ITALY Lake Como | Day 11

Rest & Relaxation {Lake Como Style}

Having fun at the pool on Lake Como

DAY 11: Jake was in charge of planning the itinerary for Lake Como, so you shouldn't be surprised when I tell you that we didn't do anything but rest and relax --intentionally {there is not much sightseeing in Lake Como}. Jake researched our restaurants and where the pools were and that's about it -- but it was wonderful and I am so glad that he "made us" focus on R&R.  It was much needed and in retrospect, I am very glad that we spent an entire day doing nothing but eating, drinking wine, swimming and laying in the sun.

Oh man, one thing I forgot about our hotel in Florence and here {LC} is that the house cleaning staff came twice to clean your room each day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. It was amazing! To leave for dinner and come home to your bed all made and fresh towels.  It was a little touch, but I liked it a lot. Read the picture below to read about the special room we stayed in.

About Villa Emilia - our exact room!

Our room, top floor!

Villa Emilia on the left

Another angle

I couldn't get enough of our view from our room.

Hallway in our room - seriously biggest hotel room I've ever stayed in.

We didn't watch 1 minute of TV on our entire trip.

Don't you love the headboard?

Our room at night

The lovely bathroom shots:

Classic green marble

Love the ornate mirror

Bidet!

View from hotel restaurant

Grand Hotel Tremezzo hallway

One of the colorful rooms in the hotel

Not sure what this was, but it was right behind our room. I liked the ivy.

Beach day! We spent 7 hours at the Lake!

I wonder who took this picture?

Loving the sunshine!

Our view for the day

At the "restaurant" on the water

So happy!

After tanning, reading magazines/kindles and swimming for a few hours, we took a break for lunch at the hotel restaurant right on the water. We ordered two club sandwiches which came with fries, and water and mojitos. It was 70 euros! By far the most expensive meal we had ordered so far. Of course, we were just thinking about it in euros, but I came home back to the US and remembered about the exchange rate and was like... that lunch cost us $100! Ouch. But, I guess you pay for the view right?

Jake loving LC!

Mojitos and water

Jake's salmon club sandwich, fries

After our lovely lunch and more laying out in the sun, we took a walk and stumbled upon this wine shop called Cantina Follie.  Actually, Jake researched it online. We didn't have reservations but the young man working there let us taste wine anyway.

Cantina Follie

View from our seats

White wine we tasted

We loved the first two white wines on the list above so much that we decided to buy bottles and we brought them back with us in our suitcases. I am happy to report that they did, indeed, make it back to the US safely!

Actual grapes growing above us in the tasting room... probably just for looks, but it was a nice touch.

The goods -- can you see our reflection?

After wine tasting, we got lost drove to this restaurant called Pizzeria Balognett - it doesn't look like much, but the pizza was probably the best we had on our entire trip! I know right? Ignore the white plastic chairs because this restaurant really was a hidden gem. 

Pizzeria Balognett

They grew their own tomatoes!

Carafe of house white wine

Best bruschetta of my life!

Jake's pizza - Gorgonzola cheese with apples

My pizza - four cheese and pears

After dinner, we went back to the hotel.  The Grand Hotel Tremezzo has a very special dessert, which we ordered via room service.  It's a delicious cocoa and almond cake made of soft layers of chocolate and the lightest sponge. It's called Torta Valentina, named after the proprietors’ daughter and created to celebrate her first birthday.  Years have passed and Valentina is a grown woman now, but the cake is still the favorite dessert in it's restaurant.

The Valentina

Good night, Lake Como!