Hiking up to Cadenabbia
I am on my final day in Bellagio, trying to decide
what to do. Antonio Calzolaro, the manager of
the hotel in which I am staying, suggests a
twenty-minute ferryboat ride to the town of
Cadenabbia, then a one-hour hike straight up the
mountain. Even better, he offers to take me there.
We deboard the ferry at Cadenabbia and walk
down the main road until we come to the path to
San Martino. We cross a small bridge and start
the path. Soon, we are in the middle of the woods,
and still climbing the path, which is now all
stairs. Every fifteen minutes or so, we come across
another tiny chapel with mosaics depicting the
Mysteries of the Rosary. At the mid-way point, a
chapel dedicated to Saint Charles, there are no
more stairs, just a steep trail to the top. It’s worth
it — below we look out at all the neighboring
villages and towns, including Bellagio.
When we descend, we don’t head directly
back to the ferry. In true Italian style, we stop at
Vecchia Torre, a cozy stone pub dating back to
1400. The chairs are old milking stools and the
small crookedly tables are hand-hewn. Antonio
orders grappa. “Salute,” he says as we clink glasses.
“Now, if you were Italian, we would have had a
grappa before we started up.”
“There’s always next time,” I say, thinking
about all the stops listed on the ferry schedule I
have yet to explore – Menaggio, Tremezzo, and
Lenno — of course, with a grappa in hand.
Feature Story
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Winter / Spring 2017
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While the interior is beautiful, the
three-level terraced Italian garden at
the edge of the lake is magnificent.
Comacina, the only Island on Lake
Como, is prized for its distinctive
nature and splendid views.
!
Photo by Francesco Torquati Gritti/shutterstock.com
