Leaving Lake Como

We took this as we were leaving our hotel in Varenna. Just another beautiful day, with a beautiful view.


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Varenna

Those who have been to our house may recognize the painting in the second picture. We bought it years ago because we liked it and it reminded us of a trip we had taken to Halstatt Austria. We knew it was of the Lake Como region, but didn't know where in Lake Como he had done it.

As we drove around Lake Como, and when we arrived in Varenna, we looked for locations that might resemble our painting, with no success. On our ferry trip back from Bellagio to Varenna I took the pictures of Varenna you see below. (note to photographers, don't leave the ISO setting at 1600 from the night before).

In the third picture you see Varenna, where we stayed at Lake Como, looking just like the painting. The reason we couldn't find the location of the painting is that we were standing on it. Two things jump out at me: 1) don't leave your ISO setting at 1600, and 2) the painter took some license with his interpretation of Varenna.

In the fourth picture the arrow points out where we stayed up on the hill.

Varenna from the ferry

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Our painting

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Just like the painting

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Our hotel on the hill

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Villa Monastero

These pictures are of Varenna from Villa Monastero. We had a pleasant morning stroll through the grounds of the villa.


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The streets of Bellagio

It was fun to wander the streets of Bellagio. We ate at a great restaurant, shopped in some great shops, and enjoyed the ambiance. Three pictures to remember it by...

Carol seems to be sleep-walking.

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A cool Euro-bike.

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Just another alley.

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Villa Melzi - Bellagio

Here are five pictures of Villa Melzi in Bellagio.

From Wikipedia

The Villa Melzi, at Bellagio was built in the neo-classical style by the architect Giocondo Albertolli in 1808–10 as the summer residence of Francesco Melzi who had been vice-president of the Napoleonic Italian Republic. The park includes an orangery, a chapel, statues and a Japanese garden, and is planted, as often on lake Como, with huge rhododendrons. Nineteenth-century guests at the Villa included Stendhal and Franz Liszt.

My garden flower...

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In front of the empty tomb?

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I know the olive trees look unnatural against the sky. That's not Photoshop, that's just how it was.

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Garden path.

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Lake through the pines.

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Ron (with a tiny Carol over his shoulder)

Just wandering the streets of Varenna along Lake Como

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Varenna from the hotel gardens

Instead of taking the funiculars from our room, we could take a path down the hill to Varenna. Here is a look at Varenna from the garden.

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