Monday, June 14: Our train leaves for Milan at 8:58 and we're up at 6:00 and out of the apartment by 7:00. We were intending to catch the #2 vaporetto and make one last trip up the Grand Canal to the railway station. Rory noticed that the #2 vap doesn't begin running until a little after 8:00. We hustle over to the platform for the #1 which takes longer because it makes more stops, but will still get us to the station in plenty of time. It's cool this morning, as last night's thunder showers have made a big difference in the temperature. The vap is uncrowded--we're ahead of the "rush hour". It's refreshing to sit up front and take in our last images of this wonderful and unique city. We arrive at
Eurostar City train Ferrovia railway station with a little less than an hour to spare and stand around waiting for the departure track to be posted for our Eurostar city train. We wait and wait and finally Rick goes to a trainman standing by the only Eurostar train in the station and asks if it's going to Milan. It is, and we head for the front of the train where our first class seats are waiting in car #1. The Eurostar trains are quite comfortable and fast! We're at the Milan Central Station a little after 11:30 and have over 90 minutes to wait for our train to Como. Rick finds
Lake Como
from ferry the Tourist Information booth and gets a map of Milan city and a booklet of things to do in Milan for when we come back for our last week in Italy. It's only a half hour ride from Milan to Como and we arrive on time at 1:43pm. From the Como San Giovani station we have a bit of a walk, down a bunch of steps and
Villa Carlotta
(Tremezzo) through town to get to the ferry terminal where we will find our boat to Bellagio. We get the "fast" boat, which takes about an hour. Rick calls Monica in Bellagio to tell her that we're on the boat. Monica owns the apartment we've rented. She will pick us up at the ferry terminal in Bellagio and drive us to the apartment. This is Rick's third trip to Lake Como and Rory's second, but the first time for both of us in Bellagio. On the boat Rory strikes up a conversation with a Korean woman while Rick takes photos of the picturesque lake and the many mansions that dot the mountains covered in lush green foliage. This area is one of the most beautiful in Italy and home to many famous folks, among them George Clooney, who has a villa near Como city.

We have a little trouble connecting with Monica, because she's waiting at
Bellagio the car ferry dock (thinking we have a car), while we come in at a different dock. A couple of text messages, and we figure out where she is. We load up our luggage and Monica gives us a mini-tour of the town, pointing out places she recommends (restaurants, sites, etc.). The Collinetta apartment is not actually in Bellagio, but in Aureggio, about a 15 minute walk into Bellagio. The apartment is quite satisfactory, but does not have a washing machine or internet access. However, we are given a one week guest membership to the sporting club (about two minutes from the apartment) where we can have free wi-fi access. It's very cloudy and looks like it might rain. In fact the weather report is terrible. We may have rain for the entire week we are here! The nearest market is a 15 minute walk from the apartment, and when we find it, we find it closed (on Mondays). We haven't eaten much all day and we'd like to get a few essentials for the apartment and find a place for dinner. The only choice is to walk back into Bellagio. About half way there it starts to rain. Just ahead is pizzeria/restaurant. We reach it just before the sky opens up and figure we'll settle for dinner here. The owner, Antonio, greets us, but he doesn't open for another hour. We wait out the rain in front of the place, which has a small dining room inside. The menu actually looks pretty good and the prices are very reasonable. When the rain stops we continue into town, telling Antonio we'll be back. (He probably doesn't believe us...) In town, Rick gets information at the tourist office including a map of the town and a couple of excellent brochures from Paola who works in there. She tells us there is one mini-market in town open today and we go off to find it. We get some of what we wanted, but enough to manage a meager breakfast in the morning. Retracing our path back to the apartment, we reach Antonio's place "La Bellagina" just as a heavy rainfall begins, complete with plenty of thunder (although we don't see any lightning). Antonio is open for dinner and when we go to sit inside, he says to go up to the terrace which is covered. Above the restaurant is a beautiful terrace with about 15 tables and a wonderful view of Lake Como and the villages across the lake from us. We are protected from the wind and rain by plastic panels that don't hinder the view. We are really hungry. Rory orders a veal dish with a salad and fried potatoes; Rick order caprese and grilled spada fish. He isn't quite sure what it is, but when it turns out to be swordfish, he's thrilled. The food is excellent. We have a nice carafe of house white wine with dinner and coffee and cappocino for desert. Not only is the food excellent and the service great, but the bill turns out to be considerably less than what we expected. Maybe we were just too tired to add it up as we ordered! All in all this is one of the best meals we've had in Italy--or were we just too hungry to care? We think the former! By the time we finish, the rain has just about stopped and the walk back to the apartment seems shorter, probably because we're familiar with the route now. Rory will hit the sack as soon as we get back; Rick will watch the Italy vs. Paraguay World Cup match (which ends in a 1-1 draw) before he turns in.

