Postcard from Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como, Italy

Arrived in: The town of Varenna on Lake Como via a 2-hour drive from Cortona to Florence, a 1.5-speed train ride from Florence to Milan, and a 1.5-hour regional train ride from Milan. 

My first impression is: The intermingling of the mountains and water put my soul at ease. We've loved touring the cities and filling our brains with history and art, but being back in nature feels like home. 

I'm most excited about: exploring the region by boat and foot. They have a ferry taxi service that will take you from one small town to another and a plethora of hikes to choose from. 

I'm surprised that: We haven't found any beaches (but we've seen a lot of swimming pools)? Maybe that explains why we haven't seen many people swimming in the lake? 

I learned:

• Lake Como is the third largest lake after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore.
• It is 1300 feet deep making it one of the deepest in Europe. 
• In ancient Roman architecture a villa was originally a country house built for the élite. And there are plenty of them still around on the lake. 

The best thing is that:

• Our AirBNB host couldn't greet us so his mother came and picked us up from the train station and showed us around town. It was fun piecing together sentences since we spoke different languages. It's amazing the information hand gestures and body language can relay. 
• We have a beautiful view of the lake from our apartment and a market down the street so we can cook our meals. 
• The weather has been perfect hovering around 80 degrees. After a really long winter in the Northwest, I almost forgot how much sunshine and warmth positively affect my me.