Our hotel in Lake Como was situated right on the square overlooking the southern tip of this gorgeous lake.

The weather was cool and windy making a lake tour uninviting. One couple traveling with us decided to take the tour anyway. But they didn’t realize they had purchased a one-way ticket on the fast boat to Bellagio.

When they arrived they discovered there were no return trip tickets available on the fast boat (about a 45 minute trip). The long boat would take 2.5 hours stopping at every town along the way. We checked to see how long it would take to return by bus, but that wasn’t a much better option.

They decided to take the long boat, but there were no seats inside. They had to sit on the top deck, exposed to the wind and splashing waves; a miserable experience. However, the photos from Bellagio were gorgeous. All in all they were glad they went.

We spent our first day in Como taking the Funiculare up to the ancient town of Brunate. This is an old cable car that climbs 1600’ above Lake Como and provides breathtaking views. We did a little shopping and had a fantastic lunch with unbelievable views. We kept saying that we couldn’t believe we were here!

The next day Tom and I ventured off on our own. That’s the fun of traveling with friends who have known each other for 40+ years, you can be together when you want and go off alone when needed. It was time for us to have time to explore alone.

We walked along the shore of Lake Como and happened upon a beautiful monument in honor of Alessandro Volta, a professor in science who invented the electric battery.

The lake shore was beautiful as were the tree lined streets.

We happened upon a concert in the square outside our hotel. It was nice to relax and take life in Como.

When we travel we enjoy visiting the local grocer to see what kind of food they offer. This was a little market hidden in the back and hard to see. When we entered we were surprised at how big it was.

But I’ve saved the best for last. On our last day in Como, Tom commented that we had yet to have a cannoli. I did a search on Yelp and found a Sicilian Bakery a short walk away. We are so glad we did. Neither of us realized that cannolis originated in Sicily, which is where Tom’s mother’s family is from. This bakery felt like home!

What a great day date we shared together on the beautiful shores of Lake Como.

Next stop is Lucerne, Switzerland.