Tuesday, June 15: It's pouring this morning and doesn't show any indication that it will stop any time soon. We obviously aren't in any hurry, When the rain slows down, we walk to the Sporting Club to see what our guest membership will give us. We speak to Simone who is one of the owners (along with his partner, Eugenio who will take very good care of us in subsequent visits). He is extremely courteous and welcomes us. He provides the internet card that contains the userID and password we'll need. We won't be using the pool today! We might
Bellagio street
Sculpture outside
TI office as well make something of this day, so we proceed into town and wander the narrow streets paved with small round rocks. The town is built on the side of a hill overlooking Lake Como. The streets are lined with gift shops of every kind, restaurants, gelaterias (ice cream), alimenteries (small markets), and pasticceries (bakeries). We are looking for the laundromat, but can't find it. Rick stops in to see his friend Paola at the Tourist Informationn Office, but it has just closed for lunch. So we hike back up to a small restaurant we picked out earlier for lunch of our own. Afterwards, as we're walking along one of the upper streets, it stops raining! A car approaches. Why they even allow cars on this narrow street where pedestrians are everywhere is beyond us. The woman on the passenger side here's us talking and calls out: "English. Thank goodness." They're looking for their hotel and have no map of the town. Rick has one, shows them where they are and where they need to go. Then he gives them his map. He'll get another one from Paola, which he does, along with directions to the laundromat.

Not only has it stopped raining, but the sun peeks out. The streets up from the main square are narrow and have steps, so there is no motor traffic. Actually
View across Lake Como there is really only one circular street around the top of the town down into the main square where there are any vehicles. After wandering these streets for a while, we stop for a cold drink and watch the low clouds which form white patches against the green mountains across the lake. We're going to head back to the apartment (in case it starts raining again). There's a fruit market
Natural beauty on the way where we buy some cherries, strawberries, a couple of tomatoes and a cucumber. A little farther along is a small market where we get some bread and cheese. It's almost 5:30 when we get back. There's a pretty, patchy-gray, cat that Rory has befriended. We've left the apartment door open, and the cat almost dares to come in, but then runs off when we see her at the doorway. For dinner tonight we are going to take Monica's recommendation and go to Silvio restaurant/hotel. It's about a
Rory's buddy 10 minute walk from our apartment. Silvio turns out to be a classy place with white tablecloths and napkins and a real wait staff. We are seated on the terrace with a great view of the lake and the small villages which line it on the opposite bank. It's almost 8pm when we arrive and we enjoy the gradual change from sunset to dusk and watching the lights come on in the homes and hotels. The food is excellent; the evening turns into an event in itself and it's past 9:30 when we leave. The manager offers us a ride back to our apartment. We thank him but choose to walk. It's a calm night; it hasn't rained since late this afternoon, and it gives us a chance to walk off dinner and the bottle of Verdicchio wine.

Wednesday, June 16: UGH!!!! It's pouring rain and there's no let up in sight. (It will rain pretty much all day.) Not only that, but the temperature has dropped as well, into the 60s. We're in no hurry to leave the apartment, yet we're not too interested in staying in. The Bellagio Sporting Club turns out to be the answer. We can access the internet, check email, update our journal, etc. It's only about a 3 minute walk in a very light drizzle (which will turn into another downpour just after we reach the club). While we're there, we have lunch. An older (than we are) couple sits at the table behind us. Except for their small dog (who appears to be quite old), we don't pay much attention, except that they appear to be speaking English. Another session on the internet, waiting for the rain to let up again, and we walk back to the apartment--good time for reading. Rory gives Rick a haircut and hot showers are in order.

