Easy Day

The plan for today is an easy day. Macbean has gone deaf in one ear. Appantly this happens every year so h needs to head off to see a doctor. The interesting thing I learn is that there is now a European health card. Perhaps remembering my NHS number is no longer enough.

Breakfast is ham, cheese, and bread from the camp store and it is delicious. Proscut, old cheese, young bread, and Martyn's percolated coffee, although he has a fancy name.

Macbean stays behind to get his ear checked by a doctor who is also a dentist. 30 euros lighter, Mac can hear no better.

Rob, Martyn and I head off down winding road, through little villages, and faded glory. You can tell Como was once the place to be. Today, it clings to its pas glories. One of the places we passed was the Motoguzzi museum. Unfortunately, they didin't open until three which would be prime drinking time. The ride along the lake shore was beautiful and the scenery was amazing. Sheer cliffs rising from the waters edge with the road perched above the water.

We rounded the east leg of the lake in Lecco and stopped at a little cafe on the water for expressos and water. What a great way to spend a Monday morning. After the refresh, we headed north up the western shore of the lake to Bellagio. I guess that is where the casino got it's name. Martyn had brought Kate here for their 30th wedding anniversary a couple of years ago. I need to step up for ours.

Lunch was delicious grilled huge, grilled shrimp. They were more like baby lobsters in size. I don't think they were langostines. We enjoyed a non-alcoholic aperitif with lunch, similar to a Campari in tast. After lunch we took the ferry back across the lake to Varenna with a quick spring back up the coast road to Dervio to finish at camp.

After a swim in the lake, a storm broke and kicked up some large white caps. The boats moored nearby were being tossed around. We sat under our awning and waited out the storm. It became quite clear that my little camping stool is great for five minutes leaning over a stove to cook, it was not good for a couple of hours drinking beer.

Dinner was again beer, wine, and pizza. This time followed by a bout of heartburn. As much as I love it, pizza does not agree with me two days in a row. Dinner was topped off at the campsite bar with the local aperitif. It was like an alpine Benedictine.