Italy Day 2 – Lake Hopping
Continental breakfast at the Nest is very continental indeed,
sitting on the balcony with couples from Germany and Canada. We drive back into
Bellagio, buy a Mid Lake Pass and hop on the ferry to Varenna.
Founded in 769AD, Varenna is an incredibly steep, tight little
town anchored to the rocky hillside just north of Bellagio 15 minutes by water
aboard the hilariously named ferry Spluga. (I’d be hours car – you’d have to drive all
the way back to Como and up the other side of the Y). Varenna laid back and charming, far less
commercialized then Bellagio. From the
water, all the buildings appear to be one singular tiered structure, but on foot
you realize each tier is separated by a narrow alleyway horizontally and dizzying
riverstone staircases vertically. The
stairs and alleys form the streets of the old town, doors randomly being a
shop, business or small home. The area
is known for its exquisite leather goods and we can’t resist a few brightly
colored bags for Mandy and belts for me.
Lunch at Nilus Bar overlooking the lake consists of Caprese salad and
simple pizza with garlic, both simple dishes executed wonderfully.
Back onto the ferry and 15 minutes across the lake. From the water all the villages and towns up
and down the lake look homogeneous, with brightly colored, tile roofed
structures set into the hillside. Menaggio
is the fourth of the lake towns we have visited and we marvel at how different
each one is from the next. Menaggio has
the kinetic vibe of Monaco with the matching upscale clientele. It’s been a long day punctuated by several
Aperol Spritzes, so time to head back (with a quick lemon gelato for the road.) The road back is as death defying as ever and
this time Mandy opened her eyes to video.
How is this already seeming normal?
Back at the Nest, we watch the sunset over the mountains that formed
the lake, complete with a yacht bisecting the picture perfect reflection. Dinner nearby at Crotto dei Pescatori, where our
waiter mistakenly serves us a bottle of local white wine instead of the red we
ordered. I roll with it and taste the
sample offered. We are typically not
white wine drinkers, but this 2016 Ca’Brione Nino Negri is a spectacular white,
dry, crisp, complex and fruity. It’s
paired perfectly with our caponata app and next presentation of fresh lake
fish, but even holds its own against my rich osso buco and risotto.
Wouldn't it be great to rent out one of those places on the beach looking over the lake.
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