Two Vagabonds & A Lake - Varenna, Lake Como & Emero Gaudio Seconda Parte

The Mountain, The Lake, The Town - In Our Dreams

The last time I spoke of Varenna, the little hamlet on Lake Como, way back in November, we had crashed in the minimalist interiors inserted into the massive stone walls of an ancient monastery after a nine hour flight and two hour train ride. Like so many small hotels in Europe, the Emero Gaudio proves that quality modern design and ancient forms  can not only coexist, but, can actually create unique spaces that render the sum of the parts much greater than the whole. Of course it doesn't hurt that the original structure was built into the side of a very steep mountain overlooking one of Italy's most beautiful bodies of water.

And that beautiful body of water came in very handy our first morning in the Italy of our dreams. We awoke refreshed with all traces of jet lag banished from mind, body and spirit. It was the lake that provided the breathtaking backdrop for our first breakfast on the grand terrace of our little boutique in Varenna. I say little, because The Emero Gaudio only has twenty five rooms. By American standards, that is positively itsy bisty! I must admit, after staying in the smallest of hotels in Europe, I have become spoiled. The intimacy of a small boutique makes one feel like one is part of the landscape, not just a detached observer along with the throngs clamoring to hopefully get a decent room, located somewhere with a decent view without breaking the bank. You actually get to know the staff, the environment and a real sense of the place on a very personal level. That just does not happen at a thousand room resort. "Vagabonding small" allows you to "Live like a local", as Rick Steves points out in his many books, even though you really are just  passing through.

Funiculars are Simply The Coolest Vertical Transportation Ever Invented

One of the most rewarding aspects of traveling  on the unbeaten path is the little things that make travel adventurous and unique. Even though I knew what a funicular was from my days in architecture school, I had no idea that they actually existed in our modern over-teched twenty first century. Well, they do exist at Emero Gaudio and they add to the simple romance of this tiny little hotel overlooking this quintessential Italian village. For the uninitiated, a funicular is basically an inclined elevator or tram that is pulled up and down a mountain on tracks with steel cables.  As I stated in the last Lake Como post, the hotel actually has two, requiring you to take one half way up the mountain and then go the rest of the way on another. Completely enclosed with glass, you can enjoy an ever expanding panoramic view of the town and Lake Como as you slowly climb to the hotel approximately 1,200 feet above the lake.

After finishing our well prepared breakfast on the hotel terrace, we headed down the mountain in the Jules Verne-esque inclined rail car not knowing quite where we would go or what we would do. Since both of us abhor any kind of fixed itinerary when we travel, we were ready to soak in all that is Italian in this little slice of heaven on the lake.

What Do A Couple of Wide Eyed Vagabonds Do In A Town of 800?

After getting off the funicular, we walked the short distance into this small hamlet nestled  on the eastern shore of Lake Como. According to Wikipedia, Lake Como is a lake of glacial  origin. It has an area of 56.4 square miles, making it the third largest lake in Italy. At over 1320 feet deep, it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. The bottom of the lake is more than 656 feet below sea-level. And of course, American movie start George Clooney has a little villa right on the lake south of Varenna. Even though Lake Como is a favorite haunt of the famous and infamous, according to various reports, a star of his magnitude has not exactly been embraced by the locals. Paparazzi and all that.

Since we didn't have a personal invite to George's place, we decided to just relax and enjoy the day. In early May the weather is perfect for simply sauntering and taking in  the sites and sounds of a place that is completely at ease with itself, both as an ancient city and a modern destination for people who, like the two of us, loathe malls, airplanes and big hotels. The first thing that struck me was the tendency in this great country to embrace the small things that make life better. When you combine the Italian sense of design with an unwavering embrace of tradition, what results is a truly eclectic, intimate sense of place..  Even though you are a temporary visitor, a nomad no less, the idea that you are just another tourist never crosses your mind. After years of travel, I am more convinced than ever, that the feeling of belonging in a foreign land can only come from a natural comfort with a place's culture and way of life. And the people. Don't get me wrong, I love America and its people. But, experiencing the people of Italy and their simple love of life changed my thinking about travel and other cultures in this world.

