Charmed by Lake Como

Well heeled ladies and gentlemen visit Lake Como for many reasons.
It's got old charm ( holiday destinations since ages ), picturesque villages and near the crossroads of Italy and Lugano ( Switzerland ). Waters have always attracted human settlements and it is perhaps this reason why Lake Como is the place to go and buy a villa if you're in the league of George Clooney or Richard Branson. Luckily for us, we were guests of our good friends and they had chartered a boat for a half day cruise on the lakes. With the guide going on about the history of the area, most guests perked up when we passed by the villas of George & Richard. Paparazzi us!

Lunch was a delightful buffet served on deck - i headed for the luscious mozzarella ! After, we stopped at the village of Bellagio and wandered its cobbled windy lanes only to stop at an old church for a quick prayer. Dinner that evening was at a family owned restaurant where their produce comes off the family farm. Best tasting meat we've had for a long time. There were wonderful salads, grilled vegetables, Eggplant Parmigiano and meats on the grill. This hill-top restaurant had to-die-for views of the lakes.

As Villa D'este and a few recommended hotels were fully booked, we were left with a family-run hotel next to the lake in Cernobbio. There isn't much in Cernobbio except for residences and holiday homes. Exceptionally, an unassuming taverm called " Tom & Jerry " caught our palates by surprise. Don't be misguided by the odd sounding name but their pizza is out of this world !

We had some time to explore the main town of Como, which has lots of shopping streets inside the famed walled city. Naturally, i gravitated towards the shops than marvel at the ancient walls. I picked up some of the best bargains. There were beautiful jewellery, carefully crafted of resin ( Italian Designed - China Production ), bespoke men's business attire, shoes and pretty dresses. I shopped at Max Mara at a discount ! We promised to be back for shopping next summer in Milan.

The following day, we travelled to Verona to visit the fame setting of Romeo & Juliette. We didn't climb the balcony but a young dashing couple did and we all whipped out our cameras. That evening, we were treated to a fab dinner at a restaurant next to the Arena. It was pouring rain and we all hoped that the rains would stop by 9pm because we had tickets for "Carmen" inside the Arena.
The gods' obliged and the rains stopped. They had too - judging by the number of spectators that evening. Our hosts had reserved a private balcony for us all and we sat through 4 hours of Carmen. It was a magical night and chilly too, as the winds blew and the stars twinkled above, while the actors sung and danced.