Italy, a country that has so much to offer to guests: heartfelt hospitality, top notch fashion, bold espresso, smooth and creamy gelato, stunning scenery, and on and on... Our fourth of July vacation was spent in Bellagio on Lake Como. A gorgeous six hour drive from our home, straight south through Switzerland and into northern Italy. I bet you're thinking, driving six hours with a toddler, are you nuts? Ha, hardly. I will gladly take a long car ride over public transportation ANY day with Brecken. Why? Because he's strapped in, that's the real beauty of it. I get to sit back and get lost in a book and he gets to take a nap, it's a win win. We didn't hear a peep out of him during the ride, he was too busy taking in the alpine breeze and gazing at the turquoise lakes of Switzerland, or sleeping!
We reached Bellagio by way of a ten-car ferry that shuttled us across Lake Como from Mennagio to Bellagio. The excitement rose in me as we were nearing the shores of Bellagio, its old world elegant architecture waiting for us. After a quick drive from the port through the winding streets, we ended up at The Hotel Belvedere. When booking our trips, I have found that Tripadvisor has been the best resource for finding hotels and activities. The reviews are so helpful and haven't led me to a poor experience, yet. Surprisingly, the majority of guests at the hotel seemed to be from England or America. Brecken made fast friends with the hotel staff and Suzy, an outspoken British woman in her mid seventies. She would always greet him saying, "Brecken dahling, are you being a fine little boy for your mummy today?" He would respond by intense hand gestures and babbling, only to get more of a rise out of her.
So, to be quite honest, we didn't do all that much on this trip. There's little to do in Bellagio, and that's a wonderful thing when your sole purpose of vacation is to relax. We visited the Giardini di Villa Melzi, walked the narrow streets with many stairs, swam in the lake and hotel pool, savored the homemade food, and drank our way through bottles of vino rosso, Valpolicella being our favorite!
So, to be quite honest, we didn't do all that much on this trip. There's little to do in Bellagio, and that's a wonderful thing when your sole purpose of vacation is to relax. We visited the Giardini di Villa Melzi, walked the narrow streets with many stairs, swam in the lake and hotel pool, savored the homemade food, and drank our way through bottles of vino rosso, Valpolicella being our favorite!
 |
| Hazy days of summer :) |
 |
| Views from the pool |
 |
| The Hotel Belvedere |
 |
| Infinity Jacuzzi |
 |
| Breck was napping and I got a quick break from chasing him around the pool! |
 |
| This handsome guy ;) |
 |
| Pointing at the boats and ducks. |
 |
| Had this area all to ourselves! |
 |
| After a lap around the boats, I had to grab this little dude and get him in the cool water. |
 |
| Quick break before climbing these steps after our lake swim. |
 |
| Gardens |
 |
| Gardens |
 |
| He's graduated the backward slide down the steps. |
 |
| Gardens |
 |
| A statue picture is a must when visiting Italy. |
 |
| Lake view from the gardens |
 |
| Gardens |
 |
| Gardens |
 |
| After lunch stroll by the water |
 |
| Promenade |
 |
| Gelato, again. How can I say no when it gives him this kind of happiness!? |
 |
| Getting a good lesson on mixing drinks |
 |
| Streets of Bellagio |
 |
| Pesto at its best |
 |
| We found a fountain across the street from our dinner table. Perfect. |
 |
| The boys after dinner, Breck on the verge of a good tantrum. |
 |
| Being silly and hiding from us. |
 |
| Just had to bust out the ring around the rosie. |
No comments:
Post a Comment