Even though I had never traveled to Lake Como, I (for some reason) thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect: nice scenery, luxury villas, ritzy towns, and George Clooney. While I didn’t see George (enormous yet unsurprising disappointment), I was excited to see that the area’s beauty far surpassed my expectations and it was much more affordable and approachable than I had anticipated! Lake Como was jam packed with quaint towns and postcard pretty views.
After departing the wedding extravaganza in Portofino, we boarded a few trains and a bus with friends Emily and Jeff to reach the Lake Como region. There are so many towns in the region it can almost be overwhelming to choose where to stay. Luckily, with the efficient ferry system and easy buses (or short drives if you have a car), I really don’t think it matters where you stay. We wanted a less touristy and more local feel so the four of us rented an apartment (with such a fabulous water view that we did not mind the steep ascent on foot) in the tiny town of Argegno.
The nice thing about staying in a smallish town is that, within even a short stay, you can feel like you are a part of the community. Emily and Mike are both very into their Italian heritage so they were beyond pleased to live like Italians. Jeff and I really enjoyed watching our “Italiomanics” speak broken Italian, dissect the Como ferry schedule, and delight when they were mistaken as locals.
Argegno itself consisted on one main square with a handful of restaurants, bars, cafes, and gelato shops. From this main square, you could walk up to the nearby homes, catch a bus or ferry to another town, or shop the weekly market. We frequented Cafe Colombo, one of the few cafes in the tiny town square. Colombo served as the place in Argegno where we found a taxi driver, had our morning coffee, checked Internet, and indulged in apps (which were FREE with any drink order…yum!) and cocktails. It got to the point where our daily rendezvous became somewhat of a joke and reminded us of a place where the Italian mob would do business….“meet at the Cafe Colombo…”
When we weren’t frequenting Cafe Colombo or spending time in Argegno, we spent our days ferrying from town to town and our nights drinking wine and eating pasta…what could be better!? Some towns, like Bellagio, are more famous and known for shopping and restaurants. Others, like Tremezzo, are popular ferry stops because they house a well known villa (in this case, Villa Carlotta). Whatever your destination, half the fun is ferrying around the lake and enjoying views of towering green mountains and old beautiful architecture.
One evening over carbs, encased meat of some sort, and wine, Emily and I were discussing our different travel philosophies. Em made the comment that for her, “travel is all about what you do between beverages….What should you do after your morning cappuccino but before your early afternoon beer?” For me, this is what Italy is really about. Once you get past the historic sites in the major cities, Italy becomes about the food, the ambience, and the people. Lake Como is a great place in Northern Italy to enjoy the country at its finest (although -TRUE CONFESSION – I am starting to buy into the rumor that Italian food gets better the more south you go…).
My experience in the Como region was made even better by staying in a small local town and sharing the adventure with a few of my favorite people….two of which genuinely believe that they sweat olive oil and bleed marinara sauce. Como is an area I could re-visit many times and still enjoy it just as much as the first.
great times!
Amazing lunchtime reading here in singers! Wish I could go back right now!! -itialiomaniac número due
Kat, it made me so happy reading this! I lived in Brienno, and every day was like waking up in a secret lake paradise 🙂
Enjoy
You should remind your Italiomanic that he is half Irish 🙂 Malsy will never let him forget that!
Don’t worry…we both still love Ireland and everything that comes with it. It just depends if we are in the mood for a Guinness or a plate of pasta :).
Love that you had a little Italian rendezvous with Em! So gorgeous. Definitely on my travel short list so I am saving all these blogs for future reference. Thanks for doing the legwork! Keep up the carbs and gelato gorging! Hugs!