LAGO DI COMO

When I got laid off from the cannabis start up in late 2019, I was crushed. I was job hunting for nearly an entire year, stuck in a corporate job that refused to advance me professionally and fought to keep me at the same pay grade, despite showing facts that I was being severely underpaid. I was seriously contemplating quitting with no back up plan - it was that bad. When I got scouted by a recruiter, I jumped on the the opportunity. Sure, I wasn’t even a recreational user of cannabis nor was I interested in the industry; however, I was ecstatic at the growth potential.

Alas, I came into the office a day after arriving back from my professional pole dancing loss in the Philippines only to be escorted off of the property. That was a blow. I hadn’t been laid off since 2013 and now, having no income with an upcoming trip to Europe was worrying me. It sucked because I wouldn’t see the large conference that I had worked my tail off on come to fruition. Sigh, everything happens for a reason, right?

And you know what? Everything DOES happen for a reason. Because fast forward to 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Everyone was out of a job - both of my former employers were laying off and permanently terminating staff (prior to that, I worked in luxury travel and hospitality - sectors which were suffering deeply due to the pandemic). So…I would have been without a job anyways. C’est la vie?

What does this have to do with Lago di Como or Lake Como as it is famously known? Well, I was having a chat with a floor mate at WeWork at my contract job and I told him I was still going to go to Europe. I had been dabbling with the idea of extending my trip because why the hell not? This fellow was such an enabler (not a BAD thing since I am aways the enabler in my group) and encouraged me to do so. I did. And this story is so important to why extended. I stopped caring. I deserved it. Losses happen all the time - it makes the world go round. I chose to extend my trip after celebrating New Years in Zurich and Como was the first city I embarked on the solo part of my journey. And the first day of my extension set the mood and heavily foreshadowed what the remainder of my trip was to be!

Como was lovely. It truly was. Taking the mere 3-hour train down from Zurich down through the Alps was absolutely mesmerizing. I passed through so many little mountainous towns like Lugano and Bellinzona looked like something painted out of a fairytale. It was one of the most beautiful train rides in all of my entire Europe trip.

Arriving in Como, I had to find my own way to my hotel. I stayed at the Sheraton Lake Como Hotel just north up the lake in the cute little district of Cernobbio. I had waited an hour for the bus to arrive but I guess due to it being New Year’s Day, that particular bus did not seem to be operating. I begrudgingly took a taxi to my hotel (I say begrudgingly because its as 20 euros for a mere 10-minute ride - I’m still bitter) and checked in with ease. The hotel sits nestled in a quiet area of the town with an outdoor pool and just off of the main road and closeby to a grocery store. It also a 40-minute walk into the town Como which meanders alongside the beautiful Lake Como.

After excitedly dropping my stuff in my room, I got changed and walked to town as I had seen many other people doing. The weather was glorious and the skies were clear blue, dotted with a handful of wispy clouds in the distance. I wore some brand new flats I had picked up in Toronto and wore my light peacoat. It was 16F on the first day of January! What?! People in town were looking at me all crazy since it was literally the middle of winter. With the Christmas markets still out and the smell of gluhwein bubbling away, I really couldn’t have asked for more.

While Como is nice, it’s worth traveling up the lake and hopping on one of the ferries to check out some of the other lakeside towns. I had intended to visit atleast two of the towns but only got the chance to visit Bellaggio with the reduced ferry rides as I was visiting in the off-season. Bellaggio is probably the most well-known town in the Como area. Hanging flower baskets, steep steps overlooking Lake Como, pasta shops and little shops and antiquities… It was just so lovely. Reminded me a little bit of Porto with a Lombardian vibe. I did love it.

