I know its really, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” but it’s not his home in the middle of Verona that draws thousands of visitors each day; so I took a little creative liberty with the title. More on our visit to this popular tourist destination in a moment. Let’s back up and set the stage…
Soaking up the view
Verona is a beautiful city in the Veneto region of Italy, in the Northeast Italy. The capital of Veneto is Venezia (Venice) – the world famous city built on canals. While Venice is usually one of the most well-known destinations in this part of the country, it should not overshadow Verona – a charming and breathtaking city unto itself. Since Jen’s parents bought their home in Como a few years ago, Verona has been on our “bucket list” of desired destinations.
Jen’s mom came for a visit in late February and during a break in the cold weather, we decided touring a new city was a great idea. Since Verona is only two hours away by car and we had been wanting to go, it was an easy selection. The night before we prepared for a full day’s voyage – plenty of diapers and cheerios… and even a few things for the baby.
We set out early and drove straight toward the center of town. As we approached the city, we neared a roundabout that was created around one of the original stone gates from the old city – dating back over a thousand years. Crossing through the roundabout and straight toward the city, a much more modern street lined with homes and street level shops guided us right into the “newer” main gate of the city, under which we drove the car.
The main city gate
We drove through this gate to enter and exit
This particular gate (pictured above) was built in the 16th century to protect the city from invaders. Verona’s central location lent to wonderful trading routes and heightened the importance of the city throughout Europe (even before Roman times). It was this critical location that also put it right in the path of invaders and so the walls were built to fortify the city.
We arrived in the city at my favorite time of day – just in time for pranzo (lunch). We had gone to our trusty advisor, Trip Advisor before departing and already picked a place to eat. You can read about our wonderful/delicious/frightening/not-delicious-for-me dining experience at Ristorante Greppia HERE.
Ristorante Greppia
Julia was full and happy after lunch
On our way to the restaurant we walked directly into the Arena – an amazing Roman ampitheatre, third in size behind Rome’s Colosseum and the arena at Capua (not sure what that is… I’ll have to check it out). The ampithere was used for gladiator games, among other things – and is surprisingly still intact. In fact, it’s still used today in the summer for fairs, theatre and operas.
Verona’s Arena
After lunch we took a stroll through town, toward one of the main piazza (town square), Piazza delle Erbe. Here are some of the shots of the market, surrounded by the Roman architecture as well as Julia having fun near fountain.
Markets in Piazza delle Erbe
“Dad, give me some cash to go shopping”
Spices, pasta and cured meats
Julia was happy as could be
Torre (tower) dei Lamberti – 1463
We found ourself on, Via Mazzini – one of the main shopping streets and filled with high end goods.
Gucci, Prada and Dolce Gabbana – Oh My!
As we wound our way through the streets of Verona, we crossed over Ponte Pietro – one of the main bridges exiting the city, spanning the river that borders the northern end of the city . We found ourselves at the Duomo (the city’s main church), where a funeral was presiding. It was obviously someone of great wealth and importance – there were hundreds of people in attendance and a beautiful hearse (is that an oxymoron) by none other than the Italian race car, Maserati at the ready.
Ponte (bridge) Pietro
The Duomo
This is the way I want to go out!
We stopped for a coffee (it was now the “coffee hour” of 4:00 and our internal coffee clock alarms were sounding). Diane enjoyed a tea – a luxury she doesn’t usually get around less forgiving coffee drinkers in the family (tea takes a lot longer to sip than an espresso). After fueling up, we had one last mission to accomplish – a visit to Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s house) from the world famous Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. Of course, in actuality – it’s spelled Giulietta.* Turns out that three of Shakespeare’s plays were set in Verona – the beauty of the city must have intrigued him. Or else he got a really good deal on hotel rooms. Probably used Priceline.