Gelato Is What Saint Peter Will Give You When You Arrive At The Pearly Gates!

We all know what the Italians have given the world food wise. Spaghetti, pasta, pizza, chianti, mozzarella, olive oil - the list of  Italian delicacies to eat and drink is endless. How many chapters in how many books have been written on what the Italians have done just with the simple tomato?Delizioso!

But Gelato - real Italian Gelato - is proof positive that you can experience a little bit of heaven right here on earth. Just saying the word brings a smile. Even though Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream, it is NOT ice cream. The combination of milk, cream, sugar and various fruits or flavorings, when made by hand, creates a desert that transcends our notion of ice cream. True Italian gelato is made with a much larger percentage of whole milk and churned at slower speeds, giving it a much creamier and smoother texture. Where else but Italy can you actually get cantaloupe gelato? I know it sounds weird, but trust me - you will thank me for this culinary tip. The Italians, known for their passion in just about all endeavors, apply that same obsession to the preparation of gelato. From that passionate process you get a tasty delicacy you just can't buy in a grocery store.

Gelato dates back to ancient Rome, when the Florentine architect Bernardo Buontalenti is said to have invented modern ice cream in 1565. I think you would agree that we owe s. signore Buontalenti a debt of gratitude for this cornerstone of western civilization. The passion that is engendered by this wonderful culinary confection really cannot be explained or fully understood until you actually experience it. My first taste of gelato, sitting beside the bucolic Lake Como, will forever be etched in my mind as one of those seminal moments when travel, like life, really is about simple pleasures.

Varenna Was Made For Walking

 

Enjoying a lakeside gelato is just one of the many things that the peaceful nomad can enjoy in the little town of Varenna. For three days we basked in the glow of the people, the food and the beauty of this slice of heaven on earth. One traveler described Varenna is utterly lacking in "tourist" shops and other faux things designed to make you think you are in a unique environment. It's all true. Because Varenna is off the beaten path, across the lake from the more  famous lakeside  tourist destination Bellagio, you get to enjoy all the delights of this great little place with none of the annoying aspects of a typical tourist destination. The website for Varenna eloquently describes this special lakeside village:

 

Varenna - A corner of heaven dipped in the blue...a  pearl set between lake and mountain, nursed by the breeze and kissed by the sun...a place at the limits of the time where modern services marry with its old notoriety that touch every corner of the world.

 

After numerous walks along the romantic, arbor covered lakeside walkway, taking lunch at one of the many lakeside cafes or enjoying a fine Italian dinner in one of the many top flight restaurants in this romantic, rustic village, we reluctantly left Varenna with memories of the real experience of traveling as a true Nomads, feeling fortunate to have dropped anchor in this little corner of God's country on the big lake.

 

Mangiate, bevete e siate felici in Varenna,

d.l. stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

Travel Quote of The Week - "I could have bought a Mercedes. But a Mercedes can't make gelato, and this machine can" - Robert Davidson

 

Video Artist of The Week - If you like jazz, you will love these guys. From Italy - Marsico & Organ Logistics with guitarist Lorenzo Frizzera performing a composition called Lou - dedicated to the late great Lou Rawls.

New feature -For Quick Nomad Info - Click under Random Vagabond Alerts! at the top of the right margin.

 

 

Varenna, Lake Como & Emero Gaudio - A View From The Top

By Rail - It's A One Minute Stop On The Wandering Nomad's Road Less Traveled

 

It must be stated from the outset that I have a soft spot in my heart for Varenna, Italy. Even though we landed in and enjoyed the sites, food and architecture of the very cosmopolitan Milan, our eyes blinked and our hearts leaped at  the first site of Lake Como from the "left side" of the train as we rounded the last bend heading into this small lakeside town of eight hundred. Varenna, strategically located on the shores of Lake Como, was to be our first real experience of the Italy we had read and dreamed about.  And to arrive at this small, less visited part of the Italian Lake District by train,  we felt like actors in a 1940's romance novel. We knew we were not in Kansas or Tampa any more!