The sporting club will be our best bet for dinner. Just before 8pm, we get a break in the rain and walk over. We're seated at the same table we had for lunch, and shortly afterwards, the same couple comes in with their dog. This time, Rory asks where they're from. They are Donald and Patty Freed from Los Angeles. Their dog is 16 years old, she walks haltingly, and her name is Emma. It turns out that Donald Freed is a director--as in theater! (Turns out he's also a playwright and a novelist!) Well that grabs Rick's interest right away and the two of them carry on a conversation on a variety of subjects that will last until 10:30, touching base with the ladies' conversation every now and then. They have come to Bellagio for 6 weeks every year since 1994. This year they are offering a special writing seminar here in Bellagio to be attended by 18 students who range in age from 26 to 84. These people meet every Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles and this will be the first year that they'll come to Bellagio. The Freeds have been coming to the sporting club every year, take most of their meals here, and know Eugenio, the manager, quite well. They suggest we meet for lunch tomorrow and we immediately accept. Sometimes, something happens when we travel that is both unexpected and unique, involves meeting interesting people, and can turn even a miserable, rainy day like today, into a special experience. Meeting Donald and Patty is definitely one of those times.

Thursday, June 17: MORE RAIN!!!! Three days in a row!!! Thank goodness
Walled road for the Sporting Club: 1) because at least we can access the internet from here, and 2) we're meeting the Freeds for lunch. The time flies, and, oh my, the rain stops. They have things they need to do and we want to take advantage of the break(?) in the weather to explore our Aureggio. There's a walled road we saw on our way to Sylvio on Tuesday that we want to explore. Ultimately we walk by the Villa Melzi and it's extensive gardens. Since it's almost 5pm, we won't have enough time to explore it completely before it closes. We'll come back. Continuing into Bellagio, and walking along the waterfront, a young couple stops us and asks us to take their picture. They are from Seattle and are on their honeymoon. He is John Kearney, recently retired from the NFL. He played for the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks in an 11-year career as a defensive end. Rick had seen him play several times. They will be moving to NYC where John, a graduate of the University of Virginia, will attend Columbia University for his MBA. We wish them well as we head in opposite directions. Interesting past two days: meeting a novelist/playwright and a former NFL player. There's a road that leads from Via Garibaldi at the top of
across the Lecco leg Bellagio center out to the Punta Spartivento (known as "The Point"). There are supposed to be great views of the "Lecco" leg of Lake Como from here. It's a short walk, past some beautiful villas, including one under construction. There's a small marina and a restaurant at the point; and there are fabulous views across this part of the lake. We stop for a drink at a lakefront cafe, stop at the same place we had lunch at the other day, and have a light dinner. We'll have coffee and more conversation with the Freeds when we meet them later.

Friday, June 18: SUN?? Could it be SUN?? Looks like it. Rick is up
Varenna street early and downloads two of Donald Freed's novels to his Kindle: "Spymaster"
Varenna from ferry and "The China Card". He hopes to finish one of them before we leave Bellagio. We're going to catch the 10:40 boat to Varenna, another lake town just north of Bellagio. The lake is so calm, it looks like you could skate on it. The ferry ride is so relaxing, with the warm sun and the light breeze making it a perfect morning. Upon disembarking, we spot a little Westie leash-linked to his owner. The dog's name is Lola (the second Westie we've met with that name). Rick thinks the lady must be the same one we met in Venice, but she's not. She's from London, her husband is Italian, and they live in Clearwater, FL!! Funny how we always get the dog's name but not their "people".....

