the ten tastings of Como

Remember how we had a great tour in Bologna?  Well, we liked it so much that I foisted the idea on Conrad and Van that we should do another in Como, the only other larger center that we would be visiting on the trip.  Happily, they went along with it!

Friends, we took the bus into Como.  The ferry to Como was either leaving far too early or too late.  We didn't want Conrad to drive so that he could enjoy any beverages that were part of the tour or otherwise.  We consulted the hotel front desk and got advice on the bus, and that's what we hopped aboard after breakfast.  Quite the ride, I have to say!  Those drivers know the route, and they did not go slow.  Oh, and it wasn't a Greyhound situation.  We're talking local/regional transit.  Conrad managed to snag a seat at the back for most of us.  Van and I stood for the full 50 minutes.  Not the most comfortable trip, but ah well.  

We were deposited (on the advice of other tourists who were more familiar with things) at the waterfront rather than the bus station. 

We were early for the tour, so we wandered a little

and then met Davide in a waterfront plaza.

We had another terrific time with Davide. 

The focus of the tour was a little more on Como, perhaps, than the tastings, but believe me, we didn't go hungry.  I appreciated that he answered all of our questions - weather, sports, economy, and more - and then redirected us back to what we were seeing.  He took us through the cathedral (glorious ceilings)

and out to the city wall and Porta Torre,

and pointed out other older structures. 

Como is a handsome little city, at least in the older central part, and in the sunny afternoon we ambled along,

taking photos.

But it was also a culinary tour, and he did make sure to get us some local specialties.  We enjoyed some wine and bites

in a shop where we also sampled a topping made from the lake fish. 

It was honestly a surprise to see how extensively the lake fish was available and served in many forms.  I'm not sure why, really, but it was nice to see.  Another stop was a cheese shop that sold their own cheeses

as well as other local delights. 

Truffle gorgonzola? 

Sure!  We also sampled a liqueur, the Genepy,

which I've had another version of.  Conrad rather enjoyed that one though we did not buy a bottle.  At the last stop, we had a few baked goods, including the nuvola. 

Nuvola is like if angel food cake and panettone had a baby and kissed it with an apricot glaze.  So good.  Alas, the last little small loaf was sold before we could claim it, and the large loaves, tempting as they were, were too large for us to buy.

Davide left us after that, but with pointers on what else to see and do.  And I would have liked to, to be honest - it was a nice tour but there was so much more to see and do and taste!  But we looked at our watches and the queue for ferry tickets (40+ minutes) and decided that we would stand in line and get on a boat back home instead.  So, Como is on my list to go back to and spend more time in if I can.

We had a short wait for the ferry

and then an hour or so back to Lezzeno.  Our dinner plans were simple:  go back to the beach bar and get a pizza and a drink.  A Hugo in my hand, I was happy with the day that was.

a city of towers and porticoes

Hello from Bologna where it has just gone 5AM.  My pattern of short nights of sleep on vacation continues.  May as well use that to post here, right?

A bit of a photo dump post, I apologize.  Towers and porticoes for you.  Bologna was once home to many tall brick towers, similar to what may be found in other Italian cities.  Our walking tour guide, Sarah, told us about a few yesterday.  In fact, our own hotel is in a building that once had a tower, but now there is only a hint of that past glory.  So then, towers:

The porticoes of Bologna are a UNESCO world heritage site.  I’ve seen a few numbers, going up to 53km in aggregate length.  Which will be very helpful today and tomorrow as rain is forecast, and quite a bit at that!  The porticoes started off as cantilevered second floors to make space for students in a medieval university city.  

The first porticoes were wooden, and there are some that remain, all of them shored up now.  

Some are quite grand, all of them are beautiful.  And practical!

It’s a handsome city, and there is so much see.  The rain may confine us to museums in days to come, but at least we had one fine day of weather to see things.