It’s not hard to see why the lakes are so popular, even on a damp grey morning , the view across the water is just lovely. I’m sorry we have not seen it in better weather but I’m still very happy we came.
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| Heading out on the lake ferry. |
We had a lazy start to the morning with a bit of a sleep in and a leisurely breakfast but on checking the lake ferry schedule we made a dash to catch the ferry to Bellagio at 10.10 am. Today is the first day of the new off-season ferry timetable and there are considerably fewer ferries running than in the summer season. We were pounced on by a group of Germans at the ferry that seemed to be convinced that we were part of their party and wanted us to buy a ticket with them, but we eventually managed to make them realize that we weren’t on the tour, and they left us alone after that!
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| Villa Carlotta |
The sky was drizzly when we set out and I used my umbrella as we strolled along the waterfront at Bellagio. The tops of the mountains have been shrouded in low cloud all day and the water is a steely grey colour but there had been no wind and the many flower beds still add a pretty splash of colour against the pastel hotels and shops.
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| Bellagio |
The plushy hotels and shops run along the water, but there are a succession of pretty, narrow, cobbled stairways that rise steeply up from the Main Street to the smaller shops and cafes up the hill. We popped into the tiny town church which is very gloomy except for a spectacular gold altarpiece and then walked right to the very tip of Bellagio to a little park with spectacular views both up and down the lake.
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| Climbing the stairs.. |
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| Lots of cafes and excy shops! |
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| Lunch spot in Varenna |
A coffee in one of the shoreline cafes kept us happy until the next ferry arrived that would take us right across to the east side of the lake to the tiny fishing village of Varenna. We found a little cafe with a view across the water and ate a simple, warming lunch of pasta and bread. Our final ferry trip of the day I took a photo of our lunch spot (in the photo at left) before we arrived back in quiet little Lenno and a stroll along the lakefront. The photo below looks back at our hotel.
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| Our hotel – Albergo Lenno – across the small bay |
The skies are still grey but the rain has stopped so we sat outside for another drink this evening to admire the view again,before heading down to dinner. We watched one of the ferry stop attendants entertaining his young son between ferry arrivals, skipping stones across the lake and taking him for rides on a bicycle down the boulevard along the water. Everything is very laid back and casual here in Lenno..
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| Prosecco, nibbles and a fine view |
