THE VIEW FROM CROTTO DEI PLANTANI
This summer we didn’t really take a formal vacation. And by that I mean getting on a plane and going somewhere far away. Instead we took several long weekends which I have to say is way less stressful. And I do realize that by living in Italy I am totally spoiled by the fact that I could take long weekends to new places my entire life and never get bored.
One June weekend we headed up to see Christo’s Floating Piers. After staying the night in Bergamo, and spending the next day litterally walking on water, we headed west, to Lake Como. Although it was pure vacation time for me, Domenico was actually there to meet with clients. One of the most exciting projects he is currently working on is the restoration of part of a villa on Lake Como. Since I had never seen it, it seemed like the perfect excuse for a short break.
Also? It had been a while since I was last on Lake Como. I actually spent quite a bit of time in this part of Italy while working on my book Villas on the Italian Lakes. (Long out of print, sadly. But you can still find copies online, including the French edition which seems to cost less).
Beyond booking a hotel for our three nights in Como I made almost no plans before arriving. These days, when I’m not working, the most luxurious thing I can think of is to play it by ear. I know this sometimes means I miss out on things, or don’t get into the ‘best’ restaurant. But there is a lot to be said for not over planning.
And in this case, it worked out just fine. And since it did, I thought I’d share where we ended up, so you don’t have to do so much planning if you end up on Lake Como too.
On Thursday we got up at the crack of dawn to see the Floating Piers. So we were finished and done by 11am. We decided to head directly west, to Lake Como, and figure out where to eat lunch once we got to the lake. Rather than taking the autostrada all the way to Cernobbio, which is on the south west tip of the lake, (and would have been the quickest) we decided to drive up the east side of the lake, and take the car ferry across from Varenna, and then drive down the west side of the lake to Cernobbio. Why? I thought it was to enjoy even more of the amazing scenery of the lake. And while that was certainly true, it turns out Domenico had an ulterior motive.
Surprise, surprise: the Moto Guzzi Museum is located halfway up the Eastern shore of Lake Como, in Madello del Lario. Domenico pretended like it was a fortuitous coincidence, but….really? Anyway, the museum was pretty cool, but I was most certainly the only girl for miles.
I was hoping to find the perfect lakeside restaurant before we tackled the museum, and we did. We stumbled upon Il Giardinetto, and had persico from the lake, and a crisp cold glass of white wine with a lake view. Perfect.
We then headed up to Varenna, which looked darling, and which I’d love to come back to one day. But we were there to catch the ferry and so hopped right on . It’s really a great way to see the lake, because you can look north, towards the mountains, and south, towards the two fingers of the lake.
Once we debarked we headed down the coast to our hotel in Cernobbio. The Hotel Regina Olga is definitely old school, and maybe a bit worn at the edges, but our room was big, comfortable, affordable, clean and had a great view of the lake.
Our first dinner was the only one I had planned. The Market Place is one of the newest restaurants in Como, opened by chef Davide Maci. It’s part of the trend in Italy of high end creative cuisine, in a relaxed setting. It’s located in a nondescript area of Como, but that’s ok. The food is the thing here. What I loved best? The cocktail that was served in an antique teacup. One of the best I’ve had in s long time: cognac, pineapple reduction, lime, green tea and franciacorta. I also loved the Baccala stuffed ravioli and the perfectly cooked orata on top of humus with pickled kumquats.
The next day while Domenico was at the site, meeting with clients, I discovered a magical garden: Giardino della Valle. It meanders down a hill, and even though I got caught in a summer shower, I was completely seduced by it’s abandoned charm.
I met up with Domenico and his clients for lunch at Villa D’Este. Which, if you haven’t heard of it, is one of the great hotels of the world. Really. Believe me. I’ve stayed there in the past (oh the days of expense accounts!) Anyway, if you can’t afford to stay there, eating lunch and having a walk around the gardens is the next best thing.
