We took the train to Lake Como's southern tip at the town of Como. Here we needed
to transfer to a boat for a trip to our destination, Bellagio. We rolled the short distance
to the docks and noticed a ferry ready to leave. Inquiring on whether they were headed to
Bellagio, they nodded but indicated a ticket booth. So Cal dropped all the luggage with Virginia Ann
and ran to get a ticket. Meanwhile, the boat capitan told Virginia Ann that the next boat out was actually
on the other
side of the ticket booth. So Virginia Ann began rolling two large suitcases, two PC bags, a Camera backpack,
and
her briefcase toward the boat. Cal securing tickets ran out of the ticket booth past Virginia Ann.
Fortunately Virginia Ann was able to slow Cal down and the trip up the lake began.
We stayed at the
Hotel Bellagio
which is located in the town of Bellagio.
Our hotel is Hotel Bellagio in the middle of the picture.
Traveling from Como to Bellagio over Lake Como as the sun was setting.
The lake of Como is of glacial origin and occupies
the cavity cut out by the glacier of the Adda that, in the quaternarian
epoque extended over the two southern branches of the lake before coming
out in the Brianza leaving there morenic hills and other small lakes. Its
passage is marked by erratic boulders which are frequently found especially
on the central promontory of the lake. It is the third-largest subalpine lake
but the deepest of all of them, having a maximum depth of 410 metres.
Lake Como is an upside down "Y" with Bellagio at the apex. This is the view
north toward the Swiss Alps.
From the same point looking north up Lake Como from Bellagio.
Virginia Ann posing on a street in Bellagio. There are very few streets in the town
as it is on a very steep hill. Most of the streets are very narrow staircases with
brightly colored buildings.
Bellagio Church - St.James' Basilica - is nestled in the town without much room.
Originally there was a star at the top of this pillar.
In September 1947, a statue of the Madonna Pellegrino (the Pilgrim Madonna)
was carried in procession through the streets of
Bellagio and to celebrate this special event, the fountain was embellished - the star was removed
from the top of the fountain and was replaced with
the statue of the Madonna as we see it today.
St.James' Basilica is an example of the Lombard-Romanesque style
architecture in this whole region. It was built from
the end of the 11th century to the beginning of the
12th century and was decreed a National Monument
in 1904.