Lago di Como at Christmas

You already know I love Christmas markets so when the opportunity to go with my family and visit the market on Lake Como, I jumped - especially high on the day after Christmas! We made it to Como right before lunch and enjoyed our meal in a lovely restaurant overlooking the lake. Ate some yummy seafood and fresh pasta but I kept in mind a warning I'd heard before: don't eat seafood from the lake! Apparently, lake pollution is quite high.


With some vino, pasta, and pizza in our bellies, we walked along the lake until we got to Como's main lakeside piazza. The miniature ice-skating rink was one was to stay warm during the cold day but after observing the participants (including the cute kids pushing around penguins), we elected to walk around and check out the merchandise at the mercato. No big surprises, lots of local foods like salami, cheese, and honey. I bought a pot of honey to add to my collection at home. The warm chestnuts were out in full force, helping out those who forgot their gloves.

We made our way out of the market and into the centro storico. When we came to the Duomo, I was pleasantly surprised to see it open! I've so far had the unfortunate luck of not being able to see the inside but had a chance to admire with my parents, sister, and husband this time around. The stained glass windows were remarkable and sculpture/decor evoked the Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance influences that prevailed during the building years.


So when it's Boxing Day and you're walking around outside, getting freezing cold, what do you do to warm up? Chestnuts are a good band-aid but only a nice glass of Glühwein (mulled wine) will beat the cold.

Bellagio: Pearl of the Lake

Despite basically living in Como for several weeks last summer, we never got the chance to visit Bellagio. So when our friends from London came to town we picked them up at the airport and headed straight for Lake Como to soak up some sun.

We took in the scenery from the "fast" ferry en route to Bellagio. The villas and towns scattered along the lake were beautiful but sadly, no Clooney sightings.


Once in Bellagio, we had a leisurely lunch and then strolled around town. At the San Giacomo church, the art works dates from various periods between the 15th and 17th centuries. Since it's still summer, we didn't quite catch the sunset on our hydrofoil return but the changing light off the water made for a sight unto itself.

Lake Como

After seventeen stress-filled days, I am finally back at home.

I know what you must be thinking: poor baby, stuck in a lakeside hotel for two and a half weeks. However, just keep in mind that, sometimes, there's just no place like home. Anyhow, I was up there for work, supporting a high-level visit to the area. My work was really interesting but also entirely new to me. I was doing the bulk of the logistical coordination and it was tough! As many of you know, I've only been here in Milan and doing any kind of logistical work for two months. It was definitely a challenge but I really enjoyed it and had a great time collaborating with my new colleagues.

The tough part? Being away from home for so long! I was so lucky that Mark was able to make it up for one overnight and a couple different day trips. Since I was working every day, my schedule was tight but we managed to eat some good food and see some pretty sights. So now, pictures!

The awesome Turkish 'donor kebab' place where I went when I was sick to death of pasta (yes, it happens):


The view from Como Brunate - the town on top of the funicular, looking down on Como proper:


And Como-Brunate's 'old town':




So yeah, not many pictures but hey - I was working pretty hard. I've got another big couple of weeks on the horizon but we're planning on travels for October. None of them will be to Como.




Number of times I've been to Lake Como and not seen George Clooney: 19 (all days included)

Lake Como, ancora*

Sorry for the lack of postings. We've just been buried lately at work AND at home. At home, it's the best kind of burial - within boxes of our long-awaited household effects! Truly, we haven't waited nearly as long as we had to in Lagos so the arrival was a pleasant outcome. So we have tons of *stuff* all over the place but it's nice to see our own furniture, pictures, carpet, etc. Milano is starting to feel like home.

The above picture is of Lago di Como (aka Lake Como) where I spent the better part of my weekend working. It's not all glitter and gold, I was working some long days, but I certainly can't complain about the scenery. I overnighted on Friday in Como (Mark stayed home to go through our newly arrived stuff) and ended up eating a delicious dinner with a colleague at the hotel that a group of us were staying in. Freshly made pasta with seasonally ripe eggplant and melted mozzarella + washing it down with some white wine in the garden of the hotel = perfection. Best coincidence of the night? Finding out that my colleague/dining companion's daughter goes to UVA! We talked about Virginia for awhile and, since this colleague is based in Rome, I'm looking forward to meeting her daughter when Mark and I head down there (hopefully next month).

So I only took this one photo (like I said, I was working) but I managed to keep my eyes open for a Clooney sighting. Sadly, this was not the trip. As we're drawing to the end of summer, I may just have to cut my losses and hope to catch a glimpse of Il Clooney sometime next year.

Number of times I've been to Lake Como and NOT seen George Clooney: 2

*ancora = "again" in Italian

Cernobbio, Lake Como

Hm, this looked a lot nicer in person than it appears from my lousy camera phone (note to self, upgrade phone). In any event, went to Como for work but don't be too jealous - sitting in a car for a couple hours with a slipped disk is no fun. Luckily, Como was beautiful to make up for it.

And now for a new countdown:

Number of times I've been to Lake Como and NOT seen George Clooney: 1