From Basel, we took three trains south to land in Como, Italy. The journey was truly amazing - I was not prepared to see such incredible views of Switzerland from our train window. We snapped this pic at the transfer between our 2nd and 3rd leg in Lugano. On our first night out, we leaned into the touristy Italian pizza and wine combo and were very much pleased with our decision. Although I am still surprised how easily we were able to scarf down the entire pies! We settled into our Airbnb after an extensive tour by our host, and I was BEYOND excited to find bathrobes. If you don’t know, I am an absolute bathrobe fiend, and it was probably one of the amenities I missed most about being away from home. Isaac is new to the bathrobe world so we made sure to have a proper photo shoot to document the occasion. Como was the first city we really felt we had easy access to nature, and we opted to hit the hill (more like mountains) to hike to the town of Brunate. We got incredible views along the way and enjoyed a dash of sunshine. View from the top! A view of the downtown of Como, situated right on the lake. Our airbnb was a bit east, about a 10 min walk from the lake. There are also ferries that take you to various other cities along the lake. The hike helped us work up an appetite, so we took a lunch break at Trattoria del Bracconieri. Delicious food with a side of insane views! The view from our table! This was probably the most insane dining view we had our entire trip. People had absolutely no chill and stood right next to our table to take pictures - it felt that we had our own crew of paparazzi. We spent about a week in Como and it was so nice to have a break from the city. We spent many afternoons walking by the lake and taking in all the panoramic views. Big fountain. Isaac for scale. I call this one "Isaac in soft light". 2023. Como, Italy. Morning views! One of our favorite parts about Como was the patio of our Airbnb - simply the best for sunny mornings with the views of the Italian hills in the distance. We spent a good chunk of time in the mornings basking in the sun, drinking coffee, and taking in the scenery. A MUST GET here in Como - a sandwich (?) from Tigella Bella. Lots of salty meat and unique add-ons, making it an absolute treat. This came at a crucial time, just after we had found out our ferry was sold out and hunger was festering in my soul. The view from our ferry! We headed over to the famous Villa del Balbianello (featured in scenes from James Bond and Star Wars) for an afternoon tour. After missing the first ferry, we got lucky and made the second ferry as well as our tour (I keep reminding Isaac that it's the "lucky girl syndrome")!! A handsome view of Villa del Balbianello (plus Isaac). The gardens were breathtaking - probably the most beautiful estate I've visited, perched right on the western side of serene Lake Como. Not only did we get a beautiful sunny day, but we also caught the leaves changing color. I don't know if I will ever be in a more picture perfect place again. Hard to caption these pictures - absolutely breathtaking views around the entire property. The mountain view was absolutely insane! Reminded us of the views from back home. Included in our ticket to the Villa was a tour. The guide was great and we got to tour the mansion, which belonged to Guido Monzino: entrepreneur, collector and traveler. He chose it to preserve the memories of his adventures, and is collection includes maps, travel tools, books, furniture items, as well as ancient and primitive art objects. He left the estate to the FAI, the National Trust for Italy, which is a non-profit foundation which works to protect Italy's cultural, artistic, and natural heritage. Of course we didn't pass up gelato every once in a while (read: every couple of days). This gelateria was actually in the tv show we were watching at the time, where one of the characters goes to Lake Como to hide out. Obviously it was fate that we go and check it out for ourselves. On our last day in Como, we went for one last hike along the lake and up the mountains. Not pictured, the scary dog barking at us and getting lost at the top. Definitely going out with a bang.
