Grindlewald, Lauterbrunnen and La Dolce Vita on the semi cheap in Bellagio
Jun 28th, 2013, 02:26 PM
#21
Original Poster
Paris, Rome, and Venice are filled with tourists for good reason, so why not Bellagio, or more broadly speaking, the towns of mid Lake Como? As Lake Como virgins, we were struck by the sheer beauty of the place. Bellagio center reminded me of St. Paul de Vence, also a tourist destination, with its steep narrow streets lined with shops. The walk along the lakefront is a delight with its outdoor cafes, restaurants and shops.
Since we had a kitchen, we stopped at a small grocery that had all sorts of goodies to stock up for breakfast. We bought espresso, since the apartment had a Bialletti Moka espresso maker (we so liked the espresso it produced, we bought one on our return except it is the sleek stainless model) eggs, tomatoes, Basil, fresh mozzarella, some pastry and bread for me. Roberto the concierge at Villa Serb took interest in mapping out things to do and sites to visit and we took a walking tour based upon his suggestions and from a brochure that we picked up at a shop. We took pictures and shopped and then shopped some more. We also spent time roosting on one of the benches that line the lake front at Villa Serb - it was quite romantic.
Many Ballagio shops specialize in silk - we were told that silk worms were imported many years ago to the Lake Como area and now, 80% of all silk manufactured in Europe is from there. Silk seems to be to the region as lavender is to Provence.
Our first dinner was at the Metropole Hotel's lakeside cafe. If one is in Bellagio, one should try to eat at the lake IMO - it is part of the experience. The evening was cool and a wind was coming up, but the tables had overhead heaters, so we were comfortable and by the looks of it, so were the other diners. I do not recall what we ordered, but it was very good - we were too enraptured by the view from our table to really care. I do remember though that the Tiramisu we ordered (we were American tourists after-all so that was mandatory) was beautifully plated and the best we have ever had. Service was attentive and we left happy. After a long stroll, we returned to the Villa Serb to listen to the trio - violin, bass viol and piano - that plays nightly in one of the public areas and enjoyed a pot of jasmine tea while we relaxed in the opulent surroundings. Service was white glove and the waiter did not blink when we charged it to our room at the residence. We were treated the same as regular hotel guests, and that means very well.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basings...7634371163279/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basings...7634382724532/
Next: More Bellagio and can you get a great lake tour for 15 Euros? Yes you can!
Since we had a kitchen, we stopped at a small grocery that had all sorts of goodies to stock up for breakfast. We bought espresso, since the apartment had a Bialletti Moka espresso maker (we so liked the espresso it produced, we bought one on our return except it is the sleek stainless model) eggs, tomatoes, Basil, fresh mozzarella, some pastry and bread for me. Roberto the concierge at Villa Serb took interest in mapping out things to do and sites to visit and we took a walking tour based upon his suggestions and from a brochure that we picked up at a shop. We took pictures and shopped and then shopped some more. We also spent time roosting on one of the benches that line the lake front at Villa Serb - it was quite romantic.
Many Ballagio shops specialize in silk - we were told that silk worms were imported many years ago to the Lake Como area and now, 80% of all silk manufactured in Europe is from there. Silk seems to be to the region as lavender is to Provence.
Our first dinner was at the Metropole Hotel's lakeside cafe. If one is in Bellagio, one should try to eat at the lake IMO - it is part of the experience. The evening was cool and a wind was coming up, but the tables had overhead heaters, so we were comfortable and by the looks of it, so were the other diners. I do not recall what we ordered, but it was very good - we were too enraptured by the view from our table to really care. I do remember though that the Tiramisu we ordered (we were American tourists after-all so that was mandatory) was beautifully plated and the best we have ever had. Service was attentive and we left happy. After a long stroll, we returned to the Villa Serb to listen to the trio - violin, bass viol and piano - that plays nightly in one of the public areas and enjoyed a pot of jasmine tea while we relaxed in the opulent surroundings. Service was white glove and the waiter did not blink when we charged it to our room at the residence. We were treated the same as regular hotel guests, and that means very well.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basings...7634371163279/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basings...7634382724532/
Next: More Bellagio and can you get a great lake tour for 15 Euros? Yes you can!
Jun 29th, 2013, 06:27 AM
#22
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The city of Como has silk stuff also and JR and I missed getting there darn it.
We stayed on the backside of Bellagio at a family-owned place called the Pergola. A bit of a walk over to the ferry stop and Bellagio "proper". As you say, a gorgeous place.
Soon, please!