I didn’t stop there. Although I couldn’t visit Varenna, Menaggio, or Lenno I stayed close and visited up the road closeby to where my hotel was in Cernobbio. In all actuality (and I wouldn’t recommend this), I met an Italian man within an hour into stepping foot in Como who I spent my evenings with and who offered to show me around his town. We had espresso and wine (a lot of it!) as I YOLO’d it as he took me for an evening stroll. Cernobbio is small but has that irresistible charm that you would expect any Italian small town to have. He showed me his favourite spot to watch the lights of Como from a distance, right by the iconic Villa D’Este hotel. Magical.

Even though I spent two dreamy nights, I didn’t eat nearly as much as I had anticipated! I had an underwhelming pizzoccherri and some street meat but it wasn’t until I had visited Materia that I had a real standout meal. The 1-Michelin star was one of the only “splurges” I had on my trip and it was recommended to me by one of my cousins. A five-course meal started at a very affordable 65 euros…but of course, I went for the wine tasting package which was still at a reasonable 90 euros. Amazing meal from start to finish. They said it’s only five courses but honesty I received more like fifteen (not exaggerating) courses. It is well-executed, whimsical and delicious food in a humble setting! Kudos to the chef - it was one of my favourite meals on the trip!

Getting around Como:

Walking - Still notorious on traveling by foot. You can see so much that way. You’d best believe I walked down every single alley and street when I was in Como. It’s easy to meander and immerse yourself in the city.
Bus - Despite the rocky start, I managed to catch the bus and use public transportation on the way back to the train station. I embarrassingly didn’t bring the right amount of change and the bus driver was kind enough to just let me go - such warm Italian hospitality!
Taxi - You can take a taxi but it will be expensive, just warning you. I’d recommend having a car to travel around Italy in general if you’re comfortable with it!
Train - Are you closeby or traveling within Italy or its neighbouring countries? Take the train! Not only is it a scenic and memorable ride, it’s very economical and an easy way to get around the country.
Ferry - Even if you don’t have enough time to fully explore any of the other lakeside towns the ferry ride alone is still so breathtakingly beautiful. It’s worth it. Trust me. You can simply buy tickets at the ferry terminal and cost not more than 15 euros each way per person.

What to see in Como:

Lake Como - Lake Como provides the stunning backdrop to this and many of the other lakeside towns. It’s a beautiful basin surrounded by mountains and is completely picturesque. It’s what you came here for and is the major attraction of the area.
Life Electric - Check out the modern art that sits right in the lake itself right by Como. It’s shiny, tall, and you can’t miss it. Walk along the piers to get to it and to see it up close. It is dedicated to Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery who was born in Como.
Villas - There’s something about seeing old Italian villas. The beauty, the grandeur, the sheer scale of them - just amazing. There are so many villas in Como but the ones I got to see were so beautiful, I could only imagine them in their hey-day! Some of my favourites include Villa Olmo, Villa Geno, Villa Bernasconi, and Villa del Balbianello.
Explore other towns - Hey, while you’re there, you might as well explore, right? I only got a chance to explore Bellaggio and Cernobbio and they were both lovely in their own right. You can spend as little time as you want up to a few hours or even overnight.

What to eat in Como:

Pizzocherri - It’s a northern Italian specially. Buckwheat pasta with cabbage, potato and casera cheese. It’s uncommon to find buckwheat and casera is only source from the Lombardy region of Italy. The nuttiness of the buckwheat and mild and creamy casera cheese make for a very filling pasta dish. The one I had was just okay but it’s inspired me to try try and make this at home one day!
Materia - I’m saying it again, do yourself a favour and book a reservation at Materia, the 1-Michelin star restaurant in Cernobbio. It’s extremely reasonably-priced for a Michelin star restaurant and a truly memorable experience and meal.
Wine - Of course, I have to mention wine. Although I did a guided wine tasting, I can’t exactly remember which wines I had but I had a nice refreshing orange wine. Can’t go wrong with a Barolo which is what Northern Italy is known for.

Reminiscing and writing this during COVID-19 sure brings back such fond memories. It was an excellent start to the second leg of my trip and a foray into solo traveling all of Eastern Europe and Istanbul - a trip to remember.

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