Another year of sailing begins. We left San Francisco on April 1st and traveled back to Milan. Rather than stay in the city, we headed north about an hour and a half to Lake Como. It is an idyllic lake area with steep shear mountains framing clear alpine lakes. The biggest of the lakes is Como. It has been the playground for the rich and royal for centuries. Amazing villas show off their wealth and prestige along the waterfront. While there are many impressive villas, there are 4 that command the crowning glory of the region. These date back to the 18th century and include Villa Carlotta, built for the Milanese marques the Giorgio Clerici and completed in 1745. In 1843, it was given as a wedding present by Princess Marianna of Prussia to her daughter Charlotte, after whom the villa is named. As impressive as the villa is, the grounds are certainly equal to the beauty. While the gardens were manicured and dotted with spots of brilliant annuals, we were there about a month early. The rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas that towered over 10 feet high were budding and about to burst forth in a spectacular blaze of color.
Our favorite town was Bellagio, which is at the head of the peninsula where the lake breaks into two legs. This is one of those towns that knows it is as cute as a postcard and caters to the tourist trade that want to live like royalty at least for a week. Three of the main villas are within site of each other. The fourth one is further south on the west side of the lake. George Clooney bought villa Oleander on the west side of the lake and is “the” celebrity of the region.
Another year of sailing begins. We left San Francisco on April 1st and traveled back to Milan. Rather than stay in the city, we headed north about an hour and a half to Lake Como. It is an idyllic lake area with steep shear mountains framing clear alpine lakes. The biggest of the lakes is Como. It has been the playground for the rich and royal for centuries. Amazing villas show off their wealth and prestige along the waterfront. While there are many impressive villas, there are 4 that command the crowning glory of the region. These date back to the 18th century and include Villa Carlotta, built for the Milanese marques the Giorgio Clerici and completed in 1745. In 1843, it was given as a wedding present by Princess Marianna of Prussia to her daughter Charlotte, after whom the villa is named. As impressive as the villa is, the grounds are certainly equal to the beauty. While the gardens were manicured and dotted with spots of brilliant annuals, we were there about a month early. The rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas that towered over 10 feet high were budding and about to burst forth in a spectacular blaze of color.
Our favorite town was Bellagio, which is at the head of the peninsula where the lake breaks into two legs. This is one of those towns that knows it is as cute as a postcard and caters to the tourist trade that want to live like royalty at least for a week. Three of the main villas are within site of each other. The fourth one is further south on the west side of the lake. George Clooney bought villa Oleander on the west side of the lake and is “the” celebrity of the region.
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