ADDING TO THE 1,000 PICS - Phil & Jill

Beautiful sunny morning - just right for a ferry ride to the town of Bellagio at the other end of the lake. Ferries are the familiar mode of transport crossing back and forth to small villages and to the lakes beyond Lake Como.

We joined the mob and got on the 9.10 am slow boat to Bellagio about 2 hours away. It is just the local ferry and cost 21 euros return for the two of us. Clear blue water, colourful houses to the waterline, expanse of the lake and the mountain backdrop on a sunny day makes an idyllic setting. The ferry just glided along. The efficient staff put the gangway out and pulled it in quietly at each covered quay. I was like a tiger on a hot tin roof jumping from this side to that and out the back as we were sitting at the stern taking photo after photo. My senses were invaded with the surrounding scenery. It was stunning.

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Lots of other craft were enjoying their day on the water too. All too soon we came to Bellagio. As we stepped off the boat we could feel the buzz in this touristy town. It was about lunch time so we decided to take shelter from the midday sun, as it was getting very hot, under the vine covered cafe. Phil had a delicious Italian chicken salad, whilst I had a fruit and ice cream - Italian style!!! Both were yummo!!

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Bellagio is a town built on a slope with lots of stairs and little alleyways. I left Phil under the shade of the cafe sipping his fruit tea whilst I went exploring. Ploughing up the steps momentarily stopping to look at the classy leather bags, or the array of silk ties and scarves. There was an alimentation store (delicatessan) doing a roaring trade making ham and other sandwiches from delicious local produce. So too the gelatarie serving delicious Italian ice-cream. All the laneways had little table for two outside the many cafes. At the top outside the church was a market and a playground of wooden things for kids to build. The church was small and old but the altar was stunning with all its gilt. There was also very fine paintings in many of the alcoves. It was all very solemn with some local parishioners praying and lighting candles.

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So having seen as much as possible, I carefully descended the thousand steps of the cobblestone lane to the seaside to meet up with Phil. We had 5 mins to spare to catch the 1.45pm ferry back to Como City. We duly waited at the quay where we had been dropped off. Other people were waiting as well. I was very edgy as there was no attendant coming to the spot. Phil said not to worry and THEN.......we saw a ferry depart from a quay further up the street. I knew it was the ferry we should have been on. Welll we watched it sail away. It is one of the few times we assumed we would be picked up at the same place as we were dropped off. We know better than that....that when travelling you never assume, you check!! Lesson learned. When I went up further I found a big ticket selling quay. I said to the girl we had missed the ferry because we were waiting at the wrong quai. She shrugged her shoulders and said...it is written here and pointed to the notice on the window. The point is that we hadn't been anywhere need that notice in the morning.

There was nothing for it but to find another shaded bar and have a beer whilst we waited for the next ferry at 4.00pm.

Anyway on board going home we met two nice Australian families and had a good yak. Since being on the tour of the Somme we haven't run into any Australians.

The black clouds mounted over the mountains as we left Bellagio and we thought that we were going to get caught in a huge thunderstorm but luckily we drove away from it and only had the benefit of a dramatic sky.

The delay was unfortunate as I couldn't call in to see George....George Cloony!! His light was on as we sailed past but his staff were probably still cleaning up after Barrack and Michelle O stayed last week. George's house....

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Back at Como after a big day in the sun. I dashed off to buy some salads to have tomorrow when we will be in Switzerland and food is so expensive. It is only an hour up the road from here so not so far to carry it. We checked out the road to take to the station through the next piazza Volta and headed to our apartment.

Beautiful place to visit. The Italian lakes have certainly lived up to their reputation. We haven't been hassled by loads of tourists, it has been perfect.