A Mother-Daughter Weekend: From Milan's Streets to Lake Como's Shores
The Start of Our Italian Adventure
Bonjourno! My youngest daughter and I had just arrived by taxi from the airport to our hotel in Milan. The Lombardia was small and quiet, tucked away down a side street about one hour’s walk from the city centre and half an hour by metro — perfect for what we needed for our weekend away. We did not get there until later in the evening after our short two-hour flight with EasyJet, so we just took a short walk around the neighbourhood to get our bearings and stopped at a little pavement café for a gin and tonic.
The spirit measures are definitely different to the UK, as the barman started to pour the gin into the glass and I did not know if we could fit the tonic in the glass too, but I’m not complaining! We looked at each other smiling as we sat at a table outside and clinked our glasses together. This was just the start to a nice weekend away. We headed back to our hotel as we had an early start the next morning.
A Rainy Wake-Up Call
We were awake early, planning which dress and shoes would be appropriate for our scenic day out to Lake Como. My daughter had booked the train tickets in the UK before our trip via Trainline, as they get very booked up and were a very reasonable price. We discussed how it was going to be amazing to explore this beautiful town and take lots of photos as we were getting ready.
I opened the curtains in our bedroom to see the rain was bouncing down off the pavements! Oh no! We both looked at each other and started laughing as my daughter looked down at her lovely linen dress, which would have looked beautiful if the sun was shining, but the weather had other plans. We were in fits of the giggles as we now needed to change into our plan B outfits, which we had not thought about. Luckily, we had packed a couple of dresses, but we were limited as we only had tiny cabin bags.
I rang reception to see if I could have an iron sent to our room, as our dresses were very creased from our journey. The kind gentleman I spoke to informed me I had to go and get the key from reception and go down to the basement to the ironing room. I took the stairs two at a time to iron our dresses in the ironing room — we really needed to hurry up and go for breakfast.
Breakfast Before the Journey
The waiter showed us to our table at breakfast looking onto the patio area, as we sat and watched the rain still falling. The continental breakfast was lovely and the staff were very attentive. The train station was a half-hour walk from our hotel, which we had planned to do, but now we had to order a taxi from reception. Waiting for our taxi to arrive, we stood in our dresses and raincoats, praying this rain may stop before we get to Lake Como. I had even put my sunglasses and suncream in my bag, hoping this rain would stop.
The Great Train Dash
The taxi which was ordered at reception was very expensive for a ten-minute ride to the train station, and I think an Uber would have been cheaper, but we were running short of time to get on our train.
The train station was huge. We were trying to look for our train on the departure boards — there were so many people walking and hurrying in every direction, we did not even know how to get to the platforms. We then saw the queue for the platforms and thought we had a slim chance of getting on our train, as it was two minutes before it departed. I did start to panic a little — if we missed this train, we could not get another, as they were all fully booked.
I saw a train guard and decided to leave the queue we had stood in to ask him which platform we needed. He pointed to platform nine, and we started running with the rest of the passengers to board the train.
As I entered the carriage with my daughter, it had people seated and standing in every available space, even in the aisles, so there was no chance of getting a seat — but at least we had made the train. We looked at each other and smiled; this was going to be great for people-watching.
Lake Como Comes into View
We did manage to get a seat as people were leaving the train at stops along the way. Lake Como had now come into view out of the train window as we were nearing our station, Varenna-Esino. The grey clouds had started to disappear and the sun was breaking through, reflecting off the lake and the mountains as we were now approaching this picturesque town. Let’s get the suncream and sunglasses on and go and explore!
Varenna: A Postcard Come to Life
We took a short walk with the rest of the crowd from the train station into the very pretty bay of Varenna. The pathway wound around the lake — it was a walkable treasure chest of beautiful coloured houses and restaurants inset into the hillside, lining the coast with the tall green pine trees based at the bottom of the Italian Alps.
The boats were bobbing up and down as we strolled along the tiny harbour. Little cobbled alleyways with steep steps led off the main street; little coloured pillows were dotted on the steps, so we sat and had a few photos. There were a lot of people waiting for the ferries, so we decided to look around Varenna before catching a ferry anywhere else.
History Meets Heaven
We climbed the small cobbled streets as we searched for Villa Monastero, which my daughter recommended, as it is renowned for its beautiful photo opportunities. We joined the small queue outside the villa that was only a thirteen-minute walk from the train station, and we paid our entry fee as we entered the villa. It was €13.00 for myself and €7.00 for my daughter (ages 15–25 yrs).
