17 - 27 June 2017 We managed to sleep a surprising amount during our overnight bus ride to Milan and we arrived at the bus station on schedule at 5.25am. Thankfully, the bus station was located on top of the metro station, although we had to wait 25 minutes for it to open. Everything progressed relatively smoothly from here and by 6.30am we were reunited with Hannah's Dad, Alan, and his partner, Susan at the designated meeting point (the hotel they had been staying in for the past few nights). After a couple of much needed showers, a delicious buffet breakfast and a gloriously sunny, Saturday morning stroll around a nearby park as we all became quickly reacquainted, it was time to make a move for our next destination - Menaggio, Lake Como. Jealous much? In short, Lake Como was everything we hoped it would be, and more. Even Hannah's exceedingly high expectations were met (only surprising because they were, in James' opinion, ridiculously grandiose)... If you haven't been, you should. From the spectacular scenery and the architecture to the food and the people, everything was nothing short of fantastic. Aside from overindulging in a few wines and the typical (largely) carb-based food groups, we spent the five days relaxing in the sun (much to our fellow travelers' concern), running and hiking (we were pleasantly surprised to find that the administration and organisation of the numerous trails in and around Menaggio (and Lake Como in general) was on par with NZ, the place is a trail runners/trampers paradise), and attempting to fully immerse ourselves in the Italian culture. This exercise was kicked off with a three day, part time, Italian language course. Our first day of the course consisted of two hours in the "classroom" with our tutor, Valentina. Based on Susan's fluency in French, we think Valentina was anticipating a higher level of skill and prior knowledge of the Italian language (or languages in general) than the group had, causing her to quickly reconsider her lesson plan. Still, we think we made quick progress which was assisted by the fact that Italian appears to be a very simple language to come to grips with. For example, the vowels and consonants have only one associated sound. Novel. The English language could really do with an overhaul. Anyway, after being taught a few useful words and phrases we were sent on our merry way to practice our new skill. And of course we did. James was writing out his notes within an hour of the class finishing, excessively quizzing the group, and, at every possible opportunity, using his new found knowledge in a practical setting. No amount of eye rolling or cringing could stop him. Still, this did prove very useful the next day when Valentina split us in to teams (did someone say competition?) and had us running around the town square asking locals questions to decipher answers to various questions about the area which she has written in Italian. As fully fledged adults, Alan and Susan quickly grew tired of this game leaving us victorious. Our superior fitness levels and acclimatization to the heat also helped. Still, it was a win to Team Jannah. Feeling very pleased with ourselves but needing a bit of quiet time (Hannah mostly), we headed down to the local Lido for the afternoon. Alan and Susan politely declined the invitation to join us, we are not sure if it was the midday drunken masses, the hoards of children, the music blaring from large speakers, or the lack of shade that put them off. Either way, it was right up our alley and a great opportunity to top up our tans which, much to our dismay, are slowly diminishing. We have tan-peaked, people. The third and final day of our course was centered around a cooking lesson, conducted partly in Italian, at the nearby Youth Hostel. This was more about the food than the language, and we weren't complaining. Especially when we were dinning alfresco with a beautiful view of the lake, chowing down on a three course meal of freshly made bruschetta, pesto pasta, and tiramisu. And wine of course. We were pleasantly pleased to discover that pasta is incredibly easy to make from scratch. And a hundred times more delicious. Overindulging at lunch was unavoidable so in an attempt to counteract the damage (although we have accepted that there is no way to counteract the deliciousness of the last five weeks), we went for a late afternoon run up the nearest hill. We were wrong to think that the temperature would decrease as the day went on. If anything, it only got hotter - a pattern which continued for the majority of our time in Italy. Still, the views over Lake Como and across to the tourist hotspot of Bellagio were amazing and it was pretty incredible running through trenches and artillery positions from WW2 (Menaggio is home to some interesting Mussolini-related history from this period). Aside from our usual, self-guided jogs around the lakefront, admiring the incredible properties of the rich and famous dotted along the way, we also decided to take on a couple of the established trails which lead up to Monte Grona. This was easily one of the best, and most rewarding, walk/run/climbs we have conquered in the last six months (...holy moly the time has flown). Thankfully we had decided to start out early which meant we mostly avoided the intense heat. We caught the 5.50am bus to Beleglia, the town situated closest to the base of the trail up, and by 7.30am we had made it to the Refugio Menaggio (the Refuge), situated approximately 1800m above sea level. Despite the consistent incline we were making good time, particularly in relation to the suggested timeframes on the various maps and course indicators, so we pushed on to the top. However, although we had the tops in our sights and the distance was much less than what we had already covered that morning, the terrain quickly turned the fast paced walk into a climb. Don't fret, there were ropes and chains already in place to assist our assent. It only took us another hour to summit but we would have walked double that for the views we were rewarded with. On one side of the valley we could just make out a herd of Swiss cattle (we assessed the nationality of the herd based on the fact that they were all wearing the notifiable bells - apparently