The magic of lake Como
21 Jul 2022
The magic of lake Como
Lake Como is a magnificent place to visit, and its beauty is only enhanced by the interesting towns and villages that dot its shores. Perhaps one of the most well-known of these villages is Bellagio, which sits at the tip of the middle of the lake. Bellagio is home to many little shops and restaurants, as well as a lovely promenade where visitors can take in the stunning views. The magnificent Villa Serbelloni hotel is the icing on the cake with its fabulous positioning overlooking the lake.
If you're looking for an enjoyable and relaxing way to travel from Como to Bellagio, then taking the ferry is the way to go. The journey only takes about 20 minutes, and during that time you'll get to enjoy some of the most stunning views of the Italian countryside. So, if you're debating whether to take the ferry, or drive, just do it – you won't regret it!
On one of many trips to lake Como we had travelled by ferry from Cernobbio to Bellagio where we had a fabulous time and on the return ferry, we had a meeting that would enrich our lives.
Judith and I were sat on the open top, the sun was shining and there was a gently breeze. A group of school children had got on the boat and rapidly took up most of the seats. We had spare seats next to us and a young man aged about 15 came and sat down. He asked where we were from and as soon as we said Manchester, he wanted to talk football. His English and our Italian was enough for us to talk together. He told us his name was Matteo and he lived in Como. He was on a school trip and was one of the prefects who together with the teachers were looking after the younger children. He turned out to be a mad Manchester United fan, so we had a lot to talk about. Eventually the boat arrived back at Cernobbio and it was time for us to get off the boat. Matteo insisted on exchanging email addresses which we did and then waved goodbye from the pier.
We thought that was the last we would ever hear from Matteo. However, 2 years later in 2009 we received an email from Matteo asking for “hospitality”. He was planning to come to Manchester and needed to stay somewhere. I must say that we were a little taken aback, but after some discussion agreed to “hospitality”. We exchanged telephone numbers and Roberto his father telephoned us, I think for reassurance that we would look after his son.
The day came and Matteo arrived by plane into Manchester airport, and we picked him up. He had grown and had a confidence about him. He was polite and inquisitive. We drove back to our home. We had a fabulous time with him. He was anxious to go to Old Trafford to see a match, so we arranged tickets for he and I and went to Man Utd v Tottenham. United were 2 nil down at half time. United went on to win 5-3. The next day we had a trip around Old Trafford, visiting the dressing rooms and the pitch. The following day after a nice lunch at a local Italian restaurant we dropped Matteo off at the airport. It was sad to see him go.
That year we were doing a trip around Northern Italy and one of our stops was at Santa Margherita Ligure, a very pleasant seaside resort close to Portofino. Matteo had been in touch and he knew we were there on holiday. His father Roberto and mother Gabriella wanted to meet us and drove from Como. They took us for lunch at a fish restaurant and we had a marvellous time. We became good friends and on occasions when we were in Milan for optical fairs we would meet up and on one occasion we were taken to their home for a hearty Italian dinner!
We keep in touch and Matteo is now a grown man and still an ardent Manchester United fan for his sins!
We are so grateful for the opportunity to have experienced Como, Italy and the new friendships that were formed. The beauty of the area and its people will stay with us always. Until next time, Como, Italy ciao for now!
Tags : lake, como, bellagio, matteo, new, friendships