We're going to visit the Castello de Vezia, which sits on the hilltop overlooking the town and the lake. We are not prepared for the lenght of the
Artu
Castello de Vezio climb up the winding stone path. It seems like forever, and we pass a couple from Milwaukee on their way down. Rick is ahead of Rory and asks the couple how much farther to the castle. They tell him he's about half way there, but it's worth the climb. Rick tells them to tell that to Rory as they pass her on the way down. We stop to rest a couple of times and shed our jackets. The sun and the exertion of the hike have raised the perspiration to a level that comes close to the effect of the rain of the past couple of days. Finally we reach the castle. Entry fee is 4 euros, but Rick pays only 3 because he's over 60. We think this is the first "senior" discount he's gotten since we've been in Italy. The area outside the castle proper contains several contemporary, totem sculptures, a great horned owl (named Artu) in a cage near the little restaurant, and a tree-shaded area where four birds of prey are
Harris Hawk
Castle shroud tethered to perches. There are falconry demonstrations every day at 3:30. The castle is ahead surrounded by high walls. All along the walls there are ghost-like shrouds. They are made by covering someone (a tourist) in gauze from the head over the shoulders then brushing wet chalk over the gauze. It takes about 20 minutes for the chalk to dry. Then the shroud is lifted off the person and mounted on the castle walls. Inside the walls, there's a flight of stone stairs up one wall that leads to a drawbridge to the castle itself. There are exhibits of medieval weaponry, as well as an exhibit of fossils of prehistoric reptiles called lariosaurus, which have been found in the area. The views from atop the castle of Lake Como, the town of Varenna, and the surrounding area are terrific especially in the sunshine! We
View from castle
R&R explore the castle grounds, including an old tunnel used by the Germans in WWI, and return to the little restaurant for lunch. On the way down from the castle, we stop at a ceramics shop specializing in creations using the raku technique. A little bit later we stop ] to visit a small church. There is a painting of saint on the wall that looks like Roland Atkinson ("Mr. Bean") and a stained-glass window that looks like George Carlin. The walk down to Varenna from the castle is somewhat easier than the climb, and a lot quicker. We wander along the "passerella"--an elegant lakeside promenade which connects the part of town where the ferries dock to the old town center. The entire lakeside is lined with posh villas, and decidedly NOT touristy! We catch the 3:10 car ferry back to Bellagio, have a drink by the lake and return to our apartment.
Mr. Bean?
George Carlin?

Since it's early, we decide to gather up our dirty laundry and return to town and the laundromat. We'll get the laundry done, have dinner at La Bellagina on the way back to the apartment, and then meet Donald and Patty for coffee at the Sporting Club. Laundromats are a mini-adventure in Italy. They all operate differently, but at least they have instructions in English. We have our own liquid detergent, but no softener and the soap vending machine is all out. Rory goes up to the little alimentery and gets a bottle. We load up two washers and while we're waiting/reading, an Australian couple and an Italian couple come in. Being experienced now, we help them understand how the machines work and share our detergent/softener with both of them, refusing their offer to compensate us. Really, we can't use it all ourselves and we're certainly not going to carry it with us when we leave Bellagio. We pass the time chatting with the Australian couple (from Sydney), giving them a couple of restaurant tips in the process. The Italian gentleman (Roberto) invites us to come to their home for a drink. They are from Milan and Bellagio is their summer home. We ask for a "raincheck" (how do you say that in Italian?) and will accept his offer for tomorrow. He gives us his phone number and promises to pick us up. Laundry done, we trudge back up the hill, stopping for dinner as planned, and then back to the apartment to drop off the laundry, and walk to the sporting club. Donald and Patty have been joined by their friend Elisa who owns a shop in town and recognizes us (we'd stopped in on our way up from the ferry earlier) by Rory's bracelet and necklace. Talk about a small world! We spend a pleasant couple of hours with them. Patty wants to show us their apartment and give us a mini-tour of the surrounding towns. We agree to come by their apartment tomorrow morning at 11:30. We've had another great day!

