Boats on Lago di Como

Lago di Como was the first stop on our European adventure after quitting our jobs and leaving Boston on June 1st, 2018, forever. Amy and I wanted to start somewhere rural and on the water to relax after taking this leap of faith, and travelling for 18 hours! We wanted a quiet couple of weeks to let reality set in after the long journey from Boston to Menaggio (Thomas Cook Airlines: Boston - Manchester - Malpensa / SNCF train: Malpensa - Como / Bus: Como - Menaggio).

I love boats. Thank you AC Boat Rentals for a beautiful day on the water. This was taken with our incredible DJI Mavic Air (aka "Mavi"). The boat rental was approximately $120 for 2 hours, a good deal more than I've experienced in the Bahamas but worth it!

Watch the movie edit highlighting our fun times!

I am writing this on day 44 of our trip, so I have a bit more perspective on the travelling life. The time in Lago di Como (11 nights) was like a vacation; a surreal, never-ending vacation. I was loving not setting an alarm for work, or sitting in traffic for my commute, or answering emails on the weekend. Plus, the fact that it would never end was so sweet! This was all very exciting, and I enjoyed all 11 nights and 12 days that the little town of Menaggio had to offer.

The little mercato next door, La Cantina del Formaggio, had everything we needed to eat. In the mornings, I would pick up a fresh loaf of bread at La Cantina, and then walk down the street to the Rock and Roll Cafe to grab two latte macchiatos. While Amy was still sleeping I would read Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov, drink my coffee, and appreciate the incredible view from the best Airbnb I have ever stayed in. This was life for 11 nights and 12 days in Menaggio :)

The view from our beautiful LoveComo.com Airbnb. Thank you Vittoria! This is from Menaggio, looking over Lago di Como at Varenna across the way. You can't quite see it, but Bellagio is hiding behind the roof on the right.

I love Italians. The culture in the pre-Alps of the Lombardy region is quite laid back, a life of routine, a social life. The owners of mercato La Cantina are a friendly couple. Everyday they would sit out in front of the store smoking cigarettes, saying hi to all the passerbyers and engaging in lively conversations with locals. If I walked in to buy something during one of their smoke breaks, I had to wait for them to finish enjoying it. There is nothing to rush for when everyone is enjoying the moment :) One of the first things I noticed when we arrived in Italy was that they love their motorcycles! I was in heaven. I'm a big motorcycle racing fan, and love to ride motorcycles myself (unfortunately I had to sell my ZX-6R aka Ninja back in Boston). Since the moment we arrived at the lake, I did not stop hearing the purring and revving of tuned sport bikes and 2-stroke dirt bikes. They had all the MotoGP races on national television and playing at all the bars (for those racing fans, they also played Moto2 and Moto3, on the major national television channel 8! wow). A few times a week the kids in town would all play calcio on the field in front of our building. It was fun watching them get so emotional for the games! Penalties would be disputed, winners would run around screaming and hugging, while the losers would blame the referee for the misfortune and then bury their faces in the ground to cry. The professionals in the World Cup act just like the 8 year old kids I was watching. I guess football players never grow up.

Timelapse of kids playing calcio on the field in front of our building.

Pan of a great swimming hole near Varenna. See the next picture on how to find it!

To find a nice, private swimming hole in Varenna, walk past the Hotel Villa Cipressi and take a right down this sketchy tunnel. Here is a map pin.

The lake is a beautiful place. The entire bus ride up to Menaggio, Amy and I were awe struck. The mountains rising steeply from the banks of a the water, with old and pristine villages nested on the mountainsides, and the clear blue sky above. It is something from a movie really. There is reason the Roman elite picked the lakes of Lombardy to retreat from the commotion of the city in the first century, and wealthy Italians during the war. It is secluded, yet close to the economic capital of Italy (Milan), protected, and beautiful. It is the Hawaii of California, or the Cape Cod of Boston if you will. I love it, it is really epic.

Panorama of Lago di Como from Varenna. You can see the left and right legs of the lake with Bellagio in the middle.

A beautiful scene from Varenna. The picture is taken from the street over the roof of the Villa Monastero.

Our go-to beach spot. It is a pebbly beach next to the campground in Menaggio called Spiaggia Lerai.

The beautiful Amy enjoying the sun on a pebbly beach.

This very kind lady walked us half way across town to the laundromat! I love her hair, and she is tiny like Amy.

Thank you for reading, grazie e buona giornata! Ciao :)