Como to meet Dad, not Clooney!

A GPS is great.  You can set it to avoid tolls and to take scenic routes.  We had another short distance to travel to Como and took the scenic route.  We stopped in a terrific little town, Brivia, for a break. It sits on a quiet river and is a lovely old historical town. We stopped for gelato and enjoyed it while soaking up sun on the riverside.  We walked the length of town and ended up for a coffee in the local caffe.  We were the only women and we even asked if we were allowed to be there! There were tables of men playing a rousing game of cards, others were watching and others watched us!  A trip to the loo was a discovery.  This was the local bocce hall and there was a fierce game taking place in the back where 2 indoor pitches were based.  Much like our curling history in Canada! So we took our break there enjoying the friendly rivalry between the men, of many generations, who clearly knew each other.

We drove on to Como and found our way through the maze of "traffico limitato" to our next flat, thanks again to GPS.  We made it safely and with the least trouble and no carabinieri (police).  Our goal has been to hook up with Dad while he was in Italy. Each time we were on skype with him, he was excited to meet up with us and for us to join his group on the boat cruise around Lake Como.

Since we had arrived the day before meeting Dad, we walked to the lakefront and determined where the tourist boats would leave from and who their captain would be.  We also had time to see some of the sites such as the Duomo and San Fidele Churches.  A coffee on the roof of the local department store offered a great view too. And of course, a little retail therapy and a few Aperol Spritz (our new sundowner) were also a welcomed break. 

The Duomo from the roof of the department store

We met up with Dad and joined his group on their tour of Lake Como

Villas on Lake Como

Looking back at the dock and the town

The G20 Summit was held here

Looking out towards Bellagio and area around Lake Como

Dad was pretty excited to meet up with us, he told us he prayed for it to happen.

Dad and Father Paul with a great historic photo of the old town of Como

Dad and Antonio, the bus driver.

We saw the group off again and set off once more on our own explorations. Renting apartments is the way to go we decided, as we could eat in our out. After having enjoyed a meal on our balcony, we decided to go out. Our dinner in Como was at an Osteria that Corine and Jenny Walhout discovered last October. 

A view across Lake Como to the funicular that takes you up to the lookout

A great motivation to diet! 

Osteria del Gallo is filled with wine bottles and all sorts of roosters! 

Monique chooses a Barolo and then examines for another!

Really enjoyed the Relais

Truth be known we were deeply engrossed in a lovely lunch enjoying wifi when we suddenly realized we should be moving on to the Relais Musella Winery. We had a good laugh, raced back to our flat on the piazza Erbe to pack and were grateful that Musella was only a short drive from Verona.

We were greeted by Pierrot who showed us to our really nice room, a separate living room and most importantly around the winery.  We chose this Relais because of the fact that it produces Amarone, one of our favourite red wines.  Pierrot was kind enough to take us through the production stages and to the barrel cellar.  Along the way he explained that the winery is bio-ethical.  They grow vegetables between rows of the vines. These are, in turn, composted into the soil to strengthen the minerals in the earth for a better tasting wine. They are also doing some experimenting with egg shaped containers to hold or age wine.  He explained that the egg shape has no corners or edges and therefore no sediment would collect and instead the wine would move around as a whole.  Pierrot explained that the owners hope to have the eggs made of wood soon so that the wine can take on the richness that wood provides during aging. 

The gate to the relais' private compound.  

Inside the compound, the olive trees in the middle and our room, first door on the left.

Where the wine is produced- a huge building that backs off the property quite far - hard to see from this picture.

Gate to the fields and to the small river that runs through their land- it remains at 15'C all year long as the water comes from within the mountains. 

Breakfast in the morning before we leave- too bad we didn't have more time to relax here - an ideal location.

Monique complaining that we have to leave...

After settling in to our space we were given the recommendation to head to Sirmione, a little medieval town in the lago di Garda, a short enough drive away.  We headed there for dinner but walked through the town first to photograph the old castle complete with drawbridge!  It sits on a peninsula that juts into the lake.

The Castle and draw bridge in Sirmione. 

Sirmione

We ended our evening with a delicious bottle of Amarone Riserva 2008 in front of the fire place in our private little living room.  After a good nights rest and breakfast at the Relais we packed up and headed for Como.  Our car is beginning to get full as we enjoy some retail therapy, even shopping at the Relais!

