Hotel Residence Zust Verbania

Lake Como photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album. php?aid=163676&id=613699523&l=b 0c583d265

Friday caught the train out to Como for a day trip.
Wandering around Como is really nice and can imagine it would be awesome in Summer, as well as being incredibly busy and crowded.
Caught the funiculare up to Brunate and walked up the ...

... but it was nice to be able to relax and have a quiet walk around the villages. I needed to take a lot of ferries as this is the quickest way to get between each town as they are all placed at different points around the lake. A very nice place that I would love to visit again in the Summertime.

Next stop is Venice, Italy!

... all the places in America, he chooses Kansas. The sun is setting by the time we get to unnamed cute little town, and there is this weird mist in the low parts (it's very hilly there, so every valley had this mist). It was pretty magical looking. As soon as we pulled up to the house, which is tucked in amongst all these vineyards, Meghan and I run out to the backyard to see the sunset. As we pass the swimming pool (have I mentioned that the family is rich?) my ...

... br>
Sue

We transferred from the bus to a boat to do the tour of the Lake. They pointed out the particular houses of royalty and film stars - and how many millions their houses were worth. The views were spectacular, the houses really like castles, and they would have no trouble having privacy, that's for sure! Another wonderfully pleasant surprise! Some have their own cable-cars to get down to the water's edge. (Funicular)

From Dad
To Como

After Lucerne we then had a relatively short drive through the mountains to Como. We went through the longest tunnel in the world, and passed through some very pretty mountain scenery. We stopped near Bellinzona and had a longer rest at Lugarno. These towns are both in the Italian speaking area of Switzerland.

Lugarno was another attractive lakeside town ...

Took the train from Milan to Lake Como - short 1.5 hour trip. The lake is beautiful and there was a speed boat race going on when we arrived. We took the funicular (tram) which has a charming little town at the top and a great view of the lake. We stayed on the south side of the lake (where George lives) and then took a boat north to Bellagio. Quaint town with steep streets filled with great shops. Can understand why George bought a house there!

... people doing the grand tour of italy as it has an amazing art colletion. The villas main highlight though is its huge and beautiful gardens. i mean there are orange arbours, huge beds of flowers, waterfalls, a grotto, millions of ponds and fountains, a rhodedendron walk (sadly not in flower at the time), palm trees, immaculate lawns, a mini rainforest, bonzai trees. Seriously it was insane! it was given to Carlotta (and got its name) by her mother on her marriage ...

My friend had the fabulous idea of going to Lugano this weekend and I am not one to turn down great ideas. I still had my Canadian friend staying with me as well and he was ready to move on, but I convinced him to wait until he sees Lugano before he moves on to the next country on his list.

So we made a three-day weekend out of it and had a fabulous time. Lugano is so beautiful! The winding streets, steep hills, charming shopping ...

... wealthiest in the world own property or vacation, with private beach fronts here and there around the lake. A 2-story ferry took us around the Lake, the deepest in the world at over 1000 feet. The mansions and gardens and compounds around the Lake are owned and visited by the likes of Sophia Loren when she was living in Italy (now lives in the U.S.) and Marcello Mastroianni. Mussolini stayed here and the SS headquartered here during WWII ...

... Ferrari factory tour was incredible enough. But, remarkably, it had just got even better. The Brazilian Grand Prix, the last Formula One race of the season, was about to start. And we were in the spiritual heartland of the prancing horse to watch Michael Schumacher race for Ferrari for the very last time before retiring – with a chance at winning an eighth World Driver’s Championship and earning Ferrari the year’s Constructor’s Championship. Hoges and I ...