We stayed on the backside of Bellagio at a family-owned place called the Pergola. A bit of a walk over to the ferry stop and Bellagio "proper". As you say, a gorgeous place.
Soon, please!
Jun 29th, 2013, 09:47 AM
#24
Original Poster
TD - I looked up Hotel Pergola - I think it's the same place, and it looked very inviting. How did you like it?
HappyT - Our neighbors in the adjacent apartment at the residence were here from the UK attending some sort of fabric convention. The entire area appears to have a large presence in the higher level fabrics industry.
HappyT - Our neighbors in the adjacent apartment at the residence were here from the UK attending some sort of fabric convention. The entire area appears to have a large presence in the higher level fabrics industry.
Jun 29th, 2013, 04:06 PM
#25
Original Poster
Think of Lake Como as shaped like a "Y"
Bellagio is at the tip of the land at the point of the "V" section. One can easily walk from the Villa Serb to that point where the lake divides and be rewarded with wonderful views of the 3 lake sections. That was our first order of business on the morning of our final full day (actually the only full day) in Bellagio. From there we visited shops where I bought a couple of silk ties and DW bought some silk scarves as gifts. Walking back to the hotel we passed a unique shop "Arte e Moda run by one Pierangelo Masciadri, a most interesting fellow. His shop features high line, read "expensive" silk products all of his design and has photos of well known people wearing his designs. One is of former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wearing one of his silk caftans, another of former President Clinton in one of his ties, and also in one of his ties is former Pres Bush the younger. Nice stuff there. With some coaxing from me, DW was persuaded to buy a silk evening purse. I believe she plans to build her mother of the bride outfit around it.
Our plan was to follow the suggestion of Roberto, our concierge and take a tour of the mid lake towns via ferry. First though came lunch. We had a light lunch at the lakeside cafe of the Hotel Florence which is next to Villa Serb. We both ordered what was really meant to be a desert and it was delicious and gluten free. I posted how it is made on another thread, but it was so good I will post it again.
In a glass- they used a large wine glass, place some sliced strawberries, sliced grapes and blueberries. Put a good scoop of vanilla ice cream on that and plain yogurt as a third layer. Top with pine nuts and you have it. It is quick, simple and you can impress your dinner guests.
After lunch we boarded our ferry. The cost is 15 Euros PP and the ferry visits the towns of Mid Lake Como including Varenna, Managgio and others. You can use it as a hop on - hop off on the same ticket or just ride. If the latter, you will spend a little more than 2 hours cruising the lake. This is something that is well worth your time and money. Rather than a description, here are photos taken on the ride.
Come on the tour with us:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basings...7634372666689/
After landing back in Bellagio, we strolled and had dinner at La Goletta, choosing an outside table. Our dining experience can be seen in the photos "Strolling Bellagio" posted above.
We started with the grilled vegetable dish which included vegetables usually not seen in such a dish such as endives. It was excellent and one we intend to recreate at home. DW had an entree of local lake fish, while I had a pasta dish. It was the first time on this trip that I ordered pasta and I figured how can I leave Italy without doing so. Both dishes were excellent. For desert we again ordered the Tiramisu just to compare it with the one at the Metropole. Although very good, the Metropole's was better. Service was attentive as would be expected at a place like the Villa Serb.
After dinner, it was off to hear the trio again with another tea before packing for our drive back to Zurich in the AM.
Next: One of the best mistakes I have ever made.
Bellagio is at the tip of the land at the point of the "V" section. One can easily walk from the Villa Serb to that point where the lake divides and be rewarded with wonderful views of the 3 lake sections. That was our first order of business on the morning of our final full day (actually the only full day) in Bellagio. From there we visited shops where I bought a couple of silk ties and DW bought some silk scarves as gifts. Walking back to the hotel we passed a unique shop "Arte e Moda run by one Pierangelo Masciadri, a most interesting fellow. His shop features high line, read "expensive" silk products all of his design and has photos of well known people wearing his designs. One is of former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wearing one of his silk caftans, another of former President Clinton in one of his ties, and also in one of his ties is former Pres Bush the younger. Nice stuff there. With some coaxing from me, DW was persuaded to buy a silk evening purse. I believe she plans to build her mother of the bride outfit around it.
Our plan was to follow the suggestion of Roberto, our concierge and take a tour of the mid lake towns via ferry. First though came lunch. We had a light lunch at the lakeside cafe of the Hotel Florence which is next to Villa Serb. We both ordered what was really meant to be a desert and it was delicious and gluten free. I posted how it is made on another thread, but it was so good I will post it again.