Saturday, June 19: No sun today. but at least it's not raining. Rick finishes his eighth book of the trip: "My Losing Season" by his favorite author, Pat Conroy. As planned, we walk into town and easily find Donald and Patty's apartment. It's right between the alimentery and the restaurant we ate dinner at last night. There are 11 apartments in the little complex which is gated. The Freeds have rented the whole complex beginning when Donald's seminar for the 18 students starts on June 29th. There's a open, grassy area in front of the complex. Their apartment is on the ground floor, with a small courtyard at the back where Emma can roam. First stop is the Internet, Wine & Taste Shop two streets over. While Donald and Patty go online, we wander the shop, which is decorated with paintings (like you'd find in churches here) on the walls and ceilings of people drinking wine. Giulio is the owner--the Freeds know him well. We have coffee and look at the photos and the wine bottles with pictures of the local towns painted on them.

When they're finished, Donald and Emma go back to their apartment. Patty, Rory, and Rick visit a couple of shops-- Patty knows all the owners and introduces us. Her car is parked in the square by the church. It's a new Peugeot--they buy it new, drive it for 6 weeks while they're here, and sell it back. She says it's half the cost of renting it. We drive down the narrow streets past the center of town where the ferries arrive and then to Spiaggia Beach. Next we visit the small town of San Giovanni, a more typical little Italian town you'll never see. We park the car and walk through the town to the ferry stop. Some very rich people have villas here, and a wedding is being set up in the garden of one of them. From San Giovanni, we drive to Pescallo, only a short distance past our apartment and the Sporting Club. This is another quaint little village in the shadow of the Villa Serbelloni (not to be confused with the hotel of the same name) owned by the Rockefeller Foundation. After a short walk through Pescallo, we return to Bellagio to pick up Donald and Emma and drive to the Sporting Club for lunch.

It starts to rain again as we're finishing. Donald and Patty drop us off at our apartment. We may see them later after dinner, but, if not, we will meet them tomorrow at 12:30 at their apartment. We'll be taking the ferry across Lake Como to a restaurant they like for lunch. Back at our apartment, Rory tries to contact Roberto (from the laundromat), but there is no answer on his mobile phone. She tries several times, but it's just not meant to be. Rick spends the time updating our journal and reading Donald's book. Rory takes a short nap and does some reading of her own. We walk into Bellagio for dinner, hoping the walk will stimulate our appetites. Elisa's shop is closed, so we can't say "hi" to her. Giulio's wine shop isn't really a place for dinner, so we eat at the little restaurant right next to the Freeds' apartment. Rick has some pasta; Rory has a chicken dish. Satisfied, we walk back to the Sporting Club for coffee and dessert with Donald and Patty. It's very noisy there tonight and we all leave before 10:30. We hope the weather will cooperate so we can enjoy lunch tomorrow, but as Rick tells Patty and Donald, even if it had rained every day and we couldn't see any of the sights, just meeting and spending the time with them would have made it a great week!

Sunday, June 20: Not only is it raining--it's COLD, too (in the 50s)! Rick had gone to the Sporting Club to get on the internet before it started raining again. He'll wait it out for a while; glad he took the umbrella. The rain lets up a little bit and Rick walks back to the apartment. It doesn't look like we'll be taking the ferry anywhere today. Since we're supposed to meet Donald and Patty at 12:30, we start out, but it's raining harder. We decide we'll go to the Sporting Club to see if Eugenio can get their phone number and call them for us. He's been so helpful all week and tracks down the number. Patty tells us the weather has forced them to change the plans. We'll meet for lunch at the Sporting Club at 1pm. They are bringing a friend of theirs along--Sandra who's father owns the barber shop and dry cleaning place in town. Sandra is a
Rick, Patty, Emma,
Donald, Rory striking, tall, blue-eyed, blonde-haired young woman. She has traveled in the US and wants to move to L.A. We take plenty of time with lunch and there's no one else in the dining room. It's still raining when we're finished with lunch so we get a ride back to our apartment, where we'll pass the time reading and packing. By the time we're ready for dinner, it's stopped raining. Since we had a big lunch, we walk to La Bellagina for pizza, then back to the Sporting Club for a drink with Patty and Donald. They drop us off at our apartment after warm hugs and a promise to keep in touch. (We may come up from Milan next week to sit in on one of Donald's seminar classes.) Rick wants to find out if any of the Theater Department faculty at the University of South Carolina know of Donald's work. He would love to see one of Donald's plays presented there, or at least have Donald come to school as a visiting lecturer. In the morning, we're off to Como City.

