hens and a swan, huge milk cows in the fields,
and a female scarecrow wearing a checked Italian
housedress. At the top of the hill, we dismount
and gaze down at cypress trees, small stone
villages with red tiled roofs everywhere, lush
gardens, and the azure Lake Como. Pierluigi
points to the distant Alps and says, “Switzerland
is the second mountain ridge over.”
Next stop: Loppia, a picturesque port and
former landing dock where gondolas used to
transport the goods from Lake Como before the
roads and trains. Pierluigi points out three
wooden gondolas which he figures are at least
100 years old. Then he picks up a flat stone and
throws it across the water. It skips six times. “Six?”
I say. “How can you do that?”
“I was brought up on the water,” he says. “That’s
what we do. You try.” My first stone clunks into
the lake. He pick out a flat stone, shows me how
to twist my wrist, and I’m able to make the stone
skip once. After endless tries, I skip it four times.
Later, when I think about the day, I’m proud I was
able to cycle all the way up that scary road, but
equally proud I skimmed a stone four times
across one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
Feature Story
|
Winter / Spring 2017
19
At the top of the hill,
we dismount and gaze
down at cypress trees,
small stone villages with
red tiled roofs everywhere,
lush gardens, and the
azure Lake Como.
!
Photo by Xantana/istock.com
Photo by nut1968/istock.com
