Latitude: 45.98° north
Weather: 10° ⛅️ Sunrise: 07:51 Sunset: 17:22
Travelling by train, sometimes it feels like you slide gently from one country to another, borders barely perceptible. Slow travel, gentle travel.
Other times, the change is like jolting from one universe to another. I’m looking at you, Switzerland to Italy.
We had set off on the Bernina line from snowy St Moritz. Calm, orderly, quiet. Biting cold, snow on the platforms. We emerged into Tirano and walked slap bang into a metaphorical wall of … sheer Italy. Sunshine and warmth in the air. People, everywhere. Station screens not working, staff shouting directions, a crush of people in all directions heading for trains. We jumped straight onto the train going to ‘Milano, Milano, binario uno Milano’ and sat, slightly shell-shocked, for an hour in a noisy, packed train. It always takes me a while to adapt to the sheer exuberant, passionate noise that is Italy.
The feeling of having been transported into another world continued on arrival in Bellano, on the western shore of Lake Como. Rucksacks rapidly dropped into our neat little overnight unit, we walked down to the lakeshore and into another world.
Warmth. The feel of sunshine on my face and the taste of it in the air. Light on the lake turning distant hills and mountains into hazy layers stretching back from the glistening waters. Palm trees. Flowers! Bright yellow violets shining so vividly in the sunlight. Small birds flitting around in the trees.
It’s surely unreal that just two train journeys could bring us from -5°C to 10°C, from frozen winter to this warm spring sunshine.
Bellano is a small village on the east side of Lake Como. Possibly bustling in season, but beautifully quiet in January – a few bars open along the prom, some local Mums out pushing prams by the lake. We sat in a pavement cafe soaking it all in. Firmly betraying our Britishness – this is of course cold if you’re Italian.
We needed an early night after a 5am start and 7 hours on trains. We also needed to work out at least a rough plan for Italy, to deliver us to Sicily in time for our flight. By now I should know that we can’t make onwards plans at night. Decision paralysis is definitely a thing after dinner. So many options and so many lovely places – and a little sense of time starting to run out. After a couple of hours staring at rail timetables, maps of Italy, weather forecasts and even boat routes, a plan of sorts was hatched and we were of course late to bed.
The impending rain was nowhere to be seen this morning, so we immediately threw out today’s plans and reworked them several times. Never trust a plan made after 10pm.
After a lovely sunny stroll by the lake (choppier today but still gorgeous), we took the train the grand distance of four minutes down the line to Varenna. We tried to visit Varenna a couple of years ago when driving through, and gave up when we couldn’t get a space in a single car park due to the crowds. On a sunny morning in January, it was near empty and tranquil by the lakeshore.
The plan was to get coffee and have a wander and then get back on the train. However. The lake looked enticing and a boat was on its way. So we ripped up another plan (never trust a plan made before coffee) and took the boat to Bellagio for a wander.
Bellagio is probably the most famous town on Lake Como. It sits right at the point where the lake splits into two branches. Tiny cobbled alleys rise steeply up from the flower-lined promenade, narrow stairways lined with restaurants and tiny shops. All closed in January of course, but still so pretty. Warm pastel buildings with shuttered windows. Iron lamps, flower tubs, twisting staircases with tantalising glimpses of blue lake below. Up above, gardens. Off around the coast, grand villas and high walls keeping out prying eyes. We’re not quite far enough round the lake here to meet George Clooney, but there are some very grand and beautiful houses.
We had an hour to spend before the boat back and – joy! – there were left luggage lockers by the jetty. We dropped off the rucksacks and wandered off feeling almost exactly 11kg lighter.
It was lovely to be able to mooch the streets almost alone – a few small groups were out for a stroll but otherwise, Bellagio was quite empty. We walked to the point where the lake splits and enjoyed the views back north to the snow-capped mountains – the world we left behind. We wandered past a pretty church, looked at the very purple lavender shop, and wished we had time for lunch with white wine in a restaurant with crisp white tablecloths and flowers in vases. All too soon it was time to head back to the ferry.
In summer, boats of all kinds fill the waters of Lake Como. In winter, not so many, but it was lovely to see some still running and to be able to take advantage. We sat right at the front of the deck, wind in my hair, sun on my face, cold but gorgeous. Fantastic views from the 20-minute crossing: small villages spilling down to the lake, churches impossibly high up the mountainsides, steep wooded hills and rocky summits beyond.
Back in Varenna, there was time (and sunshine) left for lunch outside by the jetty. Big coat on, but oh so lovely. As we left, the clouds were gathering and we waved goodbye to both Lake Como and also the sunshine for a the next few days.
Breakfast in Bellano, coffee in Bellagio, lunch in Varenna. Lake Como – as beautiful as the pictures, wonderful on a quiet, sunny winter’s day. A happy day with the sun on our faces and a taste of spring to help us adjust to life without snow before we finally get a taste of rainy winter.
Onwards for a quick afternoon tea in Milano (what a station) and then dinner in Florence. A full, beautiful Italian day!