Monday, June 21: Of course it's a beautiful sunny day, if a bit breezy, now that we're leaving Bellagio. Monica (and her Mom) pick us up right on time at 10am and drive us to the ferry boat dock. We buy tickets on the fast boat to Como, which doesn't leave until 11:23. In the meantime we sit at one of the lakeside cafes and have coffee and a pastry. On the ferry, we're sitting next to a couple, both of whom are professors in international business at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. Coincidentally, they were both at USC but left in the 80s. We enjoyed bringing them up to date on the current status of the business school at USC. The trip to Como takes about 50 minutes. Upon arrival, we stop at a cafe in the Piazza Cavour for lunch. We strike up a conversation with two ladies from Scotland. Rick contacts Paola at the Duo Ghiribizzo (two guitarists) B&B. Our room is ready for us and we plan to get there by 2:30. Rick checks in at the Tourist Information office across the piazza from where we've eaten and learns where to catch the bus, among other things and gets a first rate map. We take the #1 bus toward Chiasso, not quite sure where exactly to get off. We're looking for Via Cardano, and though we can find it on the map, we can't seem to figure out where we are along the way. Several people on the bus try to help us out when finally the bus driver says "Prosimo" (next stop). It's a short walk to the B&B, where we are met by Paola, who is as firendly as can be. She and her husband, Joachim, are professional classical guitarists (hence the name of the B&B). They have an almost 6 year old daughter, Valentina, and at least one cat, whose name we don't get. Our room is more like an apartment. It is spacious, wonderfully furnished and appointed, and looks very comfortable. Paola gives us the quick tour, shows us how everything works and takes our breakfast preferences. Unlike most B&Bs, there is no common area for eating or watching TV. In fact, they only rent out the one apartment. We are quite pleased and after getting our things organized, walk back to the bus stop and into Como.

We catch the #7 bus into Como, getting off just before the Piazza Cavour.
Funicolare
Brunate estate We are going to take the funicolare (funicular) up to the town of Brunate. The funicolare costs 4.50E each for the round trip. At the top, we get off and stroll along the top of the hill, past some very fancy mansions (is there another kind?). The views are good, but tall trees prevent us from getting much in the way of photos of the lake and city below. We retrace out steps, get to the funicolare early enough to be the first to board and therefore get the best seat for capturing photos on the way down. Unfortunately, there are a lot of obstructions: trees, buildings, more trees. Rick gets all of one good shot. A German couple is sitting facing us, trying to get some good photos, ultimately giving up.
Como mansion
Como harbor Rick says they've spent 9 euros and will still have to buy postcards. The German fellow replies in perfect English: "Shit happens!" which cracks us all up! We return to the Piazza Cavour after stopping for the obligatory daily gelato, visit the Duomo di Como (one of the most beautiful churches we've ever seen in our travels), and wander the main shopping area, without buying anything, then find a place for dinner. Next to the Como Nord railway station is a nice looking restaurant and grill Vecchio Borgo. We both have fish (swordfish for Rick; sea bass for Rory). The food is good and reasonably priced. Afterwards we walk back to the Piazza Cavour to catch our bus back to the B&B. Posted at the stop is a notice that we can't quite understand, but seems to say that there will be a 48 hour
Duomo di Como
Duomo entrance strike of the buses that stop there (and we presume, everywhere else). We're going to have to walk back. What we don't understand is that there will be construction work and the buses just won't stop there! We don't figure that out until we're almost all the way back. We've walked for almost an hour on a main road, with very little sidewalk. It's potentially dangerous, and worse, it's uphill!! We stop several times to rest and Rick isn't sure Rory will make it, but she does; collapsing into bed as soon as we get back. Rick is too tired to even go to sleep, so he reads awhile until he can't keep his eyes open, then turns in.

