Lake Como, Italy

You might have noticed that to this point in the trip we have steered away from the Mediterranean.  Yes, the warmer temperatures are definitely inviting as we draw closer to latter stages of fall but there is a disease called Canine Leishmaniosis that is prevalent in the Mediterranean but does not exist in the United States.  Dogs in this region are vaccinated but the vaccine is not available in North America so as a precaution we have avoided a lot of southern Europe.  I did feel it was ok to dip into the Northern region of Italy since we were tantalizingly close.  Lake Como is a place that has gotten a lot of hype so we decided to check it out.

The drive to Lake Como from Switzerland was itself a highlight.  Our route took us through the Splügen_Pass and it was amazing. Countless switchbacks and breathtaking scenery made the drive anything but boring.  There were some spots on the Italian side coming down that were a bit sketchy because they were one lane switchbacks in tunnels.  Cross your fingers and pray someone isn’t coming the opposite way at the same time!  The modern tunnels make things a lot easier for regular transportation but when on a trip like this it was a lot of fun to experience the old school mountain roads.

There were not a lot of realistic points options for booking a hotel in this region with a dog so I went the independent route.  I used booking.com which is a very popular booking platform especially outside of the United States to book B&B Villa Rosalinda in the village of Dongo on the northern end of the lake. This is not the most touristy area of the lake but it did not disappoint and nor did our B&B. The hosts Giovanna and Doriano are absolutely amazing. They were so welcoming and friendly and breakfast was wonderful.  All of the food is either made by the hosts on site or purchased from local farms and businesses.  Every morning we had a new selection of cakes, cheeses, breads and meats along with yogurt, fresh juice and all you can drink cappuccinos.  The property is an old villa that was restored by the hosts and has tons of charm and character.  We would not hesitate to stay here again.

From left to right, 1) the B&B villa garden at night, 2) the front of the B&B, 3) our morning breakfast.

Unfortunately we did not get a fully clear day during our time at the lake to get a glimpse of all the mountain scenery but the landscape was beautiful nonetheless.  There was a bit of a haze hanging in the air that obscured parts of the mountains surrounding the lake.  

The village of Dongo is one of many that sit on the edge of the long Y shaped lake.  It does not have the caché of some of the other towns like Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio but we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. In late October the weather was still warm enough to be comfortable with temperatures hovering in the mid to high 60s Fahrenheit but there was a distinct lack of tourists which was fine with us.  Our B&B was in the small old town just a couple of blocks from the lake front.  

Central square of Dongo (left) and view of Dongo from above (right). Fun fact, Dongo is where the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was captured during the latter stages of WWII.

During our time we did a lot of laid back eating, drinking and walking.  We visited a few small to mid sized churches in the area including Chiesa Santa Eufemia, Chiesa di Santa Maria in Martinico and Chiesa di Santa Maria del Tiglio.  

Some pics of the different churches

Italy being Italy, the food was of course amazing and the area was surprisingly affordable.  By far our favorite meal was at Osteria del Bumbardin.  The owner is extremely friendly and a wine sommelier. His restaurant only stocks local regional wines and he took the time to go through the entire wine list and food menu to help us make the best selections.  I had the Pizzoccheri which is a dish local to this part of northern Italy that I had never had before. It was excellent!

Our amazing meal at at Osteria del Bumbardin. 

Another fun place we visited a couple of times was a little local wine shop Seiterre Wine Shop – Dongo.  Here they had local wines in large storage tanks and locals would come in and get their plastic jugs filled with the wine of their choice.  Similar to how a lot of small breweries in the United States used to sell their beer in refillable growlers.  It was great fun to sit out at the one table in front and drink a glass of wine and watch the locals come and go.  It doesn’t hurt when a glass costs less than 2 euros!  We saw one man who had to be in his 70’s show up on a bicycle with two large glass jugs strapped to the back.  He got them filled and then pedaled off.  I think even the employees got a kick out of that guy.

A liter of wine we enjoyed for 3 euros (left) and a couple of local beers (right), both purchased at Seiterre Wine Shop – Dongo.

In the end we didn’t venture too far from Dongo.  There is a boat service around the lake but the schedule is somewhat limited in the off season.  For us there was plenty to keep us entertained for 3 days within walking distance.  The additional logistics of trying to catch the one boat out and one boat back wasn’t worth the hassle.  Save that for next time!