Giulietta’s Balcony – “Romeo o’ Romeo”
Giulietta’s house (which is of course not really her house since she is a fictional character) is contained in a small courtyard, accessed through a dark tunnel. A few funny traditions have developed at home. Firstly, it is a must that you sign the wall of the tunnel as you enter the courtyard. Next, young lovers can memorialize their love by engraving their names on a padlock and attaching it to the gate in the back of the courtyard. The romantics can write love letters and stick them in the crevices of the adjacent wall or attach them with chewing gum. And for some reason (I’m assuming love or lust related) you can get in line and touch the bosoms of the female statue in the courtyard.
Tunnel leading to the courtyard
Young lovers inscribe their names on the wall
Julia memorializing her love for her parents
Of course our favorite part of the visit was that our very own Giulietta (which literally means, Little Julia) was a celebrity in her own right. The courtyard was packed with tourists from Taiwan and China that absolutely loved her and crowded around her to take her picture or pose with her. Several of them wanted to kiss her on the check for a photo. And since our little comedian/actress loves an audience – she was happy to oblige her adoring fans!
Paparazzi – smile!
“Nice to meet you, ladies”
The girls in Piazza Bra
Giulietta found her real Romeo
We walked a bit more, stopped for a wonderful gelato (ice cream) and another coffee and headed home. I would say that Romeo wasn’t the only one to have a great time in Verona. In fact, given how his love affair ended – I’d say we had a much better time in Verona than good ‘ol Romeo!
*Ironic side note – Jen debated spelling our daughters name the Italian way – G-I-U-L-I-A and I protested that I don’t want her to grow up with people constantly misspelling her name and we agreed on the more common J-U-L-I-A. Of course, now everyone spells it wrong (assuming it’s Giulia). We both find it funny and think it’s cute the alternate way while we’re living in Italy.
Our little bumblebee has been busy buzzing all over town – and we were right behind her with cameras and video rolling! Here are a couple of her recent adventures. Coincidentally, both stories fit in with the Easter theme perfectly; a fortunate blog occurrence given the upcoming Easter holiday.
Julia’s Egg
Julia’s Egg
Our little family likes it’s morning rituals. Jen and I enjoy drinking our American coffee (probably the one habit from home we don’t want to give up). Julia likes to chose her own breakfast and then eat it herself (even though half ends up on the floor).
However, Julia’s favorite morning ritual is going to see the galline (chickens) next door. Each day, as I back the car out of the garage – Jen and Julia walk next door to “go see the chickens”. There is a home next to our condo building that has a large chicken coop out back containing about a dozen chickens. Julia talks to them and calls them over by making clucking sounds. Sometimes they humor her and peck near her feet and other times they just go right on clucking by.
Julia and her galline (chickens)
On this particular day, Jen and Julia spent a bit more time visiting the chickens since I was out. All of a sudden, the chicken farmer appeared from around the corner to the delight of Julia and surprise of Jen. He walked right up to the girls and while Jen was ready to apologize for disturbing the chickens, he greeted Julia with a friendly smile and declared, “aspetta” (“just a moment”). He disappeared into the chicken coop and started rummaging around, to return a moment later with… a fresh egg! Julia squealed with delight as he handed her the egg through the fence. In fact, she could hardly contain her excitement so much so that Jen had to confiscate the golden brown treasure for fear of it being crushed in her hands. Jen was amazed that the egg was so fresh it was actually still warm.
“What a treasure!”
Julia was beaming with pride as she showed her new treasure to Franco and Claudia (our Aunt and Uncle) upstairs. However, just mere moments later that she had moved onto something new, as little kids will do (this time it was reading Italian celebrity gossip magazines). It was this window that gave Jen and Claudia the perfect opening to take the egg and cook it in a pan of creamy butter and velvety extra virgin olive oil.
Un poco olio, burro e sale (a little olive oil, butter and salt)
Ready to eat
Jen declared this particular egg to be the best she had ever tasted – I think Julia certainly agreed!
Sheep, Lamb, Dogs and a Few Donkeys for Good Measure
Jen’s mom arrived in Italy last week for a visit and we have spent a few days just relaxing and enjoying her company. But we have also spent several days going through the checklist of her favorite Italy/Lake Como activities.
