LakeComo_2026

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Menaggio, Italy on Lake Como 2026

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Yesterday I had made my way to the Corviglia police station where the Waldhaus Am See shuttle picks up people at the end of the ski day. A young lady standing there called out to me in German and switched to English for me. I'd ridden the hotel shuttle with them the previous day and yesterday morning. It was a daughter with her father. I enjoyed a pleasant conversation with her and her father with her acting as the interpreter. She spoke German, English, and Serbian as that was where her father was originally from. They live in Zurich now. The father was delighted to learn I was traveling to Lake Como and then onto Zermatt as these are some of his favorite places. I ran enter the daughter again this morning as the shuttle took me to the train station before continuing on to the ski area. She's studying 'business pyschology'; I wonder where that degree leads? I expressed my thanks for our chats.

When I requested the shuttle to the train station this morning, I asked the young female receptionist how was she. Her response was, "I'm tired". I share this because it's influencing my general view of Swiss folks.

At the train/bus station, I found a kiosk to purchase a ticket. Two prices were listed; one for 'half-fare' or 'full-fare' with a dramatic difference in price. I went into the infomation desk thinking 'half-fare' maybe included a senior discount? The young woman that helped me was the most pleasant person I'd encountered yet. 'Half-fare' is if you purchase a special pass for 100+ CHFs. That was ok, but whe didn't stop there. I needed a reservation for the bus I wanted and ... gotta love beaucracy ... she couldn't sell me one because it was less than an hour before the bus departed. She sold me a ticket though and said I'd have to ask the bus driver if they'd let me on the bus. And if not, she was happy to refund the ticket cost and help me find another route to Menaggio, Italy.

The first question from the bus driver was, "do I have a reservation?" I said, "no", and he said I'm sorry you can't ride this bus. Hmmm I thought, the bus only had two women on it? It's far from full. Then the driver quickly said he couldn't sell me a ticket because I didn't have a reservation. So I showed him my ticket that I'd just purchased at the information office. He said, "Ok, you can get on board." He elaborated by grumbling about summer tourists not having reservations. I can go along with that. I'd be ok if this bus were full, but it's almost empty! I knew I had alternatives, but I was very happy to be on this particular bus as it was a straight shot. I gave him a big tip once we reached Menaggio hoping it would lighten his mood for the next tourist.

I'm definitely checking into 'reservations' before my trip from Menaggio, Italy, to Zermatt, Switzerland.

In my brief and limited geographical exposure to Switzerland on this trip, I'm finding several items. The transportation may be timely, but purchasing a ticket isn't as easy as in Germany or Italy. People verge on the grumpy and overworked. Maybe it comes from just one to many tourists. I just saw an article that the Swiss will be voting in June on a proposal restricting the country's population to 10 million people starting in 2030. It's currently at 9 million. It fits with attitudes across the western world of 'no more immigrants'. But maybe too the Swiss are tired of sharing their tiny beautiful country with outsiders.

The trip from St Moritz to Menaggio is unique and spectacular! The road travels through tiny village after tiny village sometimes with barely enough clearance for the bus to pass on the narrow roads. The mountain ranges on each side rise dramatically to jagged snow covered peaks. It passes several more ski areas with dramatic trams reaching the tops of some of those jagged peaks. I noticed the stream was flowing to the northeast. And then the road came to a precipice. The road switched back and forth down this very steep slope covered in trees. Even by Alp standards it made a multitude of switchbacks. The bus took up all the road at each turn. The character of the dramatic valley started to change. There was less snow. It was very narrow. The stone homes and barns had thick stone roofs with bright green moss. We passed a tram clearly there to give workers access to a water storage system hundres of meters above the road. There was a large flood control section through the middle of a collection of homes to catch water coming from a side canyon. If I'd been in a car I'd be stopping frequently to enjoy the sights.

Shortly after crossing from Switzerland into Italy, the bus stopped in the town of Chiavenna for a bio-brake. Pleasantly, the driver announced the 10 minute stop in German then Italian AND THEN came back and told me in English; his thoughtfulness both surprised and delighted me. We continued on passing the northern tip of Lake Como then down the western side of the lake through multiple tunnels and small villages clinging to the steep valley sides before arriving in Menaggio.

