Villa Balbianello, Lake Como
In the film “A Year by the Lake” Vanessa Redgrave spent one seductive month living aimlessly in her luxury hotel overlooking the beautiful Lake Como. One month of leisurely breakfasts on the geranium decked terrace of her lakeside hotel, one month of wondering which restaurant she would eat her lunch at, one month of gentle meanderings on lake front tracks – indeed a gentle life of bliss.
I’ve just been escorting a group through the north of Italy, and to experience the pleasures of Vanessa Redgrave has been one of our thrills. We looked out from our hotel over the silky smooth grey blue water of Lake Como watching the boats criss cross from one delightful village to another, carrying boat loads of tourists. We were driven around the lake in our polished mahogany RIVA craft, and were introduced by our charming local Lucca to the magnificent villas of this lake – villas that have seen centuries of history, and people who make history. Photos can’t capture the majesty of many of these places, even though everyone tried hard to!
We visited the utterly breath-taking Villa Balbianello, situated next to the equally beautiful home of Richard Branson. We were fortunate to see the work of Count Manzonni in preserving the history of his exploits and this major building on the lake front. Everything was perfect. The villa possessed furniture and history that astounded all of us, and the gardens surrounding the place were of manicured brilliance. Trees that had been cared for over the last four hundred years were almost showing us their gratitude for this care.
We were treated to a luncheon that Vanessa Redgrave would have been proud of at the Hotel Grand Tremezzo. Seated on the terrace of this grand hotel we had panoramic views across the oily smooth lake water across to our home of Bellagio, sitting so proudly on its dominant lake front position. Four hours later we were finished our lunch and after a short cruise back to our hotel we had decisions to make – where could we go for dinner!
At the end of one month on Lake Como, Vanessa Redgrave made a decision – “I think I need to have one more month here!” But for us we had more places of perfection to see – the grand opera Aida in the Roman Arena in Verona, the intensely sad ballet of Romeo and Juliet at La Scala Theatre in Milan, the heavenly treasures of San Vitale in Ravenna, and now I sit writing this sitting on my hotel balcony overlooking the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal in Venice. I have the privilege of sitting here as gondolas take awe struck tourists to see sights that one only can dream of – but this is not a dream, this is perfection!
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John,
Your words transported me to that lakeshore and planted me firmly on the terrace that Vanessa stood upon. I’ve never been there, but now my imagination certainly has. I loved the fact that she decided to stay another month, that’s one of the best things about traveling.
You can give yourself permission to immerse yourself totally in the experience….with no timelines or must do’s….that’s what makes it gratifying…the fluidity and power of letting go and living fully in the moment. What could be better?
Hello John,
After I read this post, I realized that I had been holding my breath. This is the life I grew up with, traveling in the summers to Europe with my British mother, Cosmopolitan father and two rambunctious sisters.
But I’m not fooling myself. Life is different now. When my husband and I visited Italy on our honeymoon it was all about packing in the adventure. Racing on the Autobahn from town to town, traveling up North from Milan and then all the way South, leaving from Florence three weeks later.
I’m thinking….we need to go back, Vanessa Redgrave style…when we are experiencing empty nest syndrome…and get that peaceful rest we deserve.
Jillian thanks for your comment! I see the autobahn racing tourists too often! “I only want two nights maximum in Paris” people say “I went their in the 60s so don’t need to go there again”!! Travel well and safely!