We had lunch in the garden, by the pool. I had fried fish with tartar sauce. It was kind of like country club food but in a very good way Even though we had WAY too much wine, we decided to take a long walk up a big hill. Villa d’Este has one of the most beautiful gardens on the lake and if you see only one garden while you are there, make this the one. We walked all through the formal part, and even made it up to the faux towers at the top. The string of towers were built by a previous owner, so that her husband could play war games. Kind of like an old fashioned Xbox. We enjoyed well deserved drinks on the hotel terrace after our walk
That night we met up with Domenico’s clients again, this time for dinner at boat club full of locals. Ristorante La Baia Di Moltrasio is hard to get to (we had to park way up the hill and walk down) and only has a few tables. But since the tables are on a narrow terrace hanging out over the water, it’s worth the effort.
Our final day was spent on the water. As it should be. If you really want to get a sense of the lake, make sure you get yourself on a boat. There are organized trips on the lake that depart from Como and Cernobbio and other towns, but if you can book a private boat that is the way to go. We were lucky enough to be taken out by the electrician from Domenico’s project who picked us up at the Villa D’este docks for a 6-hour, whirlwind tour.
Because I know you will ask. No I did not see George. But I did see his house . We passed by so many beautiful towns and villas that it was difficult to take it all in. We also saw villa’s belonging to people like Versace and Richard Branson.
For lunch we docked at Crotto dei Plantani and sat on their vine covered terrace, looking out at the lake, sipping prosecco and nibbling on truffle covered fish tartare.
Which, I must say, was a pretty perfect way to wrap up a weekend that left almost everything to chance.
GEORGE’S HOUSE.
PULLING IN TO DOCK AT CROTTO DEI PLANTANI
RICHARD BRANSON’S VILLA
THE VIEW THAT COMES WITH DRINKS AT VILLA D’ESTE
VILLA D’ESTE
THE VIEW FROM LA BAIA DI MOLTRASIO
Practical Information
Hotel Regina Olga
Via Regina 18, Cerobbio
Villa D’Este
Via Regina 40, Cernobbio
Museo Moto Guzzi
Open Monday-Friday, 3pm-4pm.
July: 2:30-4:30pm
Giardino della Valle
Via Monte Santo 5, Cernobbio
The Market Place
Via Gerolamo Borsieri 21, Como
Ristorante Il Giardinetto
Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi 10, Mandello del Lario
Closed Monday.
Ristorante La Baia Di Moltrasio
Via Bellini 4, Moltrasio
Closed Wednesday
Crotto dei Plantani
Via Regina 73, Brienno
Do you have your own villa that needs restoring? Or maybe you’re looking for one? Just ask Domenico, and he’ll be happy to help you out.
For more information on dining in Florence and Italy download my app, EAT ITALY. EAT ITALY is a free app, and contains guides to Venice, Milan, Rome, Florence, Torino and Umbria (and an ever expanding list of regions and cities) available as in-app purchases for both iPhone and iPad.
there is a great little restaurant a short drive from the lake….I Cantuccio…one Michelin star…you might want to try it next time….
I so enjoyed this..thanks for the memories!
Thanks for the suggestion!!
We fell in love with Varenna. Reachable by train. Have a favorite boutique hotel and room for a greater than 180 degree view from a small veranda. Also a couple suggestions for LA cena. I’pm later.
Oooh! Sounds great, what is the name of the hotel?
Hotel du Lac – Double room with lake view (room 22 – Peonia) 3rd floor. Fabulous view from our small balcony with 2 chairs, a nice spot to enjoy afternoon antipasti & prosecco. http://www.albergodulac.com
Restaurant favorites:
Ristorante Il Cavatappi
Via XX Settembre, 8
Osteria Quatro Pass
Via XX Settembre, 20
For lakeside dining all’aperto
Vecchia Varenna
Contrada Scoscesa, 14
By shear luck (the event had been postponed by 1 week due to rain)
we had the best seats in town to watch the annual Festa del Lago, which commemorates the arrival of refugees from the attack on Comacina Island in 1169.
For essentials like Prosecco, Liquore Ai Frutti Di Bosco, and antipasti
Macelleria Salumeria Lillia
Via IV Novembre, 2 – tel. 0341-830198
Wow!!! Thanks so much for sharing all this wonderful information!!
Prego. Anche a te!
Thank you for reminding me of a lovely vacation I enjoyed eight years ago. I also stayed at the grand, but somewhat dilapidated hotel in Cernobbio, visited the secluded garden in the ravine (where I surprised a pair of lovers in a leafy bower), and took boat trips on the lake. Alas, I did not venture past the gateposts of Villa d’Este. My laptop’s screen saver is a photo that I took from the terrace at Villa del Balbianello, looking up the lake towards Bellagio. I could gaze at that tranquil scene forever!
