Will the donkeys ever be fed?
Trip Start
Mar 11, 2010
1
6
9
Trip End
Dec 27, 2010
Como, Lombardy, Italy
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Yesterday afternoon I took a bus into Como. Across the lake I saw a magnificent villa so decided to take a stroll around to it. Once at the villa, I looked at it, took a picture, and realised I was a bit hungry. So I decided to keep walking until I found someplace to eat.
So I walked.
and walked..
and walked..
and ended up in Cernobbio.
After a croissant filled with cream and an espresso I had regained enough energy to have a look around downtown Cernobbio. I saw a sign that said 'Villa Gardens', so I followed it. And walked..
and walked..
and walked..
and ended up near the top of the mountain. But not alone. This seems typical of my walks around Como. I must look really lost or something, because people stop to talk to me and tell me where I should go for the best view, and of course they offer to accompany me. Being Australian is apparently very interesting!
This is what I love about Italy. So I'm walking up this path going up the mountain, taking photos of all the old buildings and the view over the lake, and I am overtaken by a gentleman, let's guess he's around 50 years old.
I keep taking my time walking up the path. Later, I notice an older lady, let's guess around 60 years old, talking with a different gentleman as he returns inside his home, before rushing off up the path.
I continue walking and eventually I overtake the first man and the lady having a chat, it looks like he ran out of breath and she has stopped to find out who he is and what he is doing.
So I pass them by, but the lady rushes from the man and chats to me and asks what I am doing and where I am from. She tells me that she is in a rush as she needs to feed three donkeys who will be very happy once they are fed. So she leaves me to take some photos and rushes up ahead.
Now the first gentleman again catches up to me, and asks me what am I doing and where am I from. He says that he knows the best panoramic view of the lake on this side of Cernobbio, and if I want, he is going that way and can accompany me. This suits me as I get to practise my Italian a bit, so we walk a little way and chat a bit.
Further up the path, we again come across the lady. She is chatting to a couple standing outside their home which is on this path up the mountain. So we stop to chat, of course, and the lady is very curious to see what colour eyes I have so I have to take off my sunglasses to show her. When I do this, the man says 'why didn't you show me your eyes when I asked?'.. and honestly I didn't even realised he had asked.. I still don't understand everything that is said to me in Italian!
We discuss where I should go to get the best view of the lake. The lady says she has to rush as she need to feed the donkeys, and though I was curious to go with her, I think she didn't want to be held up. So from here I continued alone, to find the panoramic view and begin my descent back down the mountain..
Comments
Sounds lovely. Gorgeous pics. I would have LOVED to see the donkeys lol!
Sounds like you are having a great time and loving being there. M.xxx