Landing in Milano’s Malpensa airport (MXP)
Todays event was shopping at the luxury outlets in Lugano, Switzerland. I was preparing myself for a long day of bench-sitting, bag holding and “whichever you prefer, dear” ‘s. I even made sure my phone was fully charged so that I could play several rounds of “Plants vs. Zombies” on it to mask my boredom. But there was a miraculous turn of events – the shopping mall had a Casino attached to it!! So, while le donne (the ladies) spent three-four hours picking out outfits (mainly for Julia) – I was splitting 8’s and doubling down on 10’s. I have to say… I’ll be happy to take Jen shopping any day of the week!
Even though I had a good run of cards and left happy, Julia came out the big winner with some wonderful outfits from her nonna (grandma). And even though she’s now ready to walk down the high fashioned streets of Milano this spring – the real gem of the day occurred on our way home from the outlets.
A snow-flecked field full of sheep
We were nearly home when our eyes simultaneously gazed left toward a field full of sheep. There were sheep herders and sheep dogs keeping the gentle animals from wandering onto the unfenced road. There were also cute baby lambs and even some donkey’s to keep them all company. We were perplexed, as we have driven by this field nearly every day and never seen a sheep – let alone hundreds of them. We decided to pull over and let Julia have some fun.
“Will you look at this?!”
“Come here guys… I don’t bite”
After some friendly banter with a wonderful sheep herder, we learned that each year at this time farmers bring their sheep down from the mountains into town. They come by train, truck and foot. They arrive early for the Easter holiday, because it is traditional for nearly every family in Italy to serve agnello (lamb) on Easter. They come down early to give the sheep exercise and strike their deals with the local butchers.
Julia had a wonderful time playing with the sheep – she was able to get right up next to them.
We’ll just call this the “prequel” or maybe “part one of two“. As the title suggests, our day in Brunateshould have given us spectacular views of downtown Como since it virtually sits atop the city on a mountain. But since the fog wasn’t cooperating and decided to stick around – we didn’t get to see or photograph some of the most amazing views our lake town has to offer. So, perhaps a better title might have been…
“Brunate – we’ll focus on the town this time and show you the views next time… the Prequel”.
Welcome to Brunate
Brunate is a small town of about 1,700 residents in the provence of Como and sits [based on my speculation, vertigo and body tempeture] at the highest altitude in the immediate area. It is for this reason that you get the most speculator views as well as an intimate and charming old-world feel.
There are three ways to get to Brunate. First (and my personal favorite) is by helicopter. This is reserved exclusively for George Clooney (a “local”) and the Italian Prime Minister. I’m hoping to get on this short list. Incidentally, there is no helicopter pad in Brunate – I just imagine if they wanted to travel to this way… they could.
Town of Brunate from the road half-way up
For the tourists, The Funicolare takes you in a small train car directly up the mountain. This is a wonderful, albeit nerve-racking way to travel to the top of the mountain. Think ski-mountain gondola in the fashion of an old train car, although it is attached to the ground as opposed to being suspended in the air. It has been operating since 1894 – and it looks as though it still has the original… everything! Jen and I have not taken the funicolare in all the time we’ve been coming here, so we’re hoping to have some willing victims…errr, guests to do it with while we’re living here.
The Funicolare drops off in the middle of town
The final option – although perhaps even more harrowing – is by car. This is a dangerous proposition for everyone except the most experienced locals (who whizz up and down the mountain at breakneck speeds). Even though we are far from experienced locals, we opted for this route. Of course, we had more than our fare-share of close calls and angry tailgaters as I slowly wound my way up and back down the hill.
Two-lane road with one of many hairpin turns
Here is a video as we reached the town and the terror of driving shifted from falling off the mountain to adding new racing stripes painted with 500 year old bricks down each side of my father-in law’s car.
When we finally got to the top and confirmed that we couldn’t see too much – we spent some time walking around and stopped to get a coffee. We learned that parking is also very difficult in this small town, so we didn’t want to stay double-parked too long.
