Day 13
We planned a boat trip to Bellagio for our last day in Como.
The boat was expected to leave at about 11am so we thought we had a lot of time
for a walk. It was just as well we checked at the ticketing office because this
craft was only available on particular days. We were advised to take the fast
hydrofoil which would depart at 12.30.
We set off for a lovely long walk past the ferry berth around
the lake. We walked through the park and a very sombre and impressive memorial
to to the Jews who died in the second world war. There were other monuments to
war dead as well. This far north the world wars must have been an immediate and
ever-present concern. Then beyond this memorial precinct the path rose and fell
past a series of enormous villas with impressive grounds. Many of these had
over the years been turned over to municipal authorities. The most impressive
by far was Villa Olmo which had been home to both Napoleon and Garibaldi throughout
its history as well as figuring in a large number of films. Many millions of
Euros are now being spent in its restoration. we amused ourselves with what the conversation between Josephine and Napoleon might be as he arrived home after a long absence as he tried to defend his empire. Its just as well we have the same sense of humour.
The walk started well when suddenly a knifing gust swept
down from the Swiss Alps and across the lake sandblasting us and a large group
of other tourists. The lake boiled up and waves crashed over the promenade. The
water turned a menacing dark blue grey colour. On the distant hills we could
see snow beginning to cover the peaks with snow as delicate as icing sugar. This
blast was short-lived and though it was a little windy, the wind lost its
chill. We walked a wide arc around the lake before turning back to the town. We
got back with enough time for a cup of coffee on the lakefront at a very
welcoming restaurant. The tourist throng of the weekend had dispersed and Monday
appears to be a day when the weekend working shopkeepers have their day off, so
any wandering tourists are warmly welcomed in.
Walking down to the ferry at the appointed time, the captain
came down the gangplank to explain that the departure had been cancelled due to
the weather and that we could try again in a couple of hours or try the bus. A
2 hour journey on a bus winding its way around the coast did not seem an immediately
attractive prospect so we decided on lunch back at the hotel and another, later
attempt at the cruise.
As soon as we got to Bellagio the wind decided to give us another serve so it was a relief that the streets leading up the mountain from the dock were narrow and sheltering. We felt like goats climbing endlessly upwards. The street was only a metre and a half wide and the doorways of shops, galleries, restaurants and bars opened directly into it. It was quiet in Ballagio. The big hotels had locked their doors and the owners had taken off for their annual holiday, but there were still many premises open for the local trade and the odd winter tourists. The snow capped Alps seemed closer than ever as they loomed beyond the precipitous laneways that plunged down to the water. Switzerland was after all only 10km away. We could see many terraced restaurants and could imagine how on hot summer nights people would be eating, drinking and laughing well into the early hours under the vines,
We took a long windy road through some very grand houses to
the lake to find the wind snarling at us and a small ferry bravely crossing the
waters to one of the villages further down the lake. We could just see the beautiful
village of Varenna across the water. A nice Asian couple saw us trying to set
up a timed shot and took the photo for us with the alps glistening behind us as
a shaft of sunlight lit them up.
Even here in this tiny place, there was a substantial church
and even a crypt housing a notable churchman resting behind glass. We planned
to get our return ticket for the hydrofoil from the ticket office and then get
a coffee but the young man had bad news for us. Due to bad weather, that
sailing had been cancelled and the next one would be in 2 hours (maybe). We quickly
decided to take the bus back and we only has 4 minutes to run down the road to
the restaurant selling the tickets and get back to the bus shelter. We just
made it.
The bus journey back to Como was nothing short of amazing!.
It followed a tiny winding road that clung to the side of the mountains, next
to sheer drops of sometimes a hundred feet or so. On a road that I thought was
only wide enough for one and a half cars, he drove us back to Como at a
reasonable and steady speed, passing cars, trucks and even busses coming in the
opposite direction. Everyone showed the most amazing courtesy, even backing up
to let us squeeze past. The driver did all this, while maintaining a loud and
long discussion (with appropriate hand gestures) with a passenger friend of
his. This guy was amazing. On an aircraft he would have got a round of applause
from nervous passengers. As we wound our
way back to Como we were treated to a glorious sunset. The sinking sun lit with
orange fire the vegetation at the top giving it the appearance of heather. An
hour and a half later we were dropped off 50 metres from our hotel, neither
shaken nor stirred. Bellissimo.
