CHAPTER 7
Lake Como is one of those places that if featured in a movie (and I am sure it has been), would be quickly written off by the viewing audience as blatantly fabricated and cliché in its perfect ambiance and scenery. But, I am here to tell you that, no, it really is perfect, in its ambiance and scenery and much else besides, and the only thing blatant about it is the feeling that overcomes you as you gaze out across the tranquil waters, wondering why you hadn’t made more of an effort to come there before.
We experienced just that feeling after taking a short train ride north from Milan, where we jumped out of the pullman car at the Varenna station, neatly nestled between two rail tunnels at the base of a steep mountain, lugged our packs the few blocks down into the village, met our airBnB host and checked in to our small rented apartment, and then opened the window shutter to gaze out upon perfection.
We chose to stay in Varenna for its laid back atmosphere and decidedly more reasonably priced accommodations, as opposed to its two sister towns across the water: the bustling Menaggio, and the famously glitzy Bellagio. We figured we could always do day trips to those tourist traps if we felt so inclined, but our number one priority for our four days on Lago di Como was relaxation, which we wasted no time in going to work on, our first night being spent slowly walking the implausible waterfront and watching the crepuscular reflections of the lake fade away with the sunset.
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