As with all mini-vacations there is never enough time to see and do all that you want and with that you make choices and sacrifices in hopes that someday you will return to check off the empty boxes. In our case this was truly the dilemma. We decided to concentrate one day to Bellagio where we have heard so much about and hoped to get some amazing pictures during this day trip. So off we went for a 2 hr. ferry ride up the lake. We headed out on the first morning ferry with hopes to spend a good portion of the day exploring the area and having lunch somewhere on the lake before heading back to Como.
The lake was deep blue in color and the sky was bright blue and not a cloud in sight. As the ferry made its way up the lake we had several stops which gave us an up-close and personal view of beautiful water front villas and small towns. Some of the hillsides were laced with a few white clouds lingering in the nooks and crannies. The mountains cradling the lake were magnificent and nothing short of magical to rest your eyes on. I thanked the āRain Godsā for this beautiful day!
As we arrived in Bellagio it and its towns people appeared to still be sleep with no one around but our new āBest Ferry Friends (BFFās)ā¦.(yeah, I know, that sounds kind of funny). We disembarked and headed up, up, up the steps, which seemed to have no end. Finally, at the top we arrived near a beautiful church so decided to explore the interior and say a prayer for the day. After our visit we stepped out and perched ourselves on a stone ledge at a nearby store front to change my camera lenses out and to take some up-close and personal pics of the beautiful narrow streets lined with colorful petunias, geraniums, and herbs. It was truly charming in all directions. I could hear the sound of my shutter working overtime while also finding more people in my view find. We were being followed by all our BFFās! Ugh, so I had to move fast and resign to the fact people will be in my picās.
We decided to move past the church and out to a quiet street that lead to the tip of town to look out at the lake point. Just prior to arriving I noticed we were without my beautiful new umbrella L. So Bill retraced his steps and I was supposed to stay putā¦.(Yeah, No). So after he had disappeared back down the street I too began to retrace where we were. Of course expecting to pass Bill somewhere along the way. Seriously, it was one street, just how could one get separated??? So back to the store ledge where we changed my camera lens and it was empty. So I headed back down and windy street towards the point we were walking towards in the first place. Still no Bill!?!? How could this be possibleā¦. When all else fails turn on your roaming data and text the followingā¦Dove Sei? āWhere are you?ā I found it quite impossible he had somehow made it to the point without passing me. And for Bill, he could not understand why I did not hold my position. Iām guessing a military career would not be in my favor. LOL
Once at the point the sound and view was beautiful with the lake splashing up on the stone wall and a billowing breeze cooled off my glistening (sweaty) back. We watched a group of kayakers pass by as they began their late morning excursion. We took the less traveled path to the other side of the town which required a lot of walking up and down narrow streets. There were no shops, no restaurants, no gelaterie just a couple or two looking for a quite escape, which we all found. As we continued further down the path we came upon a small village and strolled through a grouping of apartments. They were swathed in lush green vines with enormous grape like leaves, some draped over balconies others hung down like curtains around doorways. Nothing short of breathtaking. The village residents appeared mostly elderly, clustered together sitting and watching over the lake. I was certain each had stories of the days long gone that would captivate any traveler and would love to have joined them as they sat on their community park bench listening to tales of past. The days before all the tourist, buses, Hotels, and ferries. Those days long-gone, though felt I had a glimpse of it, even just for a moment. As we continued through the cluster of buildings where we could hear families preparing for lunch. Pans clanking and water running, it was definitely āSiestaā, which meant we too needed to consider stopping. I could smell something wonderful from one of the ground floor apartments as I passed by. Tempted to peek inside the entry, which was covered only with beads letting whatever wisp of air come in and circulate the dead air. I decided to refrain and maintained the course thinking to myself lunch would be wonderful about now since we had no restaurant in site and did not expect to find anything on this side of the town.
As we continued the loop towards the main part of Bellagio dark clouds (VERY DARK CLOUDS) were closing in. The weather changed in a blink of an eye and the breeze turned into wind. Knowing we needed to be prepared for the imminent rain storm we looked at any and all possible shelters including trees (if needed). The walk back to town was a success with no rain events and partial sun, we were thankful. This didnāt mean the rain had passed rather we had arrived before the main event.
We quickly decided on a location to enjoy lunch on the water fun and opted for outdoor seating as the patio was full and decided to be risk takers. As we enjoyed a fabulous view, good wine, and tasty food I felt a quarter land on my lapā¦.knowing there were no quarters in Italy I looked down and sure enough it was a huge drop of water followed by another and another. We held out in the rain with two other couples and shared an enormous sun umbrella over our small intimate tables. It was fun, it was a little crazy, and it was refreshing. As the rain continued do did we. Enjoying a caffĆ© macchiato we sat back and absorbed the viewā¦hillside towns as far as the eye could see and watched the ferries come and go.
Before boarding our ferry and calling it a day we purchased an umbrella (just in case) and waited for our ride. The pier was becoming crowded and knew the ride back would be quite different from our morning trip. For one we were taking the slow ferry, meaning we stopped at every small town rather than just a few making the trip back twice as long. Our only hope was to beat the storm back to Como. Once boarded we found a seat and lucky enough to sit under the air-conditioning vent (NOT). With my scarf wrapped around my shoulders we were off and headed for Como. We shared a table with a couple who were traveling from England and deeply in love. I almost suggested that they get a room though instead just watched the storm and talked about the weather. LOL And the weather event was something to talk about. We could see the gust of wind and hail (the size of peas āBIG PEASā) hitting against the side of the ferry and our window ledge filling up with tinny ice spheres. Then lightening, thunder, and more gusts of rain. It was surreal and had everyone on the ferry talking about it. No one dared mention ācapsizeāā¦.YIKES (but cool J)We tied up in Como after the ferry made its way through several hail downpours and could only hope we made it back to the apartment before the sky opened on us.
Back safely, we no sooner got situated we heard the crash of an umbrella in the Piazza below. The wind was fiercely blowing and the rain was coming sideways. So again, we decided to call it a night.
Bellagioās Beauty As with all mini-vacations there is never enough time to see and do all that you want and with that you make choices and sacrifices in hopes that someday you will return to check off the empty boxes.
dailybridgerton
kaledo-art
germansingergirl
discoholicmusic
dededos
blakekathryn
origamiaround