Beautiful Lake Como.
One of the must-sees we had pinned on the map in advance, was Lake Como. It was said to be exceptionally beautiful. Therefore, we crossed the Italian border and drove towards the lake. All the way around the lake, there are a lot of small towns and the one we decided to stop in was called Menaggio. The rumors were true. It really is a beautiful lake. The lake has an area of 146 square kilometers and is the third-largest lake in Italy. At its deepest, it is over 400 meters deep.
Flowers everywhere.
We had hoped to be able to swim in the lake, but there weren’t really anywhere in Menaggio where this could be done. It didn’t matter much. The beautiful town made up for the lack of a dip. The closest we can come to describing Menaggio is that the town is Italian-Swiss. The houses have the classic Italian colors but seems to be a little inspired by the building style from Switzerland. Almost everywhere we also saw the same beautiful flower boxes and flower pots, that characterize the streets in Switzerland.
Oh, those emotional gestures.
The streets of the small towns and around the lake are very narrow. Quickly we also realized that Italians have their own fearless way of driving. We got a taste of that and the Italian temperament, in a parking lot in Menaggio. A younger man with wife and child in the car, hit our camper while parking and our rear fender went loose. The husband was calm enough, but the wife was a completely different story. She went through the whole spectra, from tears to scolding her husband. Of course also with a lot of the classic Italian hand-gestures. That’s exactly how the Italians drive too, with lots of emotions and gesticulation.
Lake Pusiano.
After spending a few days in Menaggio, our plan was to go to another town on the other side of Lake Como. On the way, however, we came across another lake and decided to stay there instead. The lake was called Pusiano and was as beautiful as Lake Como. Lake Pusiano is smaller than Lake Como and has a small island in the middle. Although we didn’t go there, we were told that the island has a private residence and the people living there are animal lovers. They actually have a small park, that is open to the public. Of course, you need a boat to get there.
Lazy days.
There is a lot to see and do in the area of Lake Como. There are many possibilities for shopping, hiking, windsurfing, visiting museums and so much more. But to be honest, we just spent a few days relaxing. Besides one day of rain, the sun was out and we were charging our batteries, getting ready for our next destination: Milan.
E&M
– Text: Eva. Adding, captures and photo editing: Malthe
