Posted by guest blogger Denis
Departure time is in less than 12 hours, and I will be leaving the idyllic setting of Villa Wally (aka la Wally) overlooking the small picturesque village of Bellano on the northern shores of Lake Como. To say the least, the 10 plus days I have been here have been thoroughly enjoyable.
Visiting writers to this Blog have already spoken about the charm and beauty of the Villa and its surroundings, and I can certainly second their views. It took me only a few minutes to feel the magical effect of the place. While standing on the balcony over looking the lake and its shores, I very quickly became calm and relaxed, and that feeling has stayed with me the whole visit.
Some other highlights:
Let's start with the food. No one does Italian food better than the Italians. The anti-pastas, the pastas, the salads, the main courses, and the gelatos have been outstanding. I am treating Joan and Gene to a final meal at a local restaurant where I know they speak German. That should really help in ordering. Not to worry though, we ate there once and it was great. A number of times we ate at the Villa and enjoyed tasty Italian dishes prepared by Joan. I have never had a poor meal prepared by Joan. In fact, I have even learned some cooking tips that I plan to employ when I venture back into the kitchen. Finally, we ate a few meals in Switzerland during our visits to St. Moritz and Zermatt. Sorry, Swiss cooking in no way measures up to Italian.
So, after pushing myself away from the table, I managed several sight seeing ventures with Joan and Gene and with Tiarra and Kelli while they were visiting. The boat rides to Menaggio, Bellagio, and Como were most enjoyable. Again, food was at the top followed by shopping. I am hardly one to spend a lot of time shopping; but I did enjoy browsing through the pottery and silk shops. Heck, I even picked out a few items (with some help) as gifts for family and friends back home.
And then there were the simple walks around Bellano and through the town. Even the treks back up the hills weren't all that bad as long as no one was racing. There was only one exception and that was the walk that Gene and I took into Dervio, a town three miles north. The walk into town wasn't too bad as it was mostly downhill. However, as the downhill steps became more pronounced, I started to think more and more about the return trip. I quickly concluded: in no way am I going to walk back up the trail. While in Dervio, Gene and I were studying the train schedule to see if it went back to Bellano. Even with the help of a young man who was waiting for a train, we were not sure what we were doing. Finally, Gene said: let me call Joan and ask her to come and pick us up. She graciously did (thank God). While we were waiting for Joan, we sat and enjoyed a coffee. At the same time at a nearby table, four men were playing hearts, and six or seven others were watching. Without a doubt they played just like Americans – hollering if they got stuck with the queen, challenging their neighbor if they led with the wrong card, and reliving every hand "if only he did this or he did that." Gene and I could only laugh and smile.
Let's not forget Switzerland either. Twice I ventured there with Gene and Joan - a day trip to St. Moritz and an overnight to Zermatt. Switzerland is a beautiful country. The Alps are magnificent. I marveled at the engineering feats of the highway construction. The Swiss, as well as the Italians, know how to design and build attractive tunnels and bridges. Now, I can't say the same about the weather. Both times it was terrible – rain, wind, and even snow. However, this did not cause us concern since we knew that both places are destinations for the beautiful people. We fit right in.
Now all that I need to do is pack up and say good-by. I certainly have enough to pack since I will be bringing a great deal back with me thanks to United Airlines. The "lost and then found" luggage saga is a story for another time.
Arrivederci
Grazie Joan and Gene!
(photos to follow at a later date)
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