Albergo del Sole Varenna

... good for what you pay!! And awesome for a backpacker!!
Went for drinks at Frank's Bar which Patrick who owns the hotel recommended. Turned out to be a pretty trendy cocktail joint
where you pay for your drink at 1 place then get it at another. 10 Euro for a beverage no matter what you had so naturally I ordered a long island ice tea!!!

... out with anyone but the family. Luisa said she needed to know for sure when I was going home so they could find someone else, so that night I called the airline and set my flight for November 24th, so I could be home for Thanksgiving. We played Uno that night, and I won and Francesco screamed at me so loudly his pacifier dropped out of his mouth and I saw his tonsils. And she wonders why I sometimes distance myself from them? I ...

Ciao Bello,

We have finally hit a day of rain...so we thought we should stop off at the nearest internet site to say hello. We have visited a few of our neighboring communities in the last few days. Varenna, which claims to be the diamond of the lake, while Bellagio is only the pearl of the lake. No George Clooney sightings. Varenna is a cute and quiet town with steep hillsides and walkways. Bellagio is also ...

... the world as an explorer and mountain climber. Through his travels he had collected art from Africa, Asia, South America and other parts of Europe. The Villa was a museum dedicated to his travels and collections. Very interesting!
Tonight is our last in Lake Como. We had originally planned to stay the last night in ...

... churches, castles, bridges, and historic buildings.

San Salvatore is one of the mountains on Lake Lugano. You can ride to the top in a funnicular, or hike up the steep path. We went the lazy route and saved our energy for walking around on top. From the funnicular station you can walk up a bit further to a small chapel sitting on the peak of the mountain. The chapel has a rooftop terrace with a stunning 360 degree panorama view.
Lugano, Swiss Alps, Switzerland travelingdiva

... We loved going through the house with Marcella the guide. She was very knowledgable and funny. When we were finished and went to take the little boat back it was just arriving with a bride and groom to have pictures taken at the Villa. Jen took some pictures as well and than we took the little boat back. We had lunch waiting for the ferry but than we missed it so we ended up waiting an hour for the next ferry and we watched a guy fishing for awhile and than ...

... s one last chance for a ferry joyride on Lake Como as we sadly have to say goodbye to this special destination. But there is no dropoff as we take the train to Venice tomorrow morning. Another dreamy locale with a "I can't believe I'm here" feeling to it. We'll spend the next 4 nights in Venice so we'll really get to settle in and wander around to discover those special places and moments. All for now.

... 5 hour class was a feast for the senses. Chef Moreno showed showed us some simple recipes typical of the Lombardy region. The menu included: - Saffron risotto (Risotto alla Milanese) - Buckwheat tortelloni with a yellow pepper creme sauce - Buckwheat pizzocherie (buckwheat pasta, spinach, potatoes, and cheese) - Fresh pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil ...

... finally left Baruado, and my path through the mountains becomes a bit confusing, so instead of ending up "MILANO MALE MODEL MATT MISSING!", I thought it best to return to the main artery of traffic between Varenna and Fiumelatte. I visited Fiumelatte, a town neighboring Varenna. Here, the town's source of fresh water barrels down from the mountains, tears through this amazingly intricate ...

... this where the manufacturing works is the focal point of the town. But then this is not your normal, bog standard factory. Since the 1940’s it has been manufacturing Ferraris, and from the balcony of our room we could look directly across the street to the factory’s front gates, where we would be presenting ourselves at 9am the next morning to go inside for a tour.

Hoges and I set out on foot to spend the evening exploring the small town, and in only a ...