Lake Como
Lake como is a collection of small towns around a beautiful lake in Italy. It’s easily accessible by train and is a place a lot of people go to wind down from busy city life. We spent a few days here in the city of Varenna.
Favorites:
1. Castello do Vezio. High on the mountain top. This is a good hike. We stayed in a nearby hotel so it was only about a 15 minute hike but I would definitely recommend tennis shoes. I happened to be wearing flip flops and the path was uneven with lots of cobblestone and was harder without good shoes (doable but a little trickier). There is a small entrance fee but we it has awesome views of the lake and surrounding mountains, a drawbridge, you can climb to the top (on some sketchy stairs) and even a little place you can try on old armour. I think they also do a show with birds but we didn’t stay for this (we did see them including an owl). We were there for about an hour which was plenty of time to enjoy the grounds.
2. Bellagio. This is a city across the lake. We took a ferry there and walked around the city. It seemed to have more of a center of activity and had a lot of cute shops. We bought some awesome scarfs at Azalea for gifts. We even walked to La Punta (the point) where there is a little park and you could technically swim in the water. I think it would be fun to take a ferry to a few other of the cities as well just to explore or rent a boat and drive around.
3. Villa Montastero. A think there are a few villas you can explore but this was close to our hotel. It was beautiful to see the botanical gardens and tour the houses. The views of course were incredible.
4. Ristorante la vista. This is a small restaurant with lake views and an extensive menu. We ate ordered the 4 course menu which was way too much food, they have a 3 course which would still be a great deal but more reasonable sizes. Everything was beautifully plated and we could see the fireworks across the lake in Bellagio. Just keep in mind that everything is relaxed. This is the culture, to sit and enjoy your meals. 
Tips and tricks for this area: there is a lot of cobblestone and up and down, I wore flip flops most of the time and it was fine but would have been much more comfortable in tennis shoes. There are a lot of little small hikes you can do around the cities as well. We stayed two nights and although we throughly enjoyed it there isn’t a lot to do here (I think that’s the idea, so you can relax) I think we would only stay one night next time.
Where we stayed: Eremo Gaudi- this was an old orphanage that they converted into a hotel. It’s high on the mountain top. The rooms are well appointed and clean but nothing fancy. We stayed in the rooms above with a view but you do have to take 2 elevators up to get to those or walk 300 steps. The hotel isn’t super convient or close to much and you have to walk up a hill to get to it. We didn’t mind the walk but keep that in mind. Also take a taxi to get to the hotel. We are adventurous and thought a 20 minute walk there wouldn’t be that bad with our backpacks but it was hot and uphill and we missed a turn. Worth the views and the free breakfast for the price but if you are looking for proximity and a high end room this isn’t for you.
Travel: We arrived and left by train. We purchased them online before we left. We had one train delayed on the way out but it was ok because I had the most amazing chocolate while waiting in the clean little cafe by the train station.