Tuesday, June 22: Rick is up around 7:30, showers and shaves. Rory
Cat in playhouse will be dead to the world until after Paola delivers breakfast at 8:30. Rick tells Paola what happened last night. She tells Rick about a couple of restaurants near the B&B, and shows us a shortcut to the Villa Olmo to see the Reubens exhibit, should we care to walk. We DON'T care to walk! Breakfast is great: juice, fresh fruit, bread, breakfast pastry, yogurt. There's also tea, coffee, and milk. After eating, Rick walks around the property, greeted by the black and white cat. Paola and Joachim return from taking Valentina to kindergarden and Rick gets to talk with them for a while until Paola has to leave. She is teaching guitar in Basel, Switzerland and has a 3 1/2 hour train ride ahead of her. Paola and Joachim have recorded three CDs of classical (19th century) guitar duets. Rick put one on last night and another this morning. We will probably buy at least one of them before we leave. Rory finally manages to get up and eat a decent breakfast. She's rallying and by 11:30 will be ready to go.

Garden sculpture We have nothing planned--we're going to take the bus (which ISN'T on strike) into the city, have lunch and walk around a bit. We'll visit the Teatro Como to see if there is a performance of "anything" tonight or tomorrow night, but there isn't anything until July 1st. We like roaming the streets, watching the people,
Duomo di Como and being amused by the dogs of all sizes and shapes. We have some excellent gelato and then decide to take the bus back and try out one of the places for dinner that Paola recommended this morning. The first one which is a few blocks past the bus stop isn't open on Tuesdays, so we walk back past the Via Cardano a couple
Teatro Como of blocks to the Ristorante "La Ghironda", and what a wonderful place it is!! We are seated in a small room with only 4 tables and treated to a complimentary glass of wine and small plate of canapes. The menu is limited but we easily find choices we know we'll like and we are not disappointed. The food is wonderful and quite reasonably priced. The service is outstanding as well. We finish with a mousse-like dessert which is heavenly. Rory rates it the best dinner of our trip. Rick says it's in his top 3 or 4. We have a short walk back to the B&B, where Rory reads herself to sleep while Rick updates our journal.

Wednesday, June 23: We have no plans for today. Rick would like to see if he can find the hotel and restaurant from his first trip to Lake Como over 25 years ago. He thinks they're in the lake town of Cernobio. There's a
Villa Erbe
Cernobio church slow ferry that leaves from the main dock in Como; Cernobio is two stops away. When we get off the boat, there's another one of those Italian street markets going on. There's a walkway around all that that leads to the Hotel Olga, which he is sure is the right one. Just across from the front entrance to the right is the restaurant, but, as it was then, it's closed until dinner time. We take a short walk up to the main street through the town and have lunch at Tom & Jerry Restaurant and Pizzeria. Afterward we walk down the street to the Villa Erbe, but it isn't open to the public (at least not today). We retrace our steps and wander through the narrow streets of the older part of town, aiming for the bell tower and the old church to which it is attached. From there it's back to the lakeside to sit in the shade and wait for the ferry back to Como.

After Rory does a little shopping in the Piazza Cavour, we return to the B&B, where Rick gets a shower with the last hot water anyone will have for the
Lake Como estate rest of the day and night. Sometime between his shower and 6pm when Rory wants to take hers, the hot water heater for the entire building goes on the blink. Rick goes upstairs to let Joachim know about the problem, but nothing can be done until tomorrow, when we will have left for Milan. After getting most of our packing done, we walk into the town and have dinner at "Al Frate" (The Friar), the second of the places Paola recommended. This place is also quite good, though the atmosphere isn't quite what it was at "La Ghironda" last night. It's a nice walk back to the B&B. Joachim has left us a note regarding the condition of the water heater, but tries to console us by letting us know that the US Soccer team has advanced to the round of 16 in World Cup competition. (It doesn't help....) We'll be up in the morning by 7am. Our train to Milan leaves Como San Giovani Station at 10:16.