In a glass- they used a large wine glass, place some sliced strawberries, sliced grapes and blueberries. Put a good scoop of vanilla ice cream on that and plain yogurt as a third layer. Top with pine nuts and you have it. It is quick, simple and you can impress your dinner guests.
After lunch we boarded our ferry. The cost is 15 Euros PP and the ferry visits the towns of Mid Lake Como including Varenna, Managgio and others. You can use it as a hop on - hop off on the same ticket or just ride. If the latter, you will spend a little more than 2 hours cruising the lake. This is something that is well worth your time and money. Rather than a description, here are photos taken on the ride.
Come on the tour with us:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basings...7634372666689/
After landing back in Bellagio, we strolled and had dinner at La Goletta, choosing an outside table. Our dining experience can be seen in the photos "Strolling Bellagio" posted above.
We started with the grilled vegetable dish which included vegetables usually not seen in such a dish such as endives. It was excellent and one we intend to recreate at home. DW had an entree of local lake fish, while I had a pasta dish. It was the first time on this trip that I ordered pasta and I figured how can I leave Italy without doing so. Both dishes were excellent. For desert we again ordered the Tiramisu just to compare it with the one at the Metropole. Although very good, the Metropole's was better. Service was attentive as would be expected at a place like the Villa Serb.
After dinner, it was off to hear the trio again with another tea before packing for our drive back to Zurich in the AM.
Next: One of the best mistakes I have ever made.
Jun 30th, 2013, 11:53 AM
#26
Original Poster
Completing our month long trip and this TR, we left Bellagio to overnight near the Zurich airport for our flight home.
Taking the ferry to Cardenabbia, we turned north expecting a quick trip to the Swiss border. Not even a half hour out, Tom Tom instructed us to turn back. We must have missed a turn somewhere. Unlike Garmin, our Tom Tom does not immediately tell you it is recalculating, but just gives you updated directions.
Sometimes a mistake can be serendipitous and this was one of those times. Here was my thinking - I can see that if we go straight ahead we should reach Switzerland since that looks like the Swiss mountains in the distance and we passed a sign for St. Moritz a minute ago and that is in Switzerland, so let's just keep on going straight and see where it takes us. Tom Tom will eventually recover and put us on a different, but correct path to Zurich and we have plenty of time. So keeping steady on our route we moved ahead. Tom Tom eventually did recover and we drove along the lake and then up into the foothills while the snow capped mountains loomed closer and closer. We passed through charming towns and some that were not so charming, but all of interest. We kept climbing and the road became increasingly twisty with switchbacks beginning to turn up. I was thrilled because I love this kind of driving! Turns became tighter and tighter and I had to keep a good watch for traffic coming in the other direction since it was not easy to see around some of the turns. After passing through the pretty town of Chiavenna, the road became twistier still - driving up to our hotel back in Bellinzona was good practice. The vistas at each turn were one more beautiful than the preceding. Traffic thinned out and we were pretty much alone on the mountain except for an occasional motorcycle coming the other way. We were now above the snow line and saw frozen lakes and incredible vistas. Many of the switchbacks were such that I had to crank the wheel to the max and then hope I could get all of the way around without having to stop and back up a bit. For the most part there was a rail dividing the road from the long drops. Finally, after passing through the seemingly empty town of Montespluga, we crested the mountain and there at the crest was the Italian/Swiss border at the Passo dello Spluga. Coming down into Switzerland things became green very quickly. It was disconcerting that for most of the way down there was no guard rail and long drops, but hey! that is part of the fun. Finally at the bottom of mountain we picked up the highway to Zurich and were at our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express at Zurich airport in a couple of hours. We stopped for fuel in Zurich City and I was surprised that the tank was not even on empty. It was the first time we bought fuel since leaving the airport a week earlier. That Opel Astra turbo is one fuel efficient car! We chose the HI Express because it offered free shuttle service to and from the airport and the price was right. I took advantage of the shuttle, returning the car that evening so not to have to bother in the AM. The rooms at the HI were very nice, dinner at the hotel was also much better than expected and not overpriced, and the included breakfast was plentiful, varied and excellent. Next morning we shuttled to the airport for an mostly uneventful ride home on a flight that was one third empty. I asked for a free upgrade to business or first, since both classes were mostly unpopulated and noted the hassle AA put us through. I mentioned that the President of AA had been on TV apologizing to the public - words are cheap I noted, how about some action to back up those words. My request was passed from AA person to AA person until at boarding I was told that they could not do it because there were not enough first class meals ordered and If I had asked earlier when I checked in, it may have been possible. I pointed out that I had done just that, but no dice. We were upgraded to a premium coach seat though which I guess is something although passengers were switching to those seats on their own since there were so many open. DW had ordered a vegetarian meal, but that did not happen, so they gave her an extra salad.