Jen – the white behind her is the fog hiding the view
Street view and a charming restaurant
Sant’Andrea – the church in the center of town
Snow-kissed streets
This guy was at the coffee shop – fun guy – loved Americans
This video doesn’t quite have the production value of the first one – no high-priced soundtrack and million-dollar effects… but it’s actually even better at showing the winding road going up and down the mountain. I apologize in advance for the narration!
Look at for Part II in this saga – where we don’t rush it and I get you some better pictures, particularly of the view. Coming sometime this spring…
I just tell you – I am quite the romantic! I mean, so much so that I didn’t have a card, a plan or a clue this past Valentine’s day. But I just knew something would work out!
“Sure hope Daddy has something special planned for us”
I figured, what better way to start a romantic Valentine’s day than finalizing one of our last major tasks – car shopping. Thanks to my new best friend – the internet – we found a car in a town about 40 minutes away. So we piled in and headed over. After some intense negotiating (and let me tell you – your author was winning like Tyson versus Spinks) we built up an appetite. We asked the salesperson for directions to a local pizzeria (having not eaten delicious Italian-style pizza for a full week). He asked if we wanted pizza, or we wanted to eat like a local. That was a no-brainer and we answered at the same time in Italian (my accent, perfect – Jen’s not so much) that we wanted to eat like the locals. He gave us directions and we set our coordinates to GO.
La Pioppa
“Welcome to La Pioppa”
Within about 10 minutes, we pulled up to an Agriturismo called La Pioppa (La Pioppa’s Website). A couple years ago, we learned that an Agriturismo is essentially a cottage, ranch, farm or farmhouse that has working agricultural operations combined with tourism in order to provide a charming and authentic setting for it’s guests. We have great family friends that run a beautiful Agriturismo called, Il Ghiaccio (Il Ghiacco’s Wesbite). We spent a wonderful week in Tuscano (Tuscany) at Il Ghiaccio a couple years ago.
Fireworks overtop Il Ghiacco in 2010
I was a bit naive to think that Agristurismo’s only existed in Tuscano and have since learned they are not only all over Italy – but actually all over Europe. As we learned more recently, some Agriturismo’s focus on the agricultural, others the lodging (hosting private guest kitchens), others dining and others still a combination of the three.
Ducks freezing their butts on a pond
Lunch time for the horses too
This guy’s got to wait his turn
“Sure hope I’m not on the menu today!”
La Pioppa seemed to have an emphasis on the farming and dining, with only a couple rooms above the restaurant. But business must be booming because we noticed an entirely new building of rooms under construction.
After enjoying some time with the animals (Julia couldn’t pick a favorite), we headed in for our meal. A pre-fix menu for €11 gave us a prima (first), secondo (second), water, wine, coffee and a dessert.
Jen ordered the Ravioli con Carne al Sugo di Pomodoro (meat ravioli with a tomato sauce) and I got the Pasta alla Carbonara (a pasta based with eggs and parmigiano cheese). Or maybe it was the other way around… either way, I ate the lion’s share of both.
Paccheri Pasta alla Carbonara
Ravioli al Sugo
Next was a Bresaola (an air-dried, aged beef thinly sliced) along with Patate Fritte (french fries) fried in olive oil and Salsiccia e Fagioli (sausages and beans).
Bresaola
Patate Fritte
Salsiccia e Fagioli
For dessert, a Panna Cotta al Cioccolato (panna cotta with chocolate) and then… you guessed it, our coffee!
Panna Cotta
Beautiful water goblet
Some more time spent playing with the animals for Julia and then we were on our way. This will be a must-return visit when the weather is warmer to really enjoy the outdoors. I’d sure say that La Pioppa saved the day – the Valentine’s Day, that is! I even got credit for organizing a wonderful day!
No, we didn’t oversell it in the title. This meal was
LEGEN…wait for it…DARY!
