.

Passing the island you can catch glimpses of the crypts peeking above the cemetery walls.

Near the vaporetto stop for the cemetery is the Sainte Michele church, the first Renaissance church in Venice.

The vaporetto approaches the end of the line, Murano.

Much like Venice, there are no cars, motorcycles, mopeds, or bicycles on the island, only boats. There's not much to the island, though, and exploring its entirety is easily done on foot.

The canals of Murano are more sleepy than those in Venice; however, it is Sunday morning.

The sidewalks were quiet with only tourists like us milling around. We were headed for the main museum for a history of glass blowing in Murano.

Along the way, we took in the sights.

And admired the various glass sculptures along the route.

It's clear that you are in the glass blowing capital of the world.

Across the bridge and to the right is the museum.

I had planned on taking pictures of some of the pieces on display, but was reminded by those keeping an eye on the rooms that no pictures were permitted. "C'est dommage," I responded and stowed my camera until the end of the visit.

Following the visit one can take pictures of the garden and exterior.

No glass out here, though, only stone artifacts and a couple of stone caskets.

Since it was Sunday, the glass blowers had the day off. However, one could still visit the factories and purchase authentic Murano glass items.

During lunch, I looked up and noticed the blinds in the open windows. "Look, Venetian blinds," I exclaimed. They really do come from here.

Lunch was decent, pasta and salad washed down with bubbly water.

It was time to head back to Venice for an afternoon nap.

It is our last night here and there is still so much to see.

We won't see it all, but there's always next time. We've already talked about returning and renting an apartment for a week.