a legal requirement in Switzerland) grazing and on the other sides we could see mountains, lakes and accompanying villages as far as our eyes could see. The rising sun created the appearance of glitter covering the lakes and the rising temperatures and early morning clouds, which we found ourselves looking down upon, created an eerie feeling. The large metal cross also played its atmospheric part. It was nothing short of spectacular. But then it was time for the descent. Despite a quick sandwich snack eaten on the go, Hannah insisted on taking a few consecutive tumbles causing James to enforce a 5 minute rest period. We also stopped for a very picturesque espresso macchiato at the Refuge on our way down. By this time it was 9.15am and, upon checking the bus timetable, we discovered that the next bus back to Menaggio was at 10.05am. Could we make it? Of course we could. On the same day we decided to walk to Villa Carlotta and back.Villa Carlotta is Villa Carlotta is, as the bane suggests, a villa and botanical garden in Tremezzo, which is another small town on Lake Como. The villa is now a museum, and the art collection includes works by Canova, Thorvaldsen, Migliara and Hayez in addition to pieces of furniture from the time of the various owners. The villa is located at the top of a terraced garden, from which there are views of Bellagio and the mountains surrounding the lake. It consists of three floors (two of which are open to the public). The works of art on display are mainly located on the lower floor, while the upper one, which has an elegant gallery and a collection of antiques and collectibles (mainly musical instruments), provides views over the lake. Aside from enabling us to see even more of the Lake, this stroll resulted in an accumulated 40,000 steps that day. Our three course, €12 feast, back at the youth hostel that evening was well deserved. On 22 June we transited from Lake Como to Baveno on Lake Maggiore. This journey pretty much took all day. Particularly when Alan considered it necessary to wake us up two and a half hours prior to when we were due to depart the apartment for the ferry to Como. Thankfully, though, we were at the ferry terminal 90 minutes before its departure. Phew. On the bright side, this over zealous and enthusiast approach to transit times meant we were able to squeeze in a brief reconnaissance of the centre of Como which was as equally beautiful as the towns further north on Lake Como. And our gelato lunch definitely made it all worth it. Two trains and a few hours later we found ourselves at Baveno train station. Having reviewed the location of our accommodation in association to the train station and having assessed the average fitness levels of the group, James considered that the 800m route to the apartment was definitely doable. If only the travel agent had provided us with the correct address. Still, we all enjoyed the walk. And all it cost us was the bottom of a suitcase and a €15 taxi to the correct location. Apparently it happens ALLLLL the time. Comforting. Alan was ready for a "cooling ale". Our time in Baveno was spent in a similar vein to our time in Menagio, although the town itself was slightly smaller, less touristy and more subdued. With easy access to the lake, the use of a nearby Adventure Park (which helpfully included a lap pool), a hotel gym, and more beautiful trails to explore, we were easily occupied. Oh, and of course there was the obligatory consumption of Italian food and beverages (Hannah has become very fond of an Aperol Spritz and James is just onboard with the idea of aperitifs in general). Of particular note was our day long hike up the Mountain of Monterona. While it wasn't as picturesque as Monte Grona, the scenery was more varied, which was good as we were on our feet for almost 6 hours. The prettiest parts were the old stone houses and walls located amongst the woodlands. Unfortunately, the mountain serves as a ski field during the winter months so the presence of the ski lifts, the various communications towers, the people lunching at the restaurants in the village, and the operation of a very tinny looking luge, somewhat ruined the ambience. Then there was the ferry trip across to Isola Bella, one of the small islands just off the coast of Baveno. The main attraction there is the Palazzo Boremeo. This is what Lonely Planet has to say about this fine piece of architecture: "Presiding over 10 tiers of spectacular terraced gardens roamed by peacocks, this baroque palace is arguably Lago Maggiore's finest building. Wandering the grounds and 1st floors reveals guestrooms, studies and reception halls. Particularly striking rooms include the Sala di Napoleone, where the emperor Napoleon stayed with his wife in 1797; the grand Sala da Ballo (Ballroom); the ornate Sala del Trono (Throne Room); and the Sala delle Regine (Queen's Room). Paintings from a 130-strong Borromeo collection hang all around. Highlights of the art works are pieces by several old masters, including Rubens, Titian, Paolo Veronese, Andrea Mantegna, Van Dyck and José Ribera (Spagnoletto). You'll also find Flemish tapestries, sculptures by Antonio Canova and – in the Salone Grande – a 200-year-old wooden model of the palace and island. Below the ground floor, a 3000-year-old fossilised boat is displayed in the cool palace grottoes, which are studded with pink marble, lava stone and pebbles from the lake bed. White peacocks, whose fanned feathers resemble bridal gowns, strut about the gardens, which are considered one of the finest examples of baroque Italian landscaping. In summer, the family that owns Palazzo Borromeo moves in and occupies the 2nd and 3rd floors (off-limits to visitors), totalling a mere 50-odd rooms." ... Just in case you were interested. We found the grottos a bit creepy and Hannah spent most of her time at the Palace pontificating about how suited she was to Palace life. Especially one situated on a private island. Our ten days as a group culminated in a lovely last supper at a local restaurant, which provided us with the best that Italy has to offer. It was a fitting finale. We look forward to watching Alan and Susan's (near) future plans come to fruition!
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