....my Verona!

You actually have to sing title to the tune of "my sharonna"...

We posted on FB that we landed well and we did. We drove from Colle Santa Lucia through another mountain pass and after a while the terrain changed from the rock face of Dolomites to the vineyards of the Valpolicella region.
Monique did the driving over the many switch backs - her first mountain pass - with lots of stops to get out and wander around. Warm days on the snow - corn snow for skiers. We crossed the Padoi Pass midmorning and already the sun was strong and warm.

Ski runs from the top of Padoi Pass - snow was still pretty thick on the slopes though getting mushy.

One of my favorite things to do - stop and have a real coffee!

View from a coffee!

Looking down the other side of the pass. 

This is the range of mountains that sits atop the pass. Shame the cable car was not open.

Note the cable car hanging in the air - stopped. No wind today. 

For we wine lovers it was equally as beautiful as the mountains!  We rented an apartment called Lady Verona in the centre of the old town, not realizing we would be at the heart on Piazza Erbe. We also did not know our balcony would be huge and face into square, be adorned with original frescoes, or that the interior would be so lux! We sleep under a fresco on the ceiling, walk through stained glass doors to he balcony and have a new kitchen and loo that make life rather comfortable here. Note that most Italians like to close up shop for lunch and a siesta and since its well into 20'C here, a midday Aperol Spritz on the balcony is perfect. 

Piazza Signori

PIazza Erbe

Piazza Erbe at night, from our balcony. 

The other side of Piazza Erbe. 

Our evening wine tasting. 

We are also enjoying dining out, having been given a list of recommended restaurants from the director of the local Int'l school. At trattoria Pompiere they slice all the local salami, prosciutto and Parma ham you want. The slicer stands in the corner with a huge stand up slicer, shelves of smoked meats around him. He comes to your table to make suggestions. This place also won awards for best Tiramisu. 

A pesceria trattoria served a selection of raw seafood and then black giant prawns (squid ink in tempura) that was also outstanding.

El Chef! 

Lunch on the balcony with an Aperol Spritz

Fresh Pasta! 

We are not here only to eat, there is so much to see and do. We walk everywhere and we seem to know the side streets as well as main ones to get to the sites already. The art work in the churches is phenomenal. The Duomo alone can take hours to visit. And then the Anastasia seems to out do it. We purchased a ticket to tour the four main churches here, each with their own large selection of artwork and antiquities. Tonight we will go to a smaller church that is now a concert venue. We will see a medley of "the best arias and selections" from various composers.  After all, Verona is the city of music so they say. Unfortunately we are here before the big concerts start in the arena.

View over the city.

Il Duomo - the cathedral - quite spectacular.

A propos for the Easter season- in Il Duomo. 

The remaining Ala of the Arena. 

The reliefs on our balcony walls.  

Loved our apartment a flat of the original Mazzanti house, now owned by a count.  

Our ceiling! 

Madonna Verona - from 380AD - she stood right out in front for us. 

The Monday-Friday market stalls on the Piazza. 

Our entrance through Piazza dei Signori 

San Zeno on the other side of town. 

Tryptich inside San Zeno

Castelvecchio

Borsari Gate

De Gavi Arch

Inside Santa Anastasia

Corine believes these two to be the inspiration of Jim Henson's hecker muppets. 

Not these as despite being kept behind a net, they seem quite happy in comparison. 

One day we were at the market where a charming salesman sold us fresh tuna, trout and scallops. Travelling with a chef has its advantages!

The roman arena is one of largest amphitheatres still surviving. This is where Opera season comes alive. 

One night our piazza is home to what appears to be a television show.  All the market stalls have been removed and the stagehands are here setting up for the "spectacula".  We thought we recognized one of the actors from a previous encounter that day so in true paparazzi style we hauled out our cameras to try and capture a photo or two.  Given our balcony has various plants and shrubs on it, we laughed and pretended to be real paparazzi to capture just the right photo.  While none of them turned out enough for "the press" we had a giggle about how it felt to be paparazzi.

Tomorrow, we're off to Musella Winery where we will be enjoying our favourite wine, Amarone