We walked through the old-fashioned doorway to find one of the most beautiful historic villas that sits on the eastern shore, framed by the mountain and lake. This was once a women’s monastery and now a museum with a ‘dolce vita’ charm. The views were breathtaking as we stood in the villa looking out onto the lake — it is a real must-see, and I would definitely recommend spending some time here.
Its stunning botanical gardens are laid out in terraces looking onto the lake. Because Lake Como has a mild climate, the gardens have an incredible variety of plants with so many different colours and scents. It has a tranquil ambience surrounding it as we walked through, admiring the fountains and statues also within them.
After spending time taking many photos and taking in this stunning complex, it was time to see another town across the other side of Lake Como.
From Varenna to Bellagio
The ferries were pulling into the port, transporting passengers to different towns across the lake. There was a long queue for the ferry, and you have to buy your ticket from the ticket office and then queue again to board the ferry. I would recommend buying your tickets online to save queuing. Please click here to go to the ticket website.
The Pearl of Lake Como
The ferry pulled up — it was very busy. We secured our place standing on the top deck with great views of Varenna when leaving the port. Watching the buildings getting smaller against the skyline, we headed for the town of Bellagio. The atmosphere on the ferry was building to discover this next well-known and most visited town, proudly named “The Pearl of Lake Como.”
Bellagio is nestled on the shores of the lake, similar to Varenna but with more character. I started to take in the beauty and charm of Bellagio as we sailed past the hotels painted in pretty pastel colours with brightly coloured roofs laid into the hillside, with Alpine views and restaurants lining the flower-filled waterfront promenade.
We had started to video us arriving into this beautiful town as the ferry pulled up to the dock. My daughter and I stepped off the ferry and there was a buzz in the air — people sitting, enjoying a drink and food at the waterfront promenade, watching the ferries transporting people across the lake. It was really warm now, so we decided to look for a nice little restaurant that was less busy than the promenade to have something to eat.
Hidden Lunch in the Backstreets
We started to wander through a narrow cobblestone street; it was lined with charming small boutiques and shops. It was a lot quieter and peaceful around the backstreets. Halfway up the street, down a small alleyway, was a quaint, tiny restaurant with tables and chairs either side of the cobbles.
We found a table as the waitress came to greet us. We ordered two Aperol Spritz, which my daughter had recommended — a bitter-sweet cocktail that has become a symbol of Italian aperitivo culture. It consists of Prosecco, Aperol and a splash of soda water. It tastes amazing and is now one of my favourite cocktails!
We raised our glasses, smiling to each other, waiting for our pasta dishes to follow. The pasta did not disappoint! The food smelt and tasted delicious, as if it had all been freshly cooked. We both love pasta, so we sat and enjoyed our lunch together, chatting and taking in this little gem of a restaurant we had found, with very reasonable prices as it was not right on the shoreline.
The Most Photographed Street in Italy
On our walk back through the cobbled streets, we stopped and took photos — and not forgetting Salita Serbelloni, one of the most photographed streets in the heart of Bellagio. This wide series of steps is lined with galleries, shops, and restaurants; it leads from Via Garibaldi in the upper part of Bellagio down to the waterfront. It was like looking at a picture postcard — just beautiful.
One Last Aperol Spritz
It was time to make our way back to the ferry port, as we were judging what time it would take to get back to the train station. I asked a gentleman who was a tour guide if the ferry that had just pulled in was going to Varenna. He told me it was not the one we needed and ours was not due in for half an hour, so he suggested we went for a drink. What a good idea… two more Aperol Spritz please!
Sitting in the shade at a waterfront café surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers, with the sun high in the sky. The ferry was approaching the harbour, so we joined the queue. It was now getting really busy. Make sure you are boarding the right ferry, as it is not very well signposted and there are a lot of ferries taking people to different towns around the lake.
The Lake Fades, the City Awaits
We just about managed to squeeze on board our ferry, as a lot of people wanted to get back for the train too. We sailed away from Bellagio and headed back to Varenna, feeling accomplished and missing this quaint town already.
We walked from the ferry port back to the train station, which started to fill up with a lot of people, so we made our way down the platform. A guard shouted to stay behind the line, and the train was now approaching our station. It was about six people deep on the platform, and we were at the front of one of the queues. We hoped to get a seat, as our feet were throbbing and we were so tired.
The train pulled in and the carriage door stopped right in front of me — result! I pressed the button for the doors to open (it was like I had pushed the golden buzzer on Britain’s Got Talent). We stepped onto the train and claimed our two seats. We sat back and spoke about our amazing trip to Lake Como, looking through the photos we had taken throughout the day and hoping we will return.
A Lake Como day trip is highly recommended, but I would warn you that there is a lot of walking so be careful when going in high summer!
