Journeys Viaggio

Bellagio from the ferry.

Lake Como is in the region of Lombardy and is part of the northern Italian Lakes District. It lies between Milan and the border of Switzerland with its southern tip about 40km north of Milan.  Lake Como, Lago di Como in Italian, is Italy’s most popular lake and also its deepest. The lake is surrounded by mountains and hills and dotted with beautiful villas and resort villages. There are good hiking paths, boat trips and water activities. Popular since Roman times, Lake Como is a top romantic travel destination.  It is also a popular weekend destination for people for the Milanese.  My favorite times to visit are May or  October as it is less crowded and the weather is generally very pleasant.

The walled town of Como has a good historic center and lively squares with nice cafes. There are several walking paths near town and along the lakeshore. A broad range of good dining options exist…to accommodate all tastes and pocketbooks.  Como makes a good base and particularly if you’re traveling by train. Ferries link the major villages and towns of Lake Como, providing both a good form of public transportation and a good way to do some sightseeing from the lake.  Bellagio, known as the pearl of the lake, is in a beautiful setting where the three branches of Lake Como come together.  I love jumping on one of the ferries across the street from my favorite Como hotel in the morning and getting off and on as the I choose…no plan required.

Want a big city fix for the day….jump on the train to Milan and shop til you drop or soak up the atmosphere in the Scala and Galleria and lunch while enjoying fabulous views of the Duomo.

Brogino is a large country house in Chianti, its already lyrical setting enhanced by the spectacular medieval Abbey – Badia di Passignano – which faces it from a mile away across vine and olive clothed hills. The garden, with flowers and shrubs nestling amongst the rocks and sandy soil of the area, merges imperceptibly into the olive groves beyond.  Brogino is one of my favorites….it has a wonderful kitchen that allows mulitple people to work together comfortably while sipping a little pre-dinner vino.  The covered terrace in back offers a very picturesque al fresco dining area, as an alternate to the large indoor dining table.  The swim pool is landscaped into the olive grove and offers full privacy.  Brogino is a peaceful retreat to relax and enjoy the heady pleasures of Chianti after exploring the unending delights of Tuscany.

Contact me if you wish to reserve a week at Brogino or another one of our fabulous villas in Italy.  Colleen@invitationtotuscany.com     or   call me tollfree at 1.866.297.1058

August 15th, Assumption Day, or Ferragosto,  traditionally marks the start of Italy’s summer vacation period, so if you’re in a city during the second half of August, you may find a number of restaurants and shops closed for family vacation, chiuso per ferie. Many families head to the coast so one can expect the beaches to be crowded while the cities may be fairly empty.  Siena runs their second Palio in the central square today, August 16th.  And Sassari in Sardinia holds the Festa dei Candelieri that dates back to the 16th century also on the 16th of August with team races carrying massive candles.

I have always felt that being left behind in Florence in the later half of August was rather a vacation in itself, as the city feels more relaxed, with half of it’s inhabitants away on holiday!

Photo courtesy of goitaly.about.com

see…’Becoming Italian Word by Word’ Blog post also for more on Ferragosto.

http://becomingitalianwordbyword.typepad.com/becomingitalian/2012/08/ferragosto.html

A nation-wide strike has been confirmed at all petrol stations in Italy  including the self-service pumps and those on the autostrada.

While there  will be normal service on Friday, the strike is supposed to last from midnight
Friday, 3 August to midnight on Sunday, 5 August. Being protested is  what the unions say is the Italian government’s failure to protect petroleum businesses from unemployment and high taxes.

Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia is now open on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 10pm, from July and through September.  On Tuesdays you pay the regular entrance fee but there are free guided tours starting at 7:00pm and 8:30pm. On Thursdays, entrance is free from 7pm to 10pm.

The Galleria dell’Accademia has invited into its galleries artworks by 32 eminent modern and contemporary figures, from Francis Bacon to Andy Warhol. Thousands visit the museum daily to see Michelangelo’s David and these new interventions are intended as reminders that today’s paintings, sculpture and artists’ films emerge from similar practical and aesthetic circumstances that produced the masterworks of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Whereas the individual status of the artist and demands of patronage have changed, the urgent need to express tangibly the mystery and sensation of existence crosses centuries.