Globe Corner Blogs

Finally we arrive in Italy, where we will spend six days at Lake Como. As soon as we are on the Italian side of the Alps, the weather magically changes. It’s no longer that gloomy, drizzly day we saw while enjoying our last morning in Basel. We drive only fifteen minutes through the St. Gottard tunnel, and the warm and bright day that is waiting for us at the exit of the tunnel seems to belong to a different season.

We drive to the town of Cadenabbia di Griante in the Tremezzina region, located in the central region of the lake of Como. Griante is a small town, from where we can visit and explore some of the towns around in the mid-lake region.

When we arrive on Monday afternoon, it seems our small bed & breakfast, “La Marianna,” is for us alone. Immediately we met Paola, the hotel owner, who takes us to our room with beautiful views of the lake and the mountains surrounding it. We also can see the terrace restaurant above the lake, and the surroundings where the “Green Pathway” (www.greenwaydellago.it) spreads along several towns in the region. Time to time during our stay we discover a metal circle on the streets and pathways around. If you are the hiker type, this is a very nice way to visit the region, but we are not that type. We are here in Italy to take it very slow and easy.

Later that day, we are sitting in the terrace drinking a lemonade and making plans (no hiking included) with the help of Paola. She suggests a visit to Lenno where there will be a street market the next day. Other than that, our plans for the next days include eating breakfast, hopping into a boat to visit any of the towns around us, going into town, relaxing, eating lunch, more relaxing, taking a boat back, even more relaxing, and finally dinner. This schedule can keep you quite busy here. The basic plan can fill up your day because the “relaxing” part of the schedule tends to stretch from, well, minutes after breakfast until bed time. After all, you are in Italy.

Lenno turns out to be my favorite town, maybe because of the street market displaying all possible items in its stands, or maybe it is because of the small place we found for lunch in the tiny main plaza. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because it is the place where finally my rush and stress seem to melt away. We buy some fruit for our snack later that evening, and after I have emptied the bag of the tomatoes that my son keeps adding, I have to stop in the stand that sells buttons, safety clips, thimbles, pins, kitchen towels, and threads in all colors you can think of. Judging by the amount of diverse merchandise and customers roaming around, I have to think if they really all have time to actually sit down and do some hand work?. Apparently they do. Back in Boston, who would guess such a lifestyle exists?

After a short walk that takes us to the center of the city, it is already lunch time. My husband normally does well detecting good eating spots, and this time he strikes again.  Trattoria “Santo Stefano” gives our hungry selves a bit of the “slow food” philosophy. We had the best tiramisu that I ever dreamed of.

Tuesday is the only day we have dinner in our hotel. Ty, Paola’s husband, cooks basically for us three, and ultimately, only for my husband and me, since our son finishes his “Pasta al pomodoro” very quickly and focuses on his favorite activity–throwing stones into the lake. Fortunately, there are plenty of stones around, so many that they last for a good hour while we have dinner complete with stories told by Ty, our chef. He seems to enjoy explaining about the ingredients and the history of the dish every time he enters the terrace with a new plate on his hands. It is a real feast.

The rest of the week, we go to different towns, enjoy different meals, and discover beautiful places. The day we leave, our last breakfast is also a warm farewell with Paola. After the last “Buon Giorno!” we leave what we feel is already “our” pension. Hopefully the slow life mood that we enjoy the last days will last for some time when we are back home.

Read more: Food & Wine, Italy, Lake-Region, Travel, Western Europe


Cecilia

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