The title - a play on words meaning "Why not?". Precisely my attitude as I booked this trip to Lake Como in Northern Italy. If I have to be in Milan every few weeks, why not take advantage of it and stay the weekend for a train trip out of the city? Stunning Lake Como is just an hour ride, but feels as if you were transported to another planet.This was a solo trip ... envisioned as a weekend alone with fresh, cool mountain air, wondering, relaxing, wining and dining. Mental leg kick! It was all that ... I returned refreshed, with my lethargic winter heaviness shed.
Truth be told, it rained the entire weekend. Non-stop. It was dry enough for me to walk from the train station to the hotel, but the instant I arrived a strong thunderstorm passed over the lake. It was awesome. Really. London gets persistent rain, but no thunder and lightening and I miss those strong storms that blow through the Midwest, especially as an unseasonally warm day is pushed out by a cold front.
Nonetheless, my adventure was not derailed. After the worst of it passed, I grabbed the brelly to stroll into the evening along the coastal path into the old town of Varenna - a sleepy old fishing village with just a few {closed} store fronts on the water and about half a dozen alley ways of infinite staircases leading up the mountain to the square of town. There wasn't a soul to be found on the streets ... later I learned from a local the storm was quite bad, causing a landslide outside of town that closed off the main road.The wind proved too strong, so I found refuge in a little restaurant with a view for a glass of wine and a starter of what only can be described as chic fish spread ... of course, while being on the lake my goal was to taste as many of the its culinary treats. I was joined by the cuddly house Kitty, as I sat and read my book before braving the elements to shift camp to another restaurant of choice for a proper lake fish ravioli dinner and glass of local red wine. Annnddddd good night!
Up bright and early to assure I didn't miss anything in Varenna the night before (I didn't) and catch the ferry across the lake to the town of Bellagio. This is the belle of the lake, a darling small Italian town known for attracting an affluent crowd to enjoy a day of manoeuvring the slim stairways lined with shops (the best silk in the world is said to come from Como) and ending with a glass of wine in the enoteca before and after a delicious local meal. And so I did!
Sunday morning, again I was early to rise to tackle a three hour hike through the "suburbs of Bellagio". Ha ha ... suburb. Still raining, but having adopted the attitude that it is easier to get wet and get the full view then struggle with the brelly, I wondered the roads, through grasslands of former mansions, past groves of olive trees, witnessed locals pushing a historic fishing boat to the waters ... I was so in awe of the power and beauty of the clouded mountains I took dozens of pictures ... often of the exact same scene in attempt to bring it all back with me. Breathtaking (and not just from the stairs).After an invigorating boat trip back to Varenna staring into the snow-capped mountain peaks and a lunch of warm bean and pasta soup, it was time to jump back on the train to hustle and bustle of Milan and onward to London (just as the blue sky started to peak through the clouds). Fortunately, the Spring weather in London welcomed me back to continue the momentum and I am good as new!
SLIDE SHOW!
