Chillin' in Como

A good night’s sleep was had by all, but the kids still wanted more. “Can this be our weekend?” asked Hal. It was true that since we started this Italian journey we have not really had a day of rest so we decided this should be it.

Court and Garin set out on a morning stroll outside the city to explore a market Garin had seen while moving the car (again) to new parking. It was truly a market for the locals, featuring everything from shower curtains, to fashionable dresses to roasted chickens. And of course, being Italy, lots and lots of shoes and handbags. Unlike other countries we have been too, nobody was targeting us as tourists in hawking their wares, which was nice. Alas, to Court’s dismay, we could buy nothing anyway as our flight from Milan to Paris tomorrow has a weight limit on bags and only 1 bag per person.

After returning back to our apartment with croissants, milk and fresh fruit in hand, we found the kids freshly showered and reading. We then set out post-breakfast to explore a fancy neoclassical temple situated on the lakeshore. It is a museum dedicated to Como’s famous son and physicist, Alessandro Volta (1745-1847) who invented, you guessed it, the precursor to the modern electric battery. He had some very nifty science gadgets including some frog legs which were used to measure currents.

Next we wandered through an industrial part of town to reach another lakeshore walk that led us unexpectedly to another museum in the breathtaking, buttercup Villa Olmo. This one was all about art, much to Hal and Court’s delight. Billboards had been advertising this particular exhibit all over town featuring the portrait works of Italian artist Giovanni Boldini. His specialty was beautiful women during la Belle Epoque period (end of the 19th century) when fashion, music and luxury came together in a cultural renaissance of all things beautiful, including sensual women (and Boldini’s lovers).

Immersed in culture and hungry, we headed back home to Como where we grabbed some immense slices of fresh pizza which we enjoyed in the soothing air-conditioned apartment along with some grapefruit-flavored soda. The rest of the day centered around packing, repacking, eating and catching up on internet. Gelato and a soft rain shower topped off the day and soon our last Italian dinner awaits, probably in a bar on the piazza outside a duomo.