Day 19 – Giro and Gorges

After a restless night beside Lake Como, lulled and startled in turns by wind-lashed waves and falling fruit on the van roof, we were up at 7am and winding our way to Bellagio. By 8am, we’d parked high above the town and descended to the lakeside to buy ferry tickets, rewarded with morning coffee and croissant at a charming tea room on the quay.

A short ferry crossing took us to Varenna, where we hopped on a train—unpaid, due to the complete absence of ticket machines or staff—for the 10-minute ride to Bellano. Despite no sign of Giro d’Italia fever yet, we explored the lively weekly market and the narrow lanes of this sleepy lakeside town, then headed to the Orrido di Bellano, a dramatic natural gorge carved by the Pioverna River. With its walkways suspended above thunderous cascades and mist-shrouded chasms, it’s a place that’s awed visitors since the 18th century.

Lunchtime was a quayside picnic of hot roast chicken and fresh bread from local shops, followed by a pharmacy dash for some medication for my sore elbow. We then secured our Giro vantage point at Café Roma, with drinks, dessert, and a front-row corner view. As the excitement built, children lined the streets and amateur cyclists gathered in anticipation. Eventually, the caravan rolled through—police, sponsors, bike-laden cars—followed by the racers: two up front, a chasing group, and the thundering peloton.

After the buzz passed, we trained it back to Bellagio (this time, paying), just in time for our villa boat tour. An hour and a half of serenity on the water revealed elegant lakeside mansions and manicured gardens, narrated by a gentle audio guide. Bellagio’s backstreets lured us once more, ending the day with dinner at Torre del Gusto, a delightful hideaway. Caesar salad and fries for me, Gill opting for “Grandma’s” ricotta and spinach cannelloni. One final lemon gelato, despite being fit to bust at Gusto, then back uphill to the van, a drive back to the campsite, hopeful for quieter, better sleep. Czytaj więcej