To continue the exciting adventure (and whether I caught the plane)….
BELLAGIO
After about 2 hours of traversing and stopping on little villages in our Batello, we docked in a town called Bellagio, known as the “pearl of Lake Como”. If you look at the map at the start of the previous post, the village of Bellagio is positioned at the center where the two legs of the lake come together. Bellagio has a panoramic view of the lake. I decided to get off here and have a look at the village.

The village has picturesque stone lanes and stairways with colorful shops along the way. Gelato bars, cafes, and restaurants also line the buildings just in front of the docking station. The sun was warming up so I stopped by a gelato bar and bought a cone before plopping down on a cobbled stairway.

I had a look around the place with my new friend, pausing every so often to take pictures of each other.
From Bellagio, I planned to take the aliscafo which is a fast service hydrofoil but the attendant at the station said that a Batello is coming soon and he is not sure when the aliscafo will be in. At least I knew from the timetable that the Batello would be back in Como before 5pm. Not wanting to miss my transport in Como, I hopped onto the Batello.
BACK IN COMO
I arrived in Como with an hour to spare so I had a walk around town and took some more photos. I did read that even though Como borders Switzerland, it is still very much Italian, complete with people laughing accompanied with the famous Italian hand gestures.

The cathedral (Duomo in Italian) in Como was built with mixed Gothic and Renaissance styles. It is commonly described as the last gothic cathedral built in Italy. If you are interested in history – building the cathedral was started in 1396, and lasted more than three hundred years to 1740.

The roof material (the green colored bit) I think is copper. Did you know that when new, copper is reddish brown in color? Overtime the surface corrodes and doesn’t corrode any further after it goes green.
When it was close to 5 o’clock I hurried back to the station to see what is going on with my transport. Finally my heart soared when I heard the train that I came in that morning roared back to life. I purchased my ticket and boarded for Saronno station. At Saronno station, I bought a ticket, changed trains, and I was on my way to Malpensa Airport. When I turned up my husband was already in the check-in line and there was a great look of relief on his face when he saw me.
As I was sitting in the airport lounge waiting for our flight, I reflected on how gorgeous the day had turned out. I’m glad I stepped out and took the chance despite the threat of a transport strike in an unfamiliar country and culture. The adventure and uncertainty made the trip all the more worthwhile.
Other posts about ITALY:
LAKE COMO – day trip and transport strike (1 of 2)
LAKE COMO – day trip and transport strike (2 of 2) —>You are here
A night out in VENICE
VENICE (1 of 3): A city with no cars – visited during the Regata Storica
VENICE (2 of 3): St Mark’s Square –Where everyone goes
VENICE (3 of 3): Gelatos and Masks
Travel Photo of the Week 8
Travel Photo of the Week 13
Text & Photos by Alicia Davis