So ends the saga, we had adventures, setbacks, saw wonderful things and met some very nice people not to mention gaining some new relatives. Altogether, I am ready to do it again.
Here are photos of driving the Spluga pass:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basings...7634374483547/
Taking the ferry to Cardenabbia, we turned north expecting a quick trip to the Swiss border. Not even a half hour out, Tom Tom instructed us to turn back. We must have missed a turn somewhere. Unlike Garmin, our Tom Tom does not immediately tell you it is recalculating, but just gives you updated directions.
Sometimes a mistake can be serendipitous and this was one of those times. Here was my thinking - I can see that if we go straight ahead we should reach Switzerland since that looks like the Swiss mountains in the distance and we passed a sign for St. Moritz a minute ago and that is in Switzerland, so let's just keep on going straight and see where it takes us. Tom Tom will eventually recover and put us on a different, but correct path to Zurich and we have plenty of time. So keeping steady on our route we moved ahead. Tom Tom eventually did recover and we drove along the lake and then up into the foothills while the snow capped mountains loomed closer and closer. We passed through charming towns and some that were not so charming, but all of interest. We kept climbing and the road became increasingly twisty with switchbacks beginning to turn up. I was thrilled because I love this kind of driving! Turns became tighter and tighter and I had to keep a good watch for traffic coming in the other direction since it was not easy to see around some of the turns. After passing through the pretty town of Chiavenna, the road became twistier still - driving up to our hotel back in Bellinzona was good practice. The vistas at each turn were one more beautiful than the preceding. Traffic thinned out and we were pretty much alone on the mountain except for an occasional motorcycle coming the other way. We were now above the snow line and saw frozen lakes and incredible vistas. Many of the switchbacks were such that I had to crank the wheel to the max and then hope I could get all of the way around without having to stop and back up a bit. For the most part there was a rail dividing the road from the long drops. Finally, after passing through the seemingly empty town of Montespluga, we crested the mountain and there at the crest was the Italian/Swiss border at the Passo dello Spluga. Coming down into Switzerland things became green very quickly. It was disconcerting that for most of the way down there was no guard rail and long drops, but hey! that is part of the fun. Finally at the bottom of mountain we picked up the highway to Zurich and were at our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express at Zurich airport in a couple of hours. We stopped for fuel in Zurich City and I was surprised that the tank was not even on empty. It was the first time we bought fuel since leaving the airport a week earlier. That Opel Astra turbo is one fuel efficient car! We chose the HI Express because it offered free shuttle service to and from the airport and the price was right. I took advantage of the shuttle, returning the car that evening so not to have to bother in the AM. The rooms at the HI were very nice, dinner at the hotel was also much better than expected and not overpriced, and the included breakfast was plentiful, varied and excellent. Next morning we shuttled to the airport for an mostly uneventful ride home on a flight that was one third empty. I asked for a free upgrade to business or first, since both classes were mostly unpopulated and noted the hassle AA put us through. I mentioned that the President of AA had been on TV apologizing to the public - words are cheap I noted, how about some action to back up those words. My request was passed from AA person to AA person until at boarding I was told that they could not do it because there were not enough first class meals ordered and If I had asked earlier when I checked in, it may have been possible. I pointed out that I had done just that, but no dice. We were upgraded to a premium coach seat though which I guess is something although passengers were switching to those seats on their own since there were so many open. DW had ordered a vegetarian meal, but that did not happen, so they gave her an extra salad.
So ends the saga, we had adventures, setbacks, saw wonderful things and met some very nice people not to mention gaining some new relatives. Altogether, I am ready to do it again.
Here are photos of driving the Spluga pass:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basings...7634374483547/
Jul 2nd, 2013, 09:48 AM
#28
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Wonderful news, basie! Hugs to you both.
Very enjoyable report. I will boycott AA in your honor.
We had one so-so meal at Pergola and had reserved for their 7-course Easter meal--OMG it was nice. The room was quirky antiques and its balcony was right over the actual pergola--we figured it would be hugely noisy in the summer.
Again, great TR!
Very enjoyable report. I will boycott AA in your honor.
We had one so-so meal at Pergola and had reserved for their 7-course Easter meal--OMG it was nice. The room was quirky antiques and its balcony was right over the actual pergola--we figured it would be hugely noisy in the summer.
Again, great TR!
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