Like Odysseus who fought heroically in the Trojan war and embarked on a long journey rife with cyclops, lotus-eaters, sea monsters and hostile giants; we too fought our own heroic battle of hunger and embarked on a journey rife with wrong turns, communication challenges, unpaved roads and hostile baby cries. In the end however, it worked out better for us than Odysseus.
We decided to visit the neighboring town of Lecco and grab a bite to eat. When I quickly opened my browser and selected a restaurant from Trip Advisor based solely on someones comment “good food, family friendly” – we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We plotted our course in the GPS and set out to eat at Osteria Belvedere Montalbano, a thirty minute-minute drive.
Lecco – a lake town on the east “leg” of Lake Como
A panoramic of the lake that I stitched together – the view on our way to the restaurant
Thirty-five minutes later, we pulled up. To a house. This couldn’t be right. We tried again. Twenty minutes later we ended up in the woods. Hmmm??? Twenty five minutes later we pulled up again. To another house. How many Via (Street) Montalbano’s could there be?! Jen dug a little deeper and translated a few google posts. She discovered that the restaurant is in fact, in the woods. So we were right when we were in the woods??? We tried that route again and hit a dirt path that looked to be traveled only by horses. As frustrated as you are reading this, you can imagine our displeasure. We’d had enough… time to throw in the towel.
As we were heading back down the hill we saw a final beacon of hope. We stopped two bikers and asked about this seemingly nonexistent place. They smiled and said, “turn around and follow us – but the road is pretty treacherous, so take it slow and be careful.” We spent another 15 minutes creeping up that very same dirt path; full of rocks and branches and no leeway on either side. Finally, we arrived and thanked our very kind guides.
Our “guides”
“Follow us, but go slowly”… uhhh yeah, no problem guys!
This was actually the nicer part of the road
Getting a little dicier – hood shown for perspective
“SERIOUSLY?!”
We pulled into the clearing in the woods and soaked up the view of the beautiful lake. The restaurant, a converted home – looked unassuming and inviting. But we were still a bit nervous as we walked up and were instantly relieved when we walked in and found that we had made it to the right place.
Osteria Belvedere Montalbano
As we seated ourselves, we knew we would be in for a treat. Our waiter Fabio, who also doubled as the cook – greeted us warmly and asked if we would like a half bottle or full bottle of wine. We responded that we’d like the half-bottle. He brought a full bottle.
Our host, Fabio
A delicious house wine
He also told us about the menu, which was not your typical explanation of specials and meal descriptions. It was him telling us what we would be eating. We didn’t quite understand, so we nodded politely and got ready to dig in. He started with a pasta dish, conscrigno tagliolini fungi bresaola e` tartufo (air cured beef over thin pasta noodles with mushrooms and truffles).
Primo (first course)
Before we were finished with the first dish, he brought caramelle al ragu` di cinghiale (wild boar ragu with a caramel drizzle).
More pasta as primi
Next was freshly-made raviolini di grano saraceno (hand-made ravioli made with buckwheat).
Third pasta dish
We couldn’t eat another bite. We begged him to stop… but then he described the next dish and we caved. We told him that we had to try it, but we needed to split one portion of the controfiletto con radicchio e gorgonzola (filet over radiccio with a gorgonzola sauce).
Secondo – meat dish
Then we moved onto dessert (delicious gelato) and coffee.
We were the last to leave (from the lunch crowd) and sauntered back to the car with a natural high that lasted all the way home. The road home was a lot more fun… but not nearly as much fun we expect it will be on our way back soon!
The indoor lighting
We were joined by a visitor for part of our meal
The only sign we saw for the restaurant… after we had eaten
I would also be remiss not to mention that when I walked up to pay, I discovered I didn’t have too much cash for this meal that would have to cost a fortune. I was quietly praying they accepted credit cards…until I got the bill. 30 euros for everything! I’d say Osteria Montalbano is the best deal in Lecco – if you can find it!!
