TRAVEL: Lake Como on a Budget

Lake Como, known as a lakeside retreat for the rich and famous, like the actor, George Clooney, is actually more than that. It is a breathtaking refuge for people needing the soothing nature amid lush mountain range and a sprawling lake, which does not cost a lot to fulfill a memorable three-day vacation.

I, for one, went to Lago di Como during summer with just 150 EU in my wallet. I had come by train from Milan to meet up with my old friends. One of them lives in Como, so she just met up with us there via the public bus. The train ticket also did not cost much, though I had to rush in between stations to catch the connecting train.

As soon as I arrived at the Como train station, my friends were there to meet me. One of them had brought her car along, so we simply drove down to the city, heading for the lake. 

The challenge of driving around Como with your own vehicle is the parking space. You would have to be content with sightseeing first while driving around to look for a parking space that is a good walking distance to the lake. 

Nevertheless, it felt wonderful to catch the city’s street life through a moving car and witness tourists smiling while they walk, children eating gelato at a gelateria, and couples enjoying a meal with a bottle of wine at an al fresco restaurant. We eventually found a space just two blocks away from the lake.

My friend from Como led us first to the Diga Foranea Piero Caldirola, a 300+ meter breakwater dam that gave us a scenic stroll in view of the city's picturesque hills and vibrant coastline. The highlight of this dam is The Life Electric, a 16-meter high steel monument in honor of the city’s own physicist, Alessandro Volta. 

After compulsory photo shoots, we walked back to the boulevard and stopped at Ristorante Stilo to fulfill a bucket list in Como – to indulge in a lavish seafood meal by the lake. 

For a city that caters to tourists, you can count on Como’s workforce to be fluent in English, a language skill that is surprisingly rare in non-touristic regions in Italy. While my friend from Como and I can speak Italian, talking to English-speaking waitstaff, especially with extreme hunger, made it so easy for them to decide on the dishes to order among the restaurant’s menu of culinary specialties.

As by Italian dining tradition, a basket of fresh baked bread and grissini packets was the first food that was laid on our red-and-white checkered clothed table And, to quench our thirst was a bottle of sparkling water, and of course a bottle of red wine, both a standard in Italian meals. 

After just a couple of sips from our red wine, our food orders surprisingly arrived. We had a platter of Spaghetti alle Vongole (clams), Zuppa di Cozze (mussel soup), Pizza Quattro Formaggi (four cheeses) and Pizza Rucola con Formaggio di Capra (arugula and goat cheese), all to share, as well as to be finished by the person with the most bottomless pit, which in most cases is me.

From one delightful bite after another, we made an effort to divert our taste buds to the delightful view of tourists walking along the sun streaked lakeside towards the pier where boats cruising to Como’s famous spots, Bellagio and Varenna, were docked. 

While the view certainly reflected our joy at being together in Como, it also allowed our stomach some space for the must-have meal finale of Tiramisu and espresso.

Afterwards, it was time to get back on our feet and resume our next stop in Como, which was the Como-Brunate Funicolare. This historic cable car has been transporting locals from Como since 1894, and while it regularly climbs about 500 meters up to the town on the hill and down, it goes to show how brilliant Italians truly are in maintaining their machineries.

Brunate, the old town atop the hill, appeared to be a place blessed by the gods; serene, elegant, ancient, cordial yet uncompromising. There was a lovely plaza tinged with olive trees and neighbored by a church. Aptly named Piazza Chiesa (church), it offered a refreshing spot for people to take a quick respite from the heat and order cold coffee and other refreshments.

The church within the plaza was the Chiesa di Sant’Andrea Apostolo and inside its pinkish edifice held marvelous frescoes, paintings and sculptures, all intrinsically crafted by Como’s 14th century artists. Like any Catholic church, there were candles available to light up as offering for the dearly departed. 

Thereafter, we continued to trace the cobbled stone sidewalk along the ancient town’s narrow roads, allowing ourselves to be swept away by the scent of lush pine trees, the century old villas, and by the impressive driving skills of the villagers who were passing along the narrow winding road in flawless precision. One of them was even rolling a tobacco while his knuckles steered the wheel along the curve.

Engulfed by the mountain-fresh scent, we culminated at the town’s viewpoint and rested our senses in the breathtaking panorama of the lake Como, the Italian Alps, and the quaint villages tucked in the Alps’ hillsides.

Gratified by Brunate’s serenity, historic setting and breathtaking views, we hopped on the Funicolare once again and was rewarded with another calming view of Como's grandiose lake and hilly terrain on our descent toward the lake.

Of course, when in Italy, no matter what the season is, a visit to a gelateria (ice cream store) is a must.

In the nearest gelateria that we stumbled upon, there was a flavourful selection of Pistachio, Espresso Strawberry, Lemon, Amarena (black cherry), Hazelnut, Nutella, Raspberry and Stracciatella (cookies and cream). I chose only two flavors Pistachio and Espresso, yet I could have actually gotten two other different flavors because Italian ice cream is traditionally made with raw fruits and real cow’s milk, and is therefore light and healthy, but the food that I had eaten during lunch was still nicely settled in my tummy. Good thing that the path to our bed and breakfast involved an uphill hike that would help me burn the food from lunch and make way for the sumptuous dinner that awaited us. 

To be continued