June
What a wonderful write up of this great week end trip, thanks for the detailed descriptions of all
the places , I felt as if I was on the trip myself!
Would love to go and see all of this one day.
Thanks for all your great info.
Kind regards
Helen Fisco
Looks lovely! Truly stunning photos of a beautiful place. Sadly, I won’t find myself in Lake Como anytime soon- I am an American housewife in Oklahoma with two small children and a very limited budget. I found your blog while preparing to make one of Marcella Hazan’s menus- I did the complete Bolognese menu from Essentials of Italian Cooking in celebration of my husband passing the CPA exams, starting with prosciutto over ripe melon, followed by Lasagne with Bolognese sauce, then drunk roast pork with spinach and diced potatoes. The meal ended with Bolognese rice cakes and Lemoncello. I needed some help with the drunk roast pork and found your blog, which I have greatly enjoyed. I was wondering if you could point me to resources for two things: 1. how to put together an Italian menu- more examples than in the back of Hazan’s book would be great. Often, of course, I only make 1-2 dishes, but I enjoy making complete, cohesive menus when I have time. For example, my husband would like her Eggplant Parm for his birthday, but I have no idea what to make with it. 2. Foods for specific feasts and fasts, like a person’s saint day, the Feast of the Archangels, etc. I know this probably varies quite a bit by region, but I am only gathering bits and pieces of this from other resources- rice cakes are traditional at Easter in Bologna, for example. If there is any resource that consolidates this information, it would be supremely helpful as it would aid in to of my major projects to enrich our family life- Italian cooking and celebrating the liturgical year! Any help you would give would be much appreciated. Thank you for your blog and your cookbook (I have it on loan from the library right now).
Well, funny you should mention looking for specific menus. That is exactly the book I am in the process of writing right now!! I too love to have entire menus, but find them hard to find. Some books I would suggest are the ones by Evan Kleiman. Her Cucina Rustica and Cucina Fresca have full menu suggestions at the back of the book. Also, Carol Field wrote a book on Italian feasts (I can’t remember the title at the moment).
Thanks so much! I will take a look at Evan Kleiman and Carol Field’s books, and I look forward to yours! Good luck with the writing.
As always you take me to places wonderful…I can almost smell the sea,flowers,and food aromas…..gracie#!!?
Funny about that museum thing, huh–Once we went to Modena so I could buy some balsamico and wouldn’t you know it, the Ferrari museum was only a quick bus trip away in Maranello! And not only the museum, but they let you drive one of those crazy cars for a not-so-small fee! Who knew??? hmmm…nice….:) No, I didn’t drive. But someone I’m married did, just to be polite of course—
Lake Como was our very first stop on our very first trip to Italy in 2003–great memory! Very nice pictures, Elizabeth–
Husbands!
sounds and looks like a wonderful weekend, George didn’t know what he was missing by not seeing you guys ;-).
Thanks, Elizabeth, for this lovely post, you certainly had a great time at Lake Como, the food sounds divine. I proposed to my wife, Vicki, on the shore of Lake Como in 2002 and we were married two years later in Montalcino.. Como is a magical place and hard to believe it has been fourteen years since we were there. Your post has nudged us to make a return trip soon!
Elizabeth,
You should go to Bellagio, it’s the pearl of the lake. If you get to go, try eating at ” Ristorante Bilacus”, it’s a wonderful restaurant.
Thanks for the recommendation. I haven’t been to Bellagio in ages.
What magnificent timing. We are heading to Como in a couple of weeks. We will have our 3 year old twins in tow however so I am wondering if any of these places are child friendly? They are quite well behaved and respond very well to Italian pampering but I would not like to inflict our rabble on the fine dining Italian public unless it was welcome. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks again Elizabeth
That’s great you are heading to Como! I think there must be tons of places where you can take 3 year olds to, however I’m not 100% sure that these are them. Lunch at Villa D’Este where they can run around outside is probably a good choice. But some of the other places are kind of tight, with not much running around space.
Brilliant suggestion. Thank you!