Back in Milan, still not acclimated to the ways of this great country, we apprehensively searched for our train to Varenna. Then I remembered the advice of travel guru Rick Steves specific to Varenna. Destination Varenna appears nowhere on the computerized Arrivals/Departure screens in Milan's Central Station. And the train station in Varenna is actually called  Varenna-Esino. And the train stops literally for one minute. And, if you do not get off quickly, you will end up in the next town. And you will have to backtrack. So, like the good readers of Rick Steves we are, we did pay attention and got off at the right place. Stupendo! The adventure was officially underway.

So now what? Here we are, two Americans who, despite many hours of self taught language lessons, had come to the realization that Italians don't actually talk like they do on the CD, and we still have to get to our hotel. So, like all Nomads worth their salt, we pressed on, found a taxi, amazing in such a small town, gave him the name of our hotel in letter perfect Italian of course, and headed out for our first Nomad Night in the land of amore. In a few minutes we arrived at the end of a small gravel road and a large gate. After retrieving our luggage, we pushed the button to request entry. The gate opened and we came face to face with a mode of vertical transportation that I had read about and seen in photographs but never actually seen up close and personal. Yes, to get up to this small mountainside boutique hotel, you must take not one, but two funiculars. A funicular is essentially an inclined rail car or lift used to traverse very steep slopes.  Ascending to the hotel in this thoroughly romantic mode of travel, Lake Como and the surrounding mountains came into view. As an architect and nomad, I found this mode of travel to be utterly sublime. It was as if some elegant time machine arrived from up the mountain to take us to another place far far away. Molto cool!

 

And it was far far away. This small boutique hotel of only twenty three rooms  is in a repurposed orphanage and monastery built between 1400 and 1800 by the Pirelli Tire family.With thirteen rooms perched on the side of a steep, cascading mountain, surrounded by ancient cedar trees, killer views of Lake Como and clear, cool mountain air that can be enjoyed from your small private balcony or from the hotel's main terrace, we felt like we were, indeed, masters of our very own domain.The hotel also has ten rooms at a lower elevation for those who just can't stand being on top of their own little world. 

 

If You Are Gonna Sleep In An Ancient Monastery - It Should Be Thoroughly Modern, Right?

 

In architecture, fashion, cars, art and food, the Italians have contributed to the betterment of world culture for centuries. And they have continued this tradition of excellence in modern design as well. Hotel Emero Gaudio has adroitly overlaid and inserted a simple modern design motif, comprised of white walls, tile floors and minimalist furniture, into the rough hewn stone walls and arched walkways of a 600 year old hand made masonry monolith. This duality of design is not some aesthetic trick but rather a merging of modern and ancient forms to create personal and public spaces of serenity and elegance. And the bathrooms? I have posted before about the need Americans have for large stuff and that certainly applies to bathrooms. All one needs to do is walk through a "Parade of Homes" McMansion and see what falso opulence and garish design can accomplish for people with too much money and too little restraint. For those who are so inclined, the Emero Gaudio will not be your kind of place. The bathrooms continue the clean lines found in the rooms. Small and efficient, they are more than adequate to meet the needs of tired and/or dirty Nomads in need of life's basic needs for cleanliness and refreshment. And the price for these elegantly styled, comfortable rooms with a view to die for? A mere $135 euro per night. Even with the sorry state of the dollar, it's a steal.

 

And the design quality does not stop with the rooms. We have all heard the expression, usually expressed by architects, that a building has "good bones". Because of the original massive masonry structure, this characteristic is everywhere apparent to this Nomad. The public spaces have a character that continues the interplay of ancient stonework and modern plaster, tile work and minimalist detailing.

 

And Then There Is the Terrace

If the rooms are well appointed spaces of repose, then the main terrace is the crescendo  that gives one a sense of being on top of the world. First, the terrace is used for meals and simple relaxation with a glass of local vino and cheese. Our first night at the hotel, we chose to take our evening meal on the terrace. The food and the service were first rate, as we enjoyed the end of our first full day in this beautiful place. According to hotel staff, the terrace is a popular venue for various social functions such as receptions, weddings and other small group gatherings. But the real reason for the terrace? The view. With an incomparable vista of beautiful Lake Como and the snow capped Alps beyond, there is  no better way to enjoy the day with the one you love. Amore indeed!

