Varenna, Lombardy, Italy
Saturday, June 9, 2007
We left early again so eager as we were to get to Lake Como for our first time. After a harrowing drive around the lake, we arrived in the town of Varenna on the eastern shore, recommended by Rick Steves and in retrospect a great choice. There are many towns around the lake with hotels like Bellagio, Menaggio, and the town of Como, but Varenna is the most lovely, small, less touristy, with beautiful lakeside hotels. We chose Villa Ciprressi, which also is one of the public villas with stunning gardens. Our room was right on the lake, no balcony, but amazing views in every direction. The gardens of the hotel are magnificent, and it was great to just stroll around sitting and strolling everywhere. Parking incidentally was just south of the hotel on the street which enters the town, pretty easy. We went into the town itself, as the hotel was just barely at the edge. Varenna is a really charming and beautiful town with colorful buildings, cafes along the lake, a wonderful walkway which takes you from where the cafes are to the dock where the ferries are. We had lunch at the hotel restaurant which was on a patio overlooking the lake. Then into town which has little in the way of famous sights, but an utter delight to stroll about. Dinner was back at the hotel on the patio. Our oom room was on the 3rd floor and there was a computer for gust use on a middle level. The hotel itself does have extensive lobby areas, but it didn't matter.
