Good Food and Views are Worth the Journey
Varenna may be one of Lake Como's smaller towns, but it packs a big punch in enjoyability even if most of our visit consisted of sitting at a cafe drinking aperol spritzes. Situated on the central eastern edge of Lake Como, Varenna is well worth a visit for its lake front ease and photogenic waterfront. Simply put, there probably is no better place or way to see the sun set at Lake Como.
Why We Came
We had a spare afternoon in Lake Como and between the hustle of...
Melbourne's Da Noi restaurant serves up a sunny slice of Sardinia, from freshly grilled octopus to slow roasted kid (young goat). Food like this is almost always wonderfully satisfying, where the taste of quality meat shines through with minimal garnishing. "Honest" food as some other reviewers call it. It helps that the food is cooked well. We normally just leave our meal in the hands of chef-owner Pietro Porcu and this leads to a series of seafood based antipasti,...
Michelin one-starred Ajiro is certainly the temple of buddhist vegetarian ("shojin ryori") cuisine with the foundation of its food being yuba, the tofu skin that Kyoto is famous for. I've been here in both winter and summer and have enjoyed both visits immensely. Beautifully presented dishes are brought forth as we scoop the yuba from a simmering box of soy milk. So this is non-stop yuba snacking punctuated by vegetarian presentations of meat dishes. And best of all, whether it's true or...
The Greenway Walk is a welcome diversion from the glitz, crowds and confection normally associated with Lake Como. This ten kilometre walk runs along the western edge of the lake, with some of the path cutting into the hills above the glamorous mansions. I did this walk last October, starting on the northern end, just outside Villa Carlotta although the most commonly mentioned start point is Colonno on the southern end. It's an easy walk that can be enjoyed by most folks and can be...