 

As the sun set and the day  transitioned to evening, we retired to our room, tired from the day's travels, secure in the knowledge that we would wake up the next morning in a new hotel/monastery, on the side of a mountain with a breathtaking view of the incomparable Lake Como in a small Italian hamlet with all vestiges of jet lag completely vanquished. 

 

Next up. Day two - Varenna and the big lake.

 

Buono Sera,

 

D.L. Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 

Travel Quote of The Week - “When you come to a fork in the road….take it” – Yogi Berra . Now that's some advice that any Nomad can take to heart.

 

Video Artist of The Week - Paul Simon. This singer/songwriter  and impresario of every genre of music imaginable is always worth a listen. The irony of You Can Call Me Al certainly makes one think and smile at the same time

 

 

 

 

 

Milan - Leonardo & Armani Slept Here - Life Imitates Art & Vice Versa

Planes, Trains & The Last Supper

As we settled into our seats at Tampa International for the nine hour flight to one of the world's great fashion centers, Milan, we had read all the books, listened to the Italian language CD's for hours on end, researched late into many nights and planned our first trip abroad at a level of detail exceeded only by the Allied invasion on D-Day. The excitement I felt was like Christmas morning, my first real date and seeing The Beatles in concert in '65 all rolled into one. Even my fellow Nomad and wife, Susie, demure though she may be, was unusually talkative and animated as she began to realize that we were actually doing something we had dreamed about for years.

As Americans traveling to the country that gave us opera, the Lamborghini and Spaghetti, we had committed ourselves early on to learn everything we could about the history, traditions and people of one of the great cultural building blocks of western civilization. Italy's architecture, music, art and culinary contributions to the civilized world are well documented. But we were now taxiing to lift off to experience first hand all of the things we had only read about in travel and history books, seen in Italian films or heard on a Pavarotti recording.

No discussion of travel to Europe would be complete without the mandatory acknowledgement that flying for nine hours, even to Italy, is simply one of the least enjoyable experiences any human being willingly agrees to subject himself or herself to. There is no component of air travel, particularly to Europe, that can be described as pleasant, tolerable or even slightly uncomfortable. In a word - it sucks! From the ergonomically masochistic design of the seating to the bland microwaved food to the C movies provided to help get your mind off your misery, flying on any commercial airliner for nine hours is proof positive that they just don't like you or care about you in any way. But in a world which is growing increasingly less civil by the day, it's the price one must pay to experience the joys of travel to the continent. And without hesitation, I can say it was worth every uncomfortable second spent with Delta to experience one of the truly great cultures of the western world.

 

After our uneventful flight and arrival at Milan's Malpensa Airport, we made our way through customs and boarded a quick train to Cordona Station. As per travel guru Rick Steves, we planned to store our luggage in a locker at the train station as we had reservations to view one of the great paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, The Last Supper, which was within walking distance of Cordona Station. Alas, this was not to be, as the lockers were closed for repairs. Since there was no plan B, we headed out for Santa Maria Delle Grazie Church with our luggage in tow. Then we got lost. As strangers in a strange land, we were at the mercy of various people on the street to give us directions to the church. After finally finding our destination late, the very nice English speaking docent allowed us to view the great painting with the next reserved group.

 

With our luggage still in tow, exhausted from a nine hour flight, we stood in awe of one of the most compelling works of art ever created. As we studied the great mural created by the original Renaissance Man, the first sparks of the paradigm shift I posted about last week, hit us. We knew we were in a different time and in the presence of divine inspiration from another time at this place. Davinci painted The Last Supper around 1495. As with all great ancient paintings, the painting suffered extreme deterioration over five centuries. Fortunately for weary pilgrims and art lovers alike, the painting went through a major restoration started in 1978 and completed in 1999. Because of the popularity of this priceless work of art, viewing is only allowed by small groups in fifteen minute intervals.

Just as Leonardo himself was obsessed with his mode of dress (many historians consider him to be the first real fashion conscience genius), any account of a visit to Milan would not be complete without a discussion of its position as one of the fashion centers of the world. Armani, Versace, Chanel, Prada and Gucci are just a few of  the endless roster of world renown and less famous designers who have boutiques all over The City of Fashion. They even have outlet malls. And you thought outlet malls were only on I-75 between Atlanta and Tampa. No sir. Milan is the place for fashion conscience shopaholics, rich and fiscally challenged alike.

