Day 5 Tour of Bellagio and Lugano by Boat 4th Dec 2023

Como 4th Dec 2023 

Weather : Overcast with slight drizzle (2 - 5 C morning and 3 - 5 C afternoon). 

Beautiful Villas by Lake Como 

Today, we booked a tour by VendItalia and we were anticipating a nice day out, After having a quick breakfast at the nearby McDonald's we hastened to the pickup point outside the Excelsior Hotel at 9 am.

We waited and waited for 15 minutes, no tour bus or groups of people arrived. It was strange.

It turned out to be a no show ! I called up the agent and she was rude and non apologetic and told me to write in for a refund. Apparently the tour was cancelled today due to poor sign up rate and they apparently sent me an email stating the fact. To this day (2nd June 2024) I have NOT received the email.

Remember the tour company, folks, Venditalia - totally unprofessional, unapologetic and downright rude. Stay away if possible. 

Fortunately, I managed to think quickly and there was a Tourist Information at Hotel Excelsior which was open. The kind lady managed in short notice to book for us another exactly the same tour, which started from Milan. We managed to catch up with the walking group in 15 minutes, and that was a life saver.

Self Travel Tips 101 

For 'do it yourself' trips or tours, dear readers. Do bear in mind. Stuff and screw ups happen.

So nothing is a done deal until you have completed it. We managed to take some lovely pictures and videos of Lake Como houses and below is one such house. The George Clooney house. Legend has it that he loves to ride his Harley around Lake Como, he once had some bike trouble and was stranded just outside this house. While waiting for the mechanic to arrive, he noticed that the house was exceptionally beautiful and had 11 (yes) chimneys. In the days of old, before central and electric heaters, the only way to heat the rooms were to have fireplaces, hence the house had 11 rooms.

George Clooney Owns this Villa 

We reached Bellagio just before noon, and its a quiet pretty place set along the rather steep small hill. We had a rather unimpressive lunch at Bellagio and then took the bus into the town of Lugano which is in Switzerland.

 

By the time we reached Lugano, the place was raining and dreary. We ventured into a coffee shop for a Capuccino and a double Espresso and walked into the Laderach chocolate shop to buy some (what else) chocolates.

We then took the train back to Como, I must say that the Swiss trains are a class apart. Modern, clean and above all, easy to board and with clear signs for all cabins. 

Mussels Pasta La Vita e Bella Ristorante 

We ended the evening at La Vita e Bella Ristorante and the dishes are as shown above and below.

Roast Pork Dish at La Vita e Bella Ristorante 

If you have 3 - 4 days in Como, Lombardy region, do visit this restaurant. Its a must visit !  

La Vita e Bella Ristorante 

Piazza Domenico Croggi 4,

22100 Como,

Italy.