Verenna Day 2

We had a low key afternoon our 1st day in Varenna. It is mama mia hot…90+ We had an inexpensive dinner at Victoria Grill. We showed up too early for dinner (7:15), so had to hang out until 7:30.We split a Quattro formaggio pizza, 2 salads and an ice cold beer for 20 Euros, We were lucky enough to sit behind an ugly American who announced she had been an Italy a week and didn’t know a word of Italian. When the waiter wasn’t quick enough for her, she laughed and said “we’re Americans, that’s why we want things fast”. It when on and on.
After dinner we walked the passerella, a lakeside promenade, It is a beautiful town with steep paths with many stairs that I avoided. Of course, all of that walking in the heat called for gelato. Limone and caffe were the 1st flavors. A bit more walking and I wanted another gelato. Ken wasn’t interested until he tasted my new favorite flavor from La Giazzera gelateria. It is an amarena (sour cherry). A beautiful evening, with great food. The mosquitoes couldn’t even ruin it.

I forgot to tell an airport story that Joel will especially like. In Paris, as I was going through security, I was trying to explain that I would set off the alarm. I pointed to myself and said “beep, beep, beep, beep”. As the woman was doing my all too familiar “lady pat down”, she noticed the pedometer I forgot I had on my belt. She looked so alarmed and wanted to know what it was. I said “walking. counting” She called someone over who knew what it was. So, a travel tip: don’t go through airport security with a small device that has changing numbers on it strapped to your belt. For a minute, I had a vision of me face down with dogs on me. Aren’t you glad you weren’t with me Joel?

Monday: We started today with breakfast on the hotel terrace. Our hotel is on the lake, and the setting is beautiful. The smell of jasmine is everywhere. While we were drinking our cappuccino and eating, we watched an older gentleman fishing from his small boat. It looked like such a quaint, old world scene…and then his cell phone rang and he stood up and had a cigarette while he chatted. Old world charm with a dash of 2009.
After breakfast, we walked about 15 minutes down the promenade to catch the ferry to Bellagio. I had my new hat on and was ready and looking good in case George Clooney came looking for me. It was only a 15 minute ferry ride. Once there, we walked around the town and did some window shopping. We took a little tram ride to tour the town and get to the top of this steep lakeside town. We were hoping for an audio tour, but apparently for 8 Euros you just get the ride. We left with no sign of George. All that hat wearing for nothing. It is as hot as minestrone soup out today. I think it is better that we don’t know the exact temperature.

We came back to the room; I poured cold water over me and sat with a cold towel on my head…. I looked a bit like Mother Theresa!
Around 4:30 we went to the piazza in the old part of Verenna to get a late lunch and buy our tickets back to Milan on Wednesday. We ate a little bar called ventisettemetriquadri (yes that is a real name) and had a beer which never tasted so good! They only offered two things to eat so we tried them both. They were called Toast Gigante and Focaccia delizia; all for 12 euros.
Another walk down the passerella for a light dinner at the Hotel Olivedo. Rick Steves said it was a no nonsense staff; I would say it was a crabby owner who was not happy unless you ordered an entire dinner. I had a caprese salad and Ken had potato pappardelle. After I ordered she left grumbling in Italian; I didn’t understand the words, but clearly understood the attitude! I think that she decided to charge us for the air we were breathing…oh well.

We had a low key afternoon our 1st day in Varenna. It is mama mia hot…90+ We had an inexpensive dinner at Victoria Grill. We showed up too early for dinner (7:15), so had to hang out until 7:30.We split a Quattro formaggio pizza, 2 salads and an ice cold beer for 20 Euros, We were lucky enough to sit behind an ugly American who announced she had been an Italy a week and didn’t know a word of Italian. When the waiter wasn’t quick enough for her, she laughed and said “we’re Americans, that’s why we want things fast”. It when on and on.
After dinner we walked the passerella, a lakeside promenade, It is a beautiful town with steep paths with many stairs that I avoided. Of course, all of that walking in the heat called for gelato. Limone and caffe were the 1st flavors. A bit more walking and I wanted another gelato. Ken wasn’t interested until he tasted my new favorite flavor from La Giazzera gelateria. It is an amarena (sour cherry). A beautiful evening, with great food. The mosquitoes couldn’t even ruin it.

I forgot to tell an airport story that Joel will especially like. In Paris, as I was going through security, I was trying to explain that I would set off the alarm. I pointed to myself and said “beep, beep, beep, beep”. As the woman was doing my all too familiar “lady pat down”, she noticed the pedometer I forgot I had on my belt. She looked so alarmed and wanted to know what it was. I said “walking. counting” She called someone over who knew what it was. So, a travel tip: don’t go through airport security with a small device that has changing numbers on it strapped to your belt. For a minute, I had a vision of me face down with dogs on me. Aren’t you glad you weren’t with me Joel?

Monday: We started today with breakfast on the hotel terrace. Our hotel is on the lake, and the setting is beautiful. The smell of jasmine is everywhere. While we were drinking our cappuccino and eating, we watched an older gentleman fishing from his small boat. It looked like such a quaint, old world scene…and then his cell phone rang and he stood up and had a cigarette while he chatted. Old world charm with a dash of 2009.
After breakfast, we walked about 15 minutes down the promenade to catch the ferry to Bellagio. I had my new hat on and was ready and looking good in case George Clooney came looking for me. It was only a 15 minute ferry ride. Once there, we walked around the town and did some window shopping. We took a little tram ride to tour the town and get to the top of this steep lakeside town. We were hoping for an audio tour, but apparently for 8 Euros you just get the ride. We left with no sign of George. All that hat wearing for nothing. It is as hot as minestrone soup out today. I think it is better that we don’t know the exact temperature.

We came back to the room; I poured cold water over me and sat with a cold towel on my head…. I looked a bit like Mother Theresa!
Around 4:30 we went to the piazza in the old part of Verenna to get a late lunch and buy our tickets back to Milan on Wednesday. We ate a little bar called ventisettemetriquadri (yes that is a real name) and had a beer which never tasted so good! They only offered two things to eat so we tried them both. They were called Toast Gigante and Focaccia delizia; all for 12 euros.
Another walk down the passerella for a light dinner at the Hotel Olivedo. Rick Steves said it was a no nonsense staff; I would say it was a crabby owner who was not happy unless you ordered an entire dinner. I had a caprese salad and Ken had potato pappardelle. After I ordered she left grumbling in Italian; I didn’t understand the words, but clearly understood the attitude! I think that she decided to charge us for the air we were breathing…oh well.