Pizza, Coca Cola and The Duomo

 

Upon leaving The Last Supper and the Santa Maria Delle Grazie with our first real memory of Italy, we headed for the famed Piazzo del Duomo, the main city square of Milan. Getting more exhausted by the minute, we snagged an outside table at a small cafe right on the piazza, ordered pizza and a coke (cut me some slack, it's my first day) and marveled at the most important work of Gothic architecture in Italy, the Cathedral Duomo. This majestic work of art took over five centuries to build. At over 500 feet in length, 300 feet in width and 350 feet in height, this massive church features five naves constructed of white Candoglia marble. Though thoroughly exhausted from our flight and first day activities, we enjoyed our first  Italian meal in plain view of one of the greatest works of  religious architecture ever created. As we sat and took in the beautiful day in our new temporary home, we gathered up our luggage and headed to the train station for a connecting train to Lake Como and a little hotel on a mountain.

After settling in to our first class seats (only 8 euro extra), we headed out for the three hour train ride to the small resort town of Varenna on Lake Como and The Hotel Eremo Gaudio, a small boutique number in a re-purposed former monastery built on the side of a mountain in the 1400's. As we began to speedily make our way through the countryside to Lake Como, I thought to myself, these Italians have got this train thing down. We were traveling the way human beings were meant to travel in what has to be one of the most amazing countries on earth. And we had only been there a few short hours. As we emerged from a long tunnel, the train sped around a curve and Lake Como came into view. I gently squeezed my favorite Nomad's hand and smiled.  Sorpreddente!

Next up, Varenna and The Hotel Emero Gaudio. You won't believe the place or the price.

Ciao

D.L. Stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

Travel Quote of The Week. "A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what is expected a man should see". Samuel Johnson 

Video Artist of The Week.  Who better to introduce The Nomad Architect series on Italy than the great  operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti. As we say in God's country, the man could flat out "sang". 
 

 


 

Castello Di Tornano - A Sunday Afternoon Between Heaven and Earth

First let me say - I apologize for my tardiness in posting. I set a very loose goal of a post per week when I started this blog. And I know that my legions of fans are disappointed in my lack of motivation to write lately. Hopefully, I will rectify this tendency to be a complete slacker, but I am not making any promises. Keeping up with my new exercise program (16 weeks and counting), the constant monitoring of the end of the world as we know it and the new season of Breaking Bad, I have just been really busy!!! Now, on to Castello Di Tornano.

Tuscany - There are few places on earth that cannot be adequately described in words or even photographs. Wales, Big Sur, Whidbey Island and of course Panama City Beach, Florida (just kidding). Some places are more than scenery or food or even people. They have a vibe that must be experienced first hand. Tuscany is like no other place you will ever visit. Yes it has rolling hills, vineyards, ancient fortresses and the best food in all of Europe. It also has more small, unique B&B's and hotels than any region of Italy. And fortunately, for us Nomads, it has

managed to avoid the commercialization and wanton development so prevalent in other tourist laden areas of Europe. This is amazing, given the recent media coverage of this romantic part of Central Italy. Come on, admit it, you know you would love to buy a house in Tuscany just like  Diane Lane did in "Under The Tuscan Sun" and enjoy the uniqueness and eccentricities of one of the truly great cultures of the world.

For me, visiting Italy and particularly Tuscany, was a life changing experience. In fact, I think I could say it was profound on multiple levels. Going to Italy was our first trip abroad and it didn't occur until I was almost fifty. Fifty!! That's a subject for another day and another post. For my wife and myself, this was going to be a big deal. We started planning our trip a year before we left. We read every Rick Steves book. We bought every relevant publication we could find. Our laptop favorites became a localized version of the Library of Congress Card Catalog for Italy. And we listened to our Italian language CD and practiced our new found love for the Italian culture daily. And even though no one thought we were local, I do think they appreciated our willingness to understand their language, which is, after all, the door to any culture.

A word here about the Ugly American Syndrome. If you refuse to learn their language, if you demand an American style hotel and if you act as though their world revolves around yours, you will be branded with that most uncomplimentary title and you will be just another American tourist. Just don't do it!!! Rick Steves gives great advice when he tells us to live like a local. Don't misunderstand. Europeans, particularly Italians, love Americans. It's a behavioral attitude thing. If you make every attempt to follow Mr. Steves' advice, you will not just be a traveler in a strange land. You will absorb everything that makes that culture unique and wonderful. In Italy, we became one with everything we encountered. It's like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or McCartney's Yesterday - It is more than just the music, the sounds, the food or even the people. It becomes part of your mind, body and soul.

So what does all of this have to do with my assertion that visiting Italy was an epiphany? If you truly try to "fit in" and relish every unique, quirky and "un-American" aspect of a country, you will take something important from your visit that will always stay with you. Italy and its people have a passion for their culture, their food and their way of life that is unmatched anywhere in the world. Any culture that has given us real pizza and opera must be appreciated at every level. Any Nomad worth his/her salt is desirous to get as close to and absorb as much of the reality of Italy as possible.  To be a true Nomad you must go where tourists do not go and experience the people, local customs and unique culture of a country. Italy has it all - great food, great wine, world class museums, architectural antiquities, great small hotels and wonderful people. But the hidden corners of Tuscany provide a richness and joy of life that must be experienced firsthand to be appreciated.

After spending the night in an elegant B&B located in the ancient hill town of Montepulciano that has been in the same family for seven hundred years, we drove with great anticipation to our central Tuscany destination, Castello di Tornano, a small boutique hotel designed within the original walls of a medieval castle tower originally built in the tenth century. We arrived about three in the afternoon ,very hungry, as we could not locate a place to eat in the hills of Tuscany on a Sunday afternoon.  This turned out to be very advantageous for us.  The hotel manager, Massimo, met us upon arrival, and whisked us three flights up to our room to ensure that it was acceptable to us. With a bed right out of an Italianate palace, a bathroom fit for a duke or duchess and views of the Tuscany countryside through three foot thick stone walls, I assured Massimo that the room would indeed do. Without so much as a moment's hesitation, Massimo dispatched his young assistant to fetch our luggage and quickly transport it to our room. So far pretty good, right? Well, it gets better.

I asked Massimo if we might get some snacks or something to eat, as we had not eaten since that morning. After being  ushered to a small table on the terrace overlooking the hills of Tuscany, Massimo and his assistant sprang into action. After being seated, a small umbrella was unfurled over our heads and plates of food began to appear, along with a bottle of their own estate wine. Bruschetta, prosciutto, risotto, cheeses,vegetables and Italian bread was laid before us as though we were the only people in their little kingdom. On this lazy spring Sunday afternoon, with the woman that I fell in love with even before I met her, this fabulous impromptu Italian meal was eaten with intense delight, overlooking one of the most romantic places on earth. We were suspended between heaven and earth. Actors on the set of the perfect drama.

Since Castello di Tornano is well off the beaten path, all of our meals were included as part of our stay.  And just like the Sunday afternoon feast, the other meals did not disappoint. Everything was local, simply prepared and served with a smile. As we prepared to leave for the next leg of our Tuscan holiday, we knew that we had been immersed in the very essence of all that is Italian. Heading south to Umbria, there simply was no doubt that we had experienced  a special place of elegance and beauty that any Nomad would be proud to call home, even if only for a short while.

Travel Quote of the Week

Europeans, like some Americans, drive on the right side of the road, except in England where they drive on both sides of the road; Italy, where they drive on the sidewalk; and France, where, if necessary, they will follow you right into the hotel lobby. - Dave Barry

This Week's Video Artist

You cannot even think about Italy without the the sound and the passion of great singing. This week's video artist is the greatest operatic tenor of his generation - Luciano Pavarotti. And as a bonus - you get a duet performance with fellow Italian Andrea Bocelli and - You won't believe it - the hardest working man in show business, the incomparable Father of Funk, Jame Brown.

IT’S A MAN’S WORLD

https://youtu.be/GaB9F3R9cIY?si=2hEKVih4MHv7YPTs

La Dolce Vita Divertiti

DLS  thenomadARCHITECT