Glorious place, this. Embraced by snowcapped mountains, the villages that line the shores and creep up the mountainsides feel removed from the world. We spent the day out on a Riva-like boat with Anna Maria and Riccardo, skimming the shoreline, ducking in to a grand house, strolling through an azalia-rich garden, lunching on lemon ravioli at the water’s edge. The lake’s stories are rich in historical reference, amusing anecdote and contemporary gossip. A conversation includes Bonaparte, Berlusconi and Clooney, the merits of living on the east vs. the west side of the lake, the summer traffic on the two lane road that hugs the shoreline.
Protected and calm, Lake Como is nonetheless vibrant with good restaurants and attractive shops, some great hotels, and beautiful houses to rent.
<
br />