Visit to Zurich and Lake Como

Mark made a visit to Zurich to see his niece Lindsey and her family, to celebrate his sister Karen's 70th birthday, and to spend a little more time with Karen on a brief trip to Lake Como in Italy.

ZURICH

It was wonderful to see Lindsey and her family.  Chloe (7) and Owen (5) are getting bigger everyday, so it is nice to spend time with them.  One afternoon, Lindsey took the kids to a local trampoline park to burn off some energy.  Mark tagged along but did not get on the trampolines! ​

Chloe and Owen are in the foreground of the video, in black and blue clothes.

On another day, we took a hike to the summit of Mt. Etzel, a local trek only about 20 minutes from where Lindsey and Mike live.  It was one of the first sunny days in quite some time in the Zurich area, so the area was swamped.  We had lunch with some friends of Mike and Lindsey, who were nice enough to arrange a little celebratory sign at our lunch tables.

And on June 9th we celebrated Karen's 70th birthday.  The kids helped put the candles on the cake, and then they sang "Happy Birthday" in Swiss German!

LAKE COMO

The day after Karen's birthday, the two of us took the train from Zurich to Como.  Surprisingly, the direct train only takes about 2.5 hours, so it's an easy trip from Zurich.  We arrived in the city of Como and then took a ferry to Bellagio, where we were staying.

Bellagio

The town of Bellagio is considered by many the jewel of Lake Como.  It's a lovely place with few cars and narrow pedestrian walkways which hold a variety of shops and restaurants.  Bellagio's central location allows for easy access to many other towns on the lake.  Bellagio can be crowded during the daytime, with lots of tourists who are visiting for the day.  But because the ferries end at about 7-8pm, the town empties out in the evening, holding only those lucky enough to be staying overnight.

Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta

Across the lake from Bellagio is the smaller town of Tremezzo.  Its main attraction is the Villa Carlotta, probably the most famous lake house on Lake Como.  For centuries, wealthy Europeans kept villas on Lake Como as summer homes, as was the case with Villa Carlotta (named after Charlotte, daughter of the Prince and Princess of Prussia, who was gifted the villa in the 1840s).  Today, the villa is a museum, surrounded by a lush botanical garden.

The grounds of Villa Carlotta are about 20 acres in total, with several very large trees including California redwoods and cedars and several plant-specific areas like the bamboo garden, the camelia garden, and the rock garden.  

After our visit to Villa Carlotta, we had lunch in Tremezzo at Ristorante n26, which looked right out onto the lake.  The maître d' was quite a character, and the food was lovely.

Varenna

On our last full day at Lake Como, we took a ferry to Varenna, another quaint town on the lake.  We walked the gardens of the Villa Monastero and had lunch.  The town was nice, but it couldn't compare to Bellagio.

Last Dinner in Bellagio

For our final dinner in Bellagio, we ate at the cute restaurant Dispensa 63.  It is the highest rated restaurant in town, and it didn't disappoint.  Our favorite dish was the gazpacho, and our only complaint was that the servings were a bit small.  But that just left us room for yet another gelato on the walk back to our apartment.  

The trip to Zurich and Lake Como was a real treat, and it was very special to celebrate Karen's 70th birthday with her!