Day Trip to Colico, Lake Como

Yesterday, I went with a small group of teachers from school to Colico - a small city at the north end of Lake Como. The train ride was less than two hours from Milan and it was a super easy, enjoyable day-trip!

There is a large grassy area in front of a stretch of water that is nice for swimming. It is also a very popular spot for kite surfers and wind boarders.

...bit windy!

The new school year is about to begin and the day turned out to be a really nice mini-trip before that happens!

Varenna FAVORITES

Below are some of my favorite photos taken during our time in Varenna... up on Lake Como!

Lovely day on the lake!

Views of lovely Varenna, taken from the ferry...

A castle in the clouds...

An all-time favorite of mine... I love the colors in the reflection!

Oh, Lake Como - I'll be back!

Lake Como is just a 40-minute train trip from Milan! ...Although it (also) takes me about an hour to get to the Centrale train station from my apartment  :P  For less than 10 euro... this is the perfect little getaway. I'll be back soon Lake Como!

Some final photos from my time on the lake with Ms. Julie:

Julie, as cute as can be... awaiting the landlord of the apartment in Bellagio:

D'Oh!

enjoying Varenna on Lake Como

After spending a night in Bellagio, Julie and I took the ferry back to Varenna (the town where we originally got off the train). Varenna is a great little town as well. Julie and I found a lovely cafe and had breakfast with the water just in front of us... where we watched a couple swans and some ducks enjoying the morning.

We met up with my good friends Robert and Mary... and had a great lunch inside the yellow hotel shown below:

"We found them...!"

Bellagio FAVORITES with Julie

Below are my favorite photos from our overnight in Bellagio on Lake Como:

Julie and me... reflected...

Views of Bellagio on the lake:

Julie and Stacia take on Lake Como!

Enjoying time with a good friend that visited me in Italy!!  : )

On Lake Como with Bellagio in the background:

wine cave - Bellagio

Julie and I had a late lunch at the little grotto in Bellagio... it's basically a cave of wine. I first went here during my orientation week to school after first arriving in Italy. (You can see that past post here.) We really enjoyed this small meal (and then had gelato for dinner later on. Ha!)

I think the name of this place is Enoteca Cava Turacciolo but I don't see a website for it to link to.

This kind of snacky meal is my kind of a meal. I ordered a mix of cheeses and salamis/meats... which comes with bread and honey. Yes, please! I also like this place because it's like a library of wine.   : )

Legs of meat up above...

Mmmmm cheeses, salami and meats, aaaand honey!

Yeah! Julie had a lovely cheese plate and a fish spread...

Bellagio on Lake Como with Julie!

After spending a long weekend in Manarola (Cinque Terre) with my good friend Julie, she then went on to travel for the week while I was back at work. She spent a couple nights in both Florence and Siena and then a final night in Venice before returning back to my place in Milan. The following morning we took the train up to Lake Como - YEAH!

40 minutes on the train from Milan... about 6 euro... and we're at the lovely Lake Como. Amazing.

We spent one night in Bellagio - in a lovely apartment that we booked through airbnb. The apartment was in the center of the town and really gorgeous - I wish we could have stayed longer!

Our apartment was the middle floor with two large windows onto a small balcony of the building shown below, straight ahead of Julie!

View from the balcony:

The main room in the apartment... 

There were two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a small kitchen as well!

As seen from our balcony  : )

Hand-painted Lake Como and Bellagio wine bottles:

View of the sunset and mountains from our apartment:

bicyclists' temple overlooking Lake Como

There is a temple dedicated to bicyclists located at the top of a mountain above Bellagio, overlooking Lake Como. Many people cycle up the hills around Lake Como (crazy!!)... our full-size bus was passing a number of them along the way.

The view: