day 9 - giorno nove This morning we awoke to a cloudy sky even though rain wasn't in the forecast. We had another beautiful breakfast and then gathered outside to meet a local guide for a more in-depth walking tour. Our guide was so full of historical facts and tidbits about the way of life... Continue Reading →

day 8 - giorno otto We awoke this morning to the bells of the campanile tolling outside our hotel and a bright blue sky. A very happy switch from yesterday's weather, my goodness. Mom and I packed up our bags, ate a quick breakfast, and took one last brief stroll around Castelrotto before grabbing our... Continue Reading →

day 7 - giorno sette My goodness today was a day for the books. We knew it was supposed to rain today but I still don't put a ton of weight on weather forecasts... They were right this time though. We woke up to a partly cloudy sky, so I still had high hopes that... Continue Reading →

day 6 - giorno sei We left Varenna this morning before the street lights had even gone out, promptly at 8:20. We have a tour bus/driver from Florence and it's a full size tour bus. It's surprising that the buses can fit on some of these roads! After leaving Varenna we drove through a few... Continue Reading →

day 5 - giorno cinque Today was so great! We had a continental breakfast and finally had a real cappuccino at the hotel and then caught the 1030 boat over to Villa Carlotta, as recommended by Sarah. We were going to go to Villa Balbainello but when we said we were really looking forward to... Continue Reading →

day 4 - giorno quattro This morning Mom just had to set the alarm for 6:45 am even though we didn't get to bed until almost midnight last night. We didn't have a precise schedule this morning except that we wanted to make the 10:20 am train to Varenna from Milan. It was good that... Continue Reading →