varenna

As I go through my photos, I'm still surprised that places like this exist. Lake Como is one of the few places in Italy I've been to that isn't bombarded with tourist shops and street sellers. It's easy to take a boat from lake town to lake town, stopping wherever you please to jump in for a quick swim.

Thanks to Rick Steves,* I got to read up on the towns before visiting them and learned interesting things like it's illegal to paint your home a shade other than what it originally was. This little town, Varenna, is Rick's favorite. It's got its own quiet charm that's different than Bellagio and Menaggio since it's smaller. We walked through the streets and saw almost no one except for a cute little cat.

It was pretty amazing.

*Seriously, if you guys are traveling to Europe and are looking for a quality, interesting guide: look no further than Rick. Also, if you want a good laugh I'd visit his website right now (readt: it's Christmas themed).