Girls Getaway to Como - Bellagio & George Clooney

Yellow villa in center of photo belongs to George Clooney.

The next day we boarded the boat taxi for a tour of Lake Como and a stop at the town of Bellagio, which known as the Pearl of Como.  This little jewel of a town lies on the narrow strip of land that divides Lake Como into two branches.  The town is famous for its traditional, narrow streets, its steep steps, its hotels, restaurants and shops, as well as for its Neo-Classical villas that are surrounded by magnificent gardens.  During our boat ride we met Angelo who is from Bellagio and now splits his time between Bellagio and Florida (how ironic).  He and his wife have a travel agency specializing in Italian vacations.  He was nice enough to invite us to join him for a cup of cappuccino and gave us recommendations for exploring Bellagio.  Although the weather that day was dreary and rainy, we were determined to shop and sight see in Bellagio.  From town we walked to Villa Melzi to see the beautiful gardens and flowers.  We didn’t pay admission to enter but enjoyed our stroll and the quick glimpse of one of the region’s most popular attractions.  

For our lunch in Bellagio, we stopped at Angelo’s recommendation of Ristorante Bilacus that has been operating since 1963.  It was a relaxing and enjoyable lunch in a lovely dining room.  After lunch we boarded the boat to return to Como for our last night.

We packed our things and enjoyed a fairly low key night back at Touring Cafe that turns into a hip and trendy bar for the locals. Before we turned in for the night, we thought we would have one more glass of vino at our hotel’s restaurant.  As soon as we walked in, my mom and I almost fell over.  Our server looked exactly like George Clooney!!!  We found out his name is Mauricio and he has been featured in several magazines as George Clooney’s Italian Double.  We had a great time with Mauricio as he showed us his Clooney look-a-like materials and brought us the final treat from the Tiramisu Trail...he said it was The Best!

This 12-day trip through Italy was a reminder for me of how important it is for us to see other parts of the world, see history and to have the time to break free from our daily lives to think about things that are most important to us.  Thank you Donna, Katie, Mom and Italy for a fabulous trip that re-energized and re-focused me!

Girls Getaway to Como - Shopping

As Donna and Katie left us the next morning, my mom and I boarded a train to Como to experience the beautiful Lake Como area (George Clooney has a villa here).  Once we arrived by train, we hopped in a taxi that took us to our home for our last two nights in Italy, the Hotel Terminus, that was born from the complete renovation of the first 900 buildings in Como.  It has retained the style and comfortable taste typical of the Lombard aristocracy.  Today, the Terminus serves as the benchmark of the more refined clientele who can enjoy the lovely location on the shores of Lake Como, in the heart of the city.

After checking into our hotel, we walked to the Piazza Cavour and found the perfect place to eat and sip vino, Touring Cafe.  From there, we walked through the historic streets of Como to the Duomo and shopped the markets, boutiques, stores and galleries.  Here you will find everything from leather goods to Italian silk to dried fruits and meats.  It was a lovely afternoon!

For dinner, our hotel recommended Trattoria del Gesumin that was within walking distance of our hotel.  This family-operated restaurant provided traditional and seasonal cuisine and was just what we were looking for.  Plus, the wine was awesome!  I loved my Wild Boar Bruschetta.