What’s a good thing to do on a Sunday? We thought a stroll by the lake might be the perfect activity. Jen’s uncle Franco had been telling us about a lake nearby that is an exact 5k and perfect for walking and stroller pushing because it has a paved walkway.
Lago di Segrino
Jen and I had ventured off on our own half a dozen times this past week trying to find this nearby lake. First, we went to Lago di Alserio, because that was the closest. We discovered a charming new town and another “happy hour” place to try – but alas, the lake was not suited for walking. Next, we tried Lago di Montorfano and found a place to rent boats and a fun-looking beach bar for the summer time. But no walking trail. After a few more failed attempts, we realized that we were never going to find this place on our own, given that this area of Italy is often referred to as the Lake District of Italy. So Sunday morning we asked Franco if he would show us on google maps the location of the map. Instead, he volunteered to join us and personally direct us in the car. And fortunately, Claudia offered to stay home and cook us lunch for our return!
So, off we went… to the correct lake – Lago di Sagrino.
It was a bit colder and even winder than we anticipated originally, so we bundled up tight. Jen snapped a few photos on her iPhone.
Julia bundled up nice and snug
We had a nice walk and enjoyed some nice scenery.
Willows in the wind
Can you see me hidden by that tree?
Julia insisted she get out and join in the fun for a little while too. No free rides for that little girl!
Greg, Julia and Franco
And of course, at the end of your walk or run, you’ll need to stop and have your espresso!
Bar on the lake for snacks and coffee
We found a wonderful new activity – so if you enjoy a nice walk or jog, be sure to bring your sneakers when you come visit!
I had originally come up with an inventive and funny way to start this post. I was going to draw a parallel between myself and Joey Tribbiani from “Friends”, as we both share an intense love of sandwiches. I scoured the internet for a clip I can so vividly remember, but could not find it. When quizzed about his favorite food (which many people assume is pizza), we learn that his favorite food is in fact, sandwiches!
For those of you that weren’t fans of the show, “Friends” (all 3 of you) – Joey Tribbiani is a fun-loving, womanizing, “foodie” who craves [among other things] sandwiches. Perhaps this love of meat and cheese folded between two pieces of bread comes from his Italian heritage, because as I’m learning – Italians have perfected the art of the sandwich (hereafter referred to as panino or the plural – panini).
On Sunday, Jen and I decided to go to Milano – a forty-five minute drive from our hometown in Como.
Julia playing with pigeons in front of the Duomo in Milano
Jen had heard about a wonderful flea market that is only open the last Sunday of every month. We bundled up with lots of layers and departed at the wee-early hour of 11:00am (and that was rushing to get out the door). On the way, we consulted the internet to tell us what else to do for the day and found out about a wonderful restaurant with over 100 types of panini. We cross-referenced Trip Advisor and read some wonderful reviews of the food. In my mind, it was a lock we were headed to Bar della Crocetta for lunch! By the time we finally got to the flea market (after a few wrong turns), it was already time for lunch – so instead, we re-routed the GPS to Bar della Crocetta.
Bar della Crocetta
Unassuming façade matches the charming interior perfectly
When we walked in, we were greeted by several friendly, buon giornos and found a nice cozy spot in the corner. After reviewing the menus for several minutes (in both Italian and poorly translated English), we gave up and asked our friendly server to help us pick two sandwiches and something for Julia. Her selections were wonderful. And since Julia didn’t want to wait for her panino, they gave us a plate and told us to help ourselves to the bar full of food.
Delectable treats to hold us over
Our excitement grew as we watched delicious panino after panino come from the kitchen. We were not disappointed!
They tasted as good as they looked!
AMILACARE – golfetta (salami), brie, scamorza cheese, lettuce, tomato, etc.
BIG – prosciutto crudo, fontina cheese, shrimp, lettuce, tomato, etc.
Julia’s Ham and Cheese – prosciutto cotto, fontina cheese
We couldn’t be happier. Julia jumped right in and preferred to take big bites on her own as opposed to the small pieces her mom cut for her.
