LAKE COMO What a delightful area for a holiday. Some time ago, I found a diary that my parents had written, of a visit they had made to the Italian Lakes. I read their vivid stories about the scenery and the number of excursions one could take, so this more or less decided us to retrace my parents trip. They had gone by coach, which was a form of transport very popular in their day but to me it seemed that the hassle of having to travel such a distance over a period of days was not acceptable. So it was a case of research and request. I read more of my parents diary and planned our visit. I went to my local travel agent to see what was available for the latter part of September. Thanks to our helpful Travel Agent, we were offered the hotel as below and since it was mentioned in Mum and Dads Journal, we felt it would serve as our base for the duration. We flew to Milan, Malpensa, and were taken in style to the hotel via Como and the Lakeside Road. For yet another year, we landed in rain and did not see much of the views as we splashed through the puddles on our way to Tremezzo. We arrived at the hotel and were given a super room overlooking........thick fog !!! Then the heavens really opened and we had a terrific thunder and lightning storm which kept us in-doors for the rest of the evening. Adjourning to bed relatively early, and a good nights sleep later, we awoke and opened the curtains to see..........thick mist !!! After a hearty breakfast, we watched as the sun broke through and the weather was great from then on.. THE HOTEL BAZZONI AND DU LAC, TREMEZZO • Central location • Superb lake views • Two connecting buildings • Swimming pool • Sun terrace overlooking the lake • Lounge area and bar • Occasional live music • First floor dining room • Hot and cold buffet breakfast • 4-course buffet evening meals with choice of menu • Welcome drink • All twin bedrooms have private bath or shower, WC, safe, satellite TV, hairdryer, balcony or terrace and lake view • Single rooms have private bath or shower, WC, satellite TV, hairdryer and safe • Lift (to 5th floor) • Free outdoor car parking • 140 bedrooms Across the main road from the lake, the hotel comprises two buildings, the Bazzoni and the Du Lac, connected at reception level. Each building has its own lift. The hotel is now under the management of the Luchina family, well known local hoteliers, and partial renovation has been undertaken. There are sun loungers and umbrellas on the terraces with magnificent views across the lake to Bellagio. The rep arrived and showed us all the excursions we could take so we booked a number of them in advance... There was talk of Chocolate Factories, visits to Switzerland, trips up the Lake, trips down the lake, a day over the border in Lugano and a full day in Como.. A special treat to myself was a pre-booked visit to the Moto Guzzi factory in Mandello del Lario, which was a full day out. I caught the boat to Bellagio then transferred to one going down the East branch of the lake. It was a lovely journey but we stopped at every little lakeside village. I could now see why it was a full day out !! I arrived at Mandello del Lario and walked to the Factory. I was met by the guide and for this visit there were only two of us from England. We had a good look round and saw motorcycles being prepared for new launches later in the year. The highlight was the museum where I really turned the clock back, seeing the V-8 which had come 4th in the 1957 TT in the hands of Dickie Dale. THE MOTO GUZZI MUSEUM MANDELLO DEL LARIO A NUMBER OF FAMOUS MOVIES HAVE BEEN MADE ON LAKE COMO NOT LEAST, THE ATTACK OF THE CLONES (STAR WARS EPISODE 2) CLICK TO VISIT PADAWANS GUIDE TO LAKE COMO BACK TO INDEX PAGE SITE BY BBHMG2003