Europe - August 2023

Breakfast at Tiffany’s - oops, make that Breakfast at Sara’s! Carolina needs a cappuccino first thing in the morning to function on all cylinders, so what better way to enjoy a cappu than sitting out on a sun-filled balcony absorbing the morning sun, and looking out over the full vista of Lake Como. It’s a tough life!
Sara’s parents joined us a short time later as we discussed the plans for today. We decided to take the 10:30am ferry down the Lake to Bellagio, look around this beautiful lakeside town, and come back on the 2:30pm ferry to Gravedona.
However this is Italy, and often not all is what it seems. When we got to the ferry jetty we discovered that the 10:30am ferry had been suddenly cancelled for that day. Fortunately there was a 10am ferry which was about to leave and we managed to jump on board just before it departed. It was just as well we had left home a few mins early. The 1:30 hours ferry trip stopping at all stations to Bellagio was very relaxing. The weather was warm and sunny, even a bit hot hot as we sat in the sun, and a sliding cascade of beautiful scenery passed by for us to gaze upon and enjoy. Lake Como is a very picturesque area!
On arrival into Bellagio there were masses of people everywhere as it is still the school holidays here. It was impossible to get a table for coffee or lunch and we were told at several places that there are no reservations and instead we must queue up in the hot sun for 30-45 mins to get a table.
This did not seem like a good plan, so we thought we would use up a bit of time to confirm that the ferry back was operating ok.
However this is Italy, and sure enough we found this ferry had just been cancelled with some mutterings in Italian from the ferry staff that it had just broken down. But not to worry they told us, because the next ferry leaves 3 hours later at 5:30pm!! So it was clear that we were destined to have more than enough time for a good look around Bellagio.
It was still impossible to get a table for lunch so we started looking at the shops that seem to make up most of Bellagio. Carolina was fascinated, Peter less so. Very narrow but pretty cobblestone streets and very steep climbs and descents were the order of the day. Up and down with lots of people around. Bellagio is a very scenic town.
Along the way we got thirsty and stopped to buy a large bottle of water at a small store. The shop girl told us it was €2.50 so we gave her a €10 note. The response was “we don’t take change”. OK we replied and prepared to pay by card. The reply was “We only accept cards for €5 minimum”. So we replied “You will not accept cash or card, so how can we buy this bottle of water?” The reply - “Buy 2 bottles of water”. The staff there were rude, very unhelpful, and seemed to have no interest in looking after a customer. Carolina was horrified and livid!!
We finally trudged out of the shop with Peter carrying 2 large bottles of water in his backpack with Carolina remonstrating about the lack of customer service of some Italian shop staff.
At that point we got to a cafe that had some tables available. So we asked the waiter if we could sit at one of them. His answer was “No, they are not my tables”. So we asked whose tables they were and he shrugged and pointed to another waiter. It seems each waiter looks after his set of tables and is not interested in any customers that need to sit at some other tables in the same restaurant! Again Carolina was livid about the Italian customer service or lack thereof.
So we finally spoke to the right waiter for one of the vacant tables and managed to get some lunch.
Later in the day after trudging up and down hills visiting lots more shops while we bided the time until the late ferry departed, we treated ourselves to large amaretto gelato!! That made us feel much better!
The ferry trip back to Gravedona was again spectacular. The sun was beginning to set and the water, mountains, and clouds all painted beautiful pictures for us to end the day.
And then it all changed! A storm suddenly hit with lightning, winds over 50kts, large waves, and heavy rain. The wind caused the ferry to be jammed against the jetty at one of the stops and had a lot of trouble leaving. After that the ferry stopped in the middle of the lake and waited for about 20 mins for the weather to pass through before continuing. So the day ended on an adventurous note.Read more