Big bites from a little girl
“Boy is that goooood”
When we were winding down, Julia was just getting started! She decided she didn’t want any more of the prosciutto cotto (cooked prosciutto, basically ham) and wanted her favorite… salami! If I can ever get the video to load properly… we have a funny video of her demanding salami after her first discovery of it’s deliciousness!
We could hear the staff laughing and repeating her cute request of salami – or as she says it… “lami” (here’s a video of her requesting it). The trouble was, we had already finished our sandwiches. What we didn’t know was that they weren’t just discussing her unique accent – they were actually putting together a plate of her own salami.
A plate of salami – brought just for Julia
“I’m in heaven”
With our bellies full and our moods elated… there was only one thing left to do in order to finish the meal. Have our espresso!!
The necessary post-meal caffè
If you find yourself in Milano – please go enjoy Bar della Crocetta and tell our servers we said “Ciao and grazie!”
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday there is a market on the north side of Como. It exists just outside the old fort wall that surrounds the original city. There is a collection of over a hundred vendors, most which arrive in their vans and vend from open doors.
Vans – vending on the other side
We strolled through and decided there was nothing we needed before moving on to a late afternoon snack (more on that in a subsequent post). Below you’ll see a collection of the random items you can purchase if you so choose.
The Market
Some “fine” jewelry
Snacks
Books
Shoes
Anything you can imagine
And of course… even the dogs show up in high fashion
Now you see why we didn’t need anything. But of course, it was still fun to walk around!
OK, we realize it’s nearly February and people are more inclined to think about Valentine’s Day than Christmas… but it’s still cold and snowy and hey, who couldn’t use a little holiday cheer any time of year?! So, if you’ll forgive us for posting about Christmas at the end of January, than you’ll certainly excuse the fact that these pictures were taken last year!
Christmas is such a special time in Italy. We didn’t want to miss a posting about this wonderful event and some of the local traditions. When we arrived on January 4th, all the lights and decorations were still present but we didn’t have an opportunity to photograph anything. Therefore, we had to use some from last year’s library.
Lake Como’s Duomo – lit up at night
Starting in early December, you’ll find lights and decorations sprinkled throughout each piazza and cobblestone street you encounter. In front of every church you’ll see a presepio (nativity scene) that is always presented wonderfully and illuminated each night. If you venture into the suburbs (or look up toward the windows in most cities), you’ll see hundreds of little Santas trying to climb their way into someone’s home. And you’re sure to hear “Buon Natale” (Merry Christmas) at every turn.
“Let me in!!”
Of course, Christmas is also on December 25th but the celebrations don’t stop until after La Festa dell’Epifania (The Feast of the Epiphany) when on the Eve of the Epiphany (January 4th) the Befana (witch) delivers candy to all the good children and brings coal to all the naughty children. Wiki Link on the Befana. My intimate knowledge of this subject comes from Julia’s children’s books. Basically, what I’ve learned is that the Befana went to bring the baby Jesus sweets and sweep up his room since his new mother would be exhausted. So now on the Eve of January 4th, she comes and sweeps up little childrens rooms and gives them candy.
A stroll on the streets of Lake Como
The lights on the Duomo in Milan are gorgeous, and we’ve read about other cities that have wonderful presepios or stunning decorations but our absolute favorite is seeing the light display in our own town of Lake Como. Images are cast across buildings, churches and even the streets and municipal buildings.
Some shops in the main piazza
Another angle
We loved the “icicles” hanging off the ledge
The “snow” would cascade down the buildings
Como’s Teatro Sociale
Even the otherwise boring government buildings join the party
“Friends of Como, Merry Christmas”
Another wonderful tradition in Lake Como is the market that assembles for several weeks in the winter months – right in the main square, the Piazza Cavour. Here, you’ll find vendors of meats, cheeses, breads, goods and our personal favorite – vino cotto (cooked wine), which is commonly known as mulled wine.
“Make mine a double please!”
*Now that another year has passed, please enjoy some of our Christmas posts from this past season.