I was hoping to visit the grocery store first because I knew the place I was staying was a bit of an uphill walk. No, it was siesta so the stores were all closed. I managed the local bus up the hill but some searching and walking remained.

I'm very happy with the place I chose. Well, it could be closer to the water! But the views and the patio are marvelous. The place is just under a mile and 400ft downhill to the nearest grocer. The route weaves through expensive villas, hotels, and regular homes along very narrow sloping cobblestone walkways. Definitely an old world charm when going downhill - and good for the heart and leg muscles on the climb back up!

I have a week here to explore the villages around Lake Como and relax.

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I felt like I was moving slowly this morning. A sliver moon was rising over Lake Como and the village of Bellagio as seen from my patio. I was not keen on walking down to the ferry. It is about a mile.

I purchased a ticket and the clerk pointed to the ferry. What eloquent timing! I walked on and with a few minutes was headed across the lake toward the village of Bellagio. It was very quiet; me, three other passengers, and three cars. It took about 15 minutes to make the crossing.

I spent the day walking the medieval passageways and visiting other sites in the area. All told I walked about 8 miles today. Only mid afternoon did more tourists show up. Unfortunately several of the places visited were closed - winter season. I still enjoyed my time exploring in the crisp cooler air with the sun shining. I was asked multiple times for directions; I guess I looked like I knew my way around - ? All but once we spoke different languages, but managed to convey information.

The climb back up to the place I'm staying seems to be getting easier each time. We'll see if that remains true over the next six days!

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I find mood on the lazy side more inclined to sit rather than bursting forth out the door to explore a new world! The day ahead would be one of grey clouds just sporadically spitting the tiniest of rain drops. I took an umbrella so graciously provided by my host. And so with a start around 11AM I cautiously descended the winding damp stone walkways to the ferry.

I caught the ferry to Varenna directly across the lake from Menaggio. It takes 10-15 minutes for the crossing. I was stunned at the queue waiting to board the ferry for either Bellagio or Menaggio I didn't take note. Since Thursday I've decided to take the train from Varenna to Milan to make my way toward Zermatt, I elected to walk to the train station. I'll have to carry the skis which slows me down.

My gosh! The number of people coming from the train station forced me into the street several times! My first thought was perhaps it's people that came to see the Olympics taking a day to visit this part of Lake Como. Only much later in the day after marveling at all the (very) young couples did I realize - well, yes, it is Valentine's day! There, however, many Americans in the groups of people I encountered. So maybe the crowds were a combination of Olympics and Valentine's.

The style the young women were wearing was borderline cloned. Big black thick above the ankle laced boots with massive welts and soles. Above that come tanned colored tights reaching up to shorts to hot pants of varying colors. The outfits were finished off with black jackets sporting fake fur collars and varying stocking caps. Makeup was clean earth tones with a slight color accent on the lips and darker leaning eyes. When they all looked the same, none expressed an special individuality.

The guys with rare exception were 'meh'. They were often wearing sweat pants.

Varenna is a picturesque village. The many passageways, cantelivered walkway around a small cliff face, and the castle high above the village in Vezio makes it a good choice for a day visit if one has to choose between Menaggio or Bellagio.

I visited the Castello di Vezio, Villa Monastero, and Museo Ornitologico. The Villa Monastero is a garden that stretches along Lake Como for several hundred meters. There was the Villa converted to a museum, but overall just a pleasant walk along the lake. The Castello di Vezio was worth the hundred plus meter climb. It's simple castle with a central tower. However, the patrons have had fun decorating and placing signage about the place. And, if you haven't climbed enough, one can climb further to reach the top of the tower for spectacular views up and down Lake Como. I would have lingered longer here, but it appeared the return ferry to Menaggio was soon to arrive so I gingerly raced down the steep wet cobblestone path. Turns out I had the schedule wrong in my head and could have taken my time.

