ST. TRAVELS

Three days on Lake Como:  We’ve had a great time in Varenna.  I have three days to catch up on… 

Wednesday, June 24:  Sue booked in advance a kayak tour near Bellagio.  We took a ferry ride across the Lake to that little town and walked up the hill behind it, about 500 stone steps, over the hill to the hamlet of Pescallo, where we meet our guide, and glided away in a two-person kayak.  We paddled around the hill that hides Bellagio from the center of the Lake, tried to steer straight in a liberal left-leaning kayak, and dodged the occasional Ferry boat.  There is no better way to enjoy the view of Italian villages than from the water!  In the afternoon we found gold in the mint green mojitos at the shore-front cafe.  It is easy to stay fit, walking the hills through pebble-stone alleyways ; )  

Thursday, June 25:  Our second full day was all about cooking. Chef Moreno Maglia owns the restaurant/house that has been in his family for 500 years!  Inside this very old house is Ristorante il Caminetto, where he taught us how to make fresh pasta the correct way, as well as gnocchi di patate della nonna, fresh tortellini stuffed with a ricotta-vegatable combination served with fresh pomodora and a salmon-stuffed puff pastry.  All were divine.  I took notes while Sue took pictures during this six-hour marathon that took us from fresh eggs and durum wheat flour to the tasting of all things created that day.

A Note On Italian Style:  Italians are more stylish than Americans, in general, and proper presentation is important.  I saw this in action at the Milug Bar on the shore of Lake Como in Varenna.  A table ordered two croissants with their espresso, and upon removing two croissants for the order, the young waitress spend 30 seconds rearranging the two left behind to make their presentation more centered on the plate.  A time management consultant might see that as 30 seconds wasted on inefficiency.  But after leaving to serve her table, an older waiter then stepped up to the croissants on display and reviewed the presentation of the two remaining.  The younger waitress had not done enough.  He proceeded to change the angle of croissants to each other, reviewed it again, then nodded his approval and lowered the lid.  Presentation of most things is just a little bit sharper here than elsewhere. A parade of people flow by in front of me as I watch from my table in the cafe. It is Saturday on Lago di Como, and the weekenders are now mingled with the tourists.  I’m beginning to be Italian, as I sit in the cafe, using my untrained eye for style, and trying to determine what country, or at least continent, is each person’s home.

Friday, June 26: Today was a day of complete relaxation and freedom. After a late breakfast, we ambled down to the town with our laundry, and sat in a cafe on the waterfront watching people as the laundromat did its thing. I talked with a man from Park City, Utah, who retired here, and now rides his bicycle 70 km around portions of the lake four days a week, with a stop for lunch before boarding the ferry at his half-way point. Ted did his usual swim in the lake while Sue edited photos. Tonight we are going back to Moreno’s restaurant for dinner at 8:30 pm.