Stunning scenery at Lake Como

After a very wet night we woke up on Tuesday morning to fantastic views of the surrounding mountains so we rushed out to walk the dogs - just in case it all disappeared.  Luckily the sun came out so we could enjoy the scenery all day.  When we walked the dogs down the trail next to the motorhome parking we saw signposts for local walks and cycle trails so over breakfast we googled and found a list of walks.  We decided to start with 'Sentiero dei Forti' and join up with' Colico no 9' which would take us back into town.  We left just before 10am with a packed lunch and walked about 8km, just getting back for a late lunch back at Vincent.  The views were amazing and we did not get lost!  Unfortunately the forts in the first walk were closed (for the rest of November - they had been open the day before) and the river was a bit high, so we had to take off our shoes and wade through, but otherwise it was uneventful.  We enjoyed walking though the chesnut tree forests and passed two huge ranches full of horses.

After lunch we had a relaxing afternoon sitting outside in the sun and then popped into town to have a look around and visit the shop for supplies.  The area around the port is really nice with cobbled streets and restaurants facing the lake.  We looked at the walking map and decided on our walk for the next day before enjoying the dramatic sunset.

Today we took the ferry down the lake to the Abbazia di Piona.  It took 5 minutes and we were the only passengers.  Luna thought it was very scary so had to be carried on and off.

The abbey, which is home to Cistercian monks, is very quiet and we were able to look round the cloister, church and some of the grounds. The church has an 18th century bell tower, a beautiful bronze door and a simple interior. The cloister, built in 1242, has a number of frescoes dating back to the 12th century.  

From the abbey we walked back to Colico.  This took us through the villages of Olgasca and Laghetto, where we stopped and ate our picnic lunch by the lake.  The route took a small detour up to a viewpoint where we had fantastic views of the mountains surrounding Como.  We got back to Vincent in time for tea.

We have really enjoyed staying here and it has been relaxing not to drive anywhere for a couple of days.  But it is time to move on so tomorrow we will be heading southeast to the River Mincio.