Varenna
Meeting the Group
​DAY 1
At 5:00 p.m., our tour officially started! We gathered in the lobby of the Villa Cipressi Hotel and met our guide, Stacy Gibboni, and the other members of our group. As promised, our tour group was small with only 24 members but from the very beginning, we were all very high energy together. Stacy had to keep reminding us to use our “inside voices,” but we often found it difficult to contain our excitement.
We all took a short walk to Hotel Du Lac, where we were welcomed with a reception of delicious appetizers and wine. After everyone introduced themselves, Stacy reviewed the procedures and protocols for the tour and had us each choose a buddy for the remainder of the trip. Each day, instead of calling names she would say, “Buddy Check!” and we could quickly confirm that everyone was present and accounted for. She also explained that there would be a daily schedule posted every evening in the lobby of each hotel for the following day. The most important items on the schedule were the morning breakfast and meeting times.
Following the reception, Stacy led us on an orientation walk of Varenna, ending at the ferry terminal where she handed out our ferry passes. These passes were to be used the following day when we would explore the different towns along the coast of Lake Como. After our walk, we were free to make our own dinner plans but many of us ended up in a small family-owned restaurant. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity for us to get to know each other better.
Following the advice of Rick Steves, I washed some clothes by hand that night. Using the Rick Steves’ laundry soap, I quickly washed a few items and used the microfiber towels to wring out excess water to hasten the drying process. My plan was to wash clothes every other night, always on the first night in each hotel. This way, there would be enough time for the clothes to dry before we moved on to the next city. I stayed on this plan and it worked beautifully for the entire trip.
DAY 2
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It was interesting how quickly we all bonded as a group. We had only met the night before, and yet as we set out the next day, we already felt like family. Stacy had given us our ferry passes the night before and general suggestions for how to spend our day visiting the various lake towns on our own. Shortly after getting on the ferry, however, we ran into other members from our group. There was such a strong sense of belonging already, that we automatically joined up with the other members and spent the day exploring together.
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Tremezzo
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Next, we took the ferry to Tremezzo where we toured Villa Carlotta, a gorgeous palace that is more like a famous museum. The main attraction of Villa Carlotta was the exquisite botanical gardens. The Bamboo Garden, with a wide variety of different species of bamboo placed between small waterfalls, streams, and stone sculptures and The Valley of the Ferns, where you can find large ferns and palms on the banks of the stream made a lasting impression. As we walked through each carefully manicured garden, the beauty made us completely forget the brisk, wet weather and we felt like we had been transported back in time.
Back in Varenna
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When we returned to Varenna, it started to pour, so we decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, La Contrada. The restaurant was cozy and romantic and the food was incredible. It definitely felt like our own celebratory anniversary dinner.
First, our waiter brought us each a glass of prosecco followed by a small tasty serving of carpaccio. After that, we continued with a fresh mixed green salad. Both of our main courses were delicious - Ignacio ordered pork medallions served with potatoes and sautéed vegetables, and I had sea bass on a bed of potatoes with tomatoes, olives and basil on top, cooked in a white wine sauce. The sea bass was moist and the tomatoes, olives and basil gave it a special Mediterranean flavor.
The highlight of the meal for me was the dessert. Since I was craving something chocolate, I requested chocolate gelato. The waiter replied, “I’m sorry, Madame, but we have run out.” I then asked if he had anything else with chocolate and he said no. A few minutes later, however, he returned with a smile on his face and told me that they did have a dessert that was served in a chocolate cup. He described a light pistachio mousse in a chocolate cup with a cherry sauce on top. Since I could already feel my mouth watering, I couldn’t help but agree to order it.
Lenno
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Following Stacy’s advice, we started our day in Lenno, the town farthest from Varenna, and then planned to work our way back. The main attraction in Lenno is the Villa del Balbianello, which dates back to the eighteenth century and has beautifully landscaped gardens. We took a tour of the interior of the villa and were fascinated by the story of the Villa’s most recent owner, Guido Monzino, a wealthy businessman who had bought and restored the villa. He dedicated a portion of the property to displaying his vast collection of art work and souvenirs from his famous expeditions to the North Pole and Mount Everest. The house remains a shrine to Monzino, and has been maintained with everything in the place as if he still lived there.
I was thrilled to have taken his suggestion because it was fabulous. As I began to dig in, I was amazed by how the pistachio mousse just melted in my mouth. Wanting it to last as long as possible, I ate it slowly, one small teaspoonful at a time, savoring the flavors of pistachio, dark chocolate and the tart cherry sauce. We capped off our incredible meal with two small glasses of limoncello. It was the perfect way to end such a memorable evening.