The Museo Ornitologico for me was the highlight. It's a forgotten stepchild that seems hidden in a tourist office (not sure about that). There is stuff stored in the hallways and the place wasn't heated. However, the docent was warmly welcoming and the exhibits engaging. Birds have been collected for years and mounted using taxidermy. They are organized by local and other birds of the region. Further as water fowl, forest, and alpine birds. The placards gave me an explanation about birds I would not have thought to pursue but found so informative. If you have any interest in birds, this is perhaps the most important place to visit in the area.

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I walked out into the living room with views out across the patio and a sky filled with blue and dramatic contrasting white snowcapped peaks. I worked on the photos from the previous day but by 2PM was feeling the pull of the sunshine. Reading some literature of the area and doing a little online research, I elected to go for a short walk further up above Loveno to a possible lookout.

I walked up to a medieval tower called Torre di Grandola. It's a single stone tower on a tree covered pinnacle. The area has many trails that one can pursue. It was a pleasant discovery so I nibbled away at some nearby paths thinking I'd come back tomorrow and do a longer 6+ mile hike. A short path took me down to an ancient stone bridge called Tobi or Cascata di Tobi, Waterfall of Tobi. The single path lined with cobblestones zigzagged down a steep hillside to the stream; this path must have been built a long time ago. The Tobi bridge and waterfall are beautiful. It appeared to be an old water diversion point. I made the climb back up. Because I was warm I through my jacket off my shoulders while keeping my arms in the sleeves.

Descending back down toward my accomodations, the late afternoon sun dramatically lit the lake and surrounding villages. I reached in coat pocket for my iphone/camera - it wasn't there. Immediately I know that wearing the jacket the way I had the phone had fallen out so I retraced by steps all the way back to Tobi - no phone. I had a strange combination feeling of panic and serenity. The dependence on the phone for reservations, tickets, and directions is monumental in this age; that was the panic part. But the thought of being untethered to the device brought serenity.

When I arrived back at my accomodations I used the ipad to find the location of the iphone. Someone had picked it up and I presumed taken home with them with the objective of returning it at some point with its owner.

I'm on the fence about whether lost items should be moved or left where the lay. I had a very good idea where the phone was and it had only been about 10 minutes. The 'thoughfulness' someone demonstrated turned into a 20 hour adventure.

I made the hike to the 'house' where the phone was shown to be located. It took me into a charming valley with farm houses, steep switchback ancient trail, through more small villages with narrow passways, to finally arrive at - not a house, but a barn! At a nearby house, I rang the doorbell. The lady spoke only broken English, but she had a translation app on her phone. She let me use her WiFi to relocate the iphone which was now wandering through Menaggio and then to use 'FindMy' to mark the phone as lost and to ask whoever had it to send me an email. By now it was dark. The kind of dark with now moon, but just enough starlight that I made my way back to my accomodation.

There were a number of deer I saw both going and returning. They were large and their rumps were very tan, not the white of the deer in the Rocky Mountains.

Although not as adventuresome, I should have just reported the iphone lost immediately. As it turned out, it had been given to the carabinieri or local police. I found that out after they sent me an email. It would appear that it wandered around the area before settling down at the police station. I elected to pick it up in the morning.

On my last trip through Europe, I chucked the iphone of a high rock wall into the surf of the Mediterrean. On that one, the phone survived but not the separate battery charger. This time the iphone fell casually out of my coat pocket. I guess I'm still learning how to properly secure it when not in use.

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After a light breakfast I was off to the carabinieri station. The officer who helped me spoke limited English and apologized. No need for that! I only speak a couple words of Italian! Of course there was the paperwork which required me handing over my passport. I also was requested to unluck the iphone. He had me sign a couple of printed out documents and then I was off with iphone in hand.

I had a late morning snack and coffee while working on the blog a little. Then I headed back up the hill to my accomodation. Half way up the hill guess what I realized was back at the police station? My passport. I kept reminding myself to not forget the passport, but then the ol' switcheru with reading and signing the paperwork and in my distraction (and his) the passport remained on his desk. He nicely called my just before I'd made it back. He smiled, we shook hands, I joked that maybe I didn't want to leave Menaggio, and we each said 'chow'. Twenty hours later I have my iphone, my passport, and I've managed to hold onto my wallet.

That's me for the day. I'm tired of going up and down hills.