We woke up pretty early as we had a full day planned around Lake Como, starting at “the Star Wars villa” Villa Balbianello. To get there we had to take a train to Como (after grabbing some fresh focaccia at the station) and then switch to a bus along the lake coast. We had seen forecasted rain and it hit in earnest while we were waiting for the bus outside the station and got quite a lightning and thunder show (luckily from under the eaves of the station waiting area). We also had some confusion with the bus numbering and missed our first option but when the second came around we asked the driver and got on our way. The rain and heavy fog meant that we didn’t have much of a view of the lake on the way there.

In Lenno, where the villa is located, it was still raining enough to need a jacket and we had a bit of a walk ahead of us so we bundled up and headed towards the entrance. The trail there was quite up and down on the way in and I (Chuck) will admit it was quite a workout. The villa grounds were beautiful and the Star Wars reference above was due to its use in scenes from Naboo with Anakin and Padmé. We found what we later realized wasn’t the actual spot but we had people there to take a picture so we recreated one of the scenes. We walked around the full grounds and then headed back on the up and down track back to the ferry stop in Lenno.

Here we switched to ferries for the rest of the Lake Como section of our trip and headed to Villa Carlotta. This villa had extensive manicured gardens around it so we started there and Becky played plant (and even reptile) Pokemon with her identification app. The theme today was up and down as the area around Lake Como goes straight up to mountains and this continued through the gardens. They were very beautiful and varied though and even included a cool rustic olive grove. After walking throughout the gardens we went through the villa itself. The Villa has been made into a museum with some of the family’s art collection including some cool Napoleonic art and furniture. Once we finished up there we caught the ferry to Bellagio to explore. We had snacked a bit after the breakfast focaccia, but it was after 2 before we stopped for lunch and we were both pretty famished. Fortunately, there was a pizzeria still serving lunch and we enjoyed some fresh pizza and resting our tired legs and feet.

When we got to the pier we were in line for a ferry to Varenna (our final lake stop of the day) and while waiting met a cool extended family from Birmingham, Alabama and Sweden. After waiting for around a half an hour, the staff realized the number of people at that ferry stop wouldn’t be able to fit on the ferry, so they moved us to another line where we had to wait an additional hour. We spent more time waiting for the ferry than we actually spent exploring Bellagio, but luckily our new friends made the wait more pleasant. Nevertheless, the afternoon sun took a lot out of us while we waited, so by the time we got to Varenna, we opted to keep our visit short.

There is major train track construction on the train lines along that side of the lake which meant you had to bus to Lecco and then get a train back to Milan. The problem was it wasn’t super clear where you catch the replacement bus so I followed Google’s information and headed to the train station which was closed and no sign of a bus or information on where to go. We headed back down the hill (of course) and back to a bus stop we had passed earlier and some staffers helped get us headed in the right direction. After all of that we caught the bus and got on the train to Milan and will spend the rest of the evening relaxing and packing up in preparation for heading to Switzerland tomorrow.

Today’s Highlights

• The timing of being warm and dry on a cozy bus during the thunderstorm
• Magnificent lake views
• Beautiful villa gardens
• Pizza! (with anchovies for Becky)
• New friends

Tomorrow’s Proposed Adventures

• Train to Lugano
• Bus trip around Lake Como to Tirano
• Bernina Express train through the Alps to Pontresina
• A funicular