While we were not sorry to be leaving our hot and rather cramped Milan apartment, getting out of the city was an ordeal. We had made arrangements weeks ago for a rental car. Because we wanted a large vehicle, and because we were returning it to a different country, the fees were absurd. But we all felt like we wanted to have a car while we were in the mountains, and we wanted the experience of driving through the Alps to Avignon.
But getting that car was a bit of a nightmare. Jill and Sherry walked over with me toward the Hertz office near Milano Centrale station. Those of you who know my two friends will hardly be surprised that we had a number of stops along the way for some shopping, some of which seemed important to me, and some of which seemed like it could have waited for another day. When I finally made it to the car rental office, the line was miserably long. I ended up waiting about an hour until I finally had a chance to be served. They sent me a link via email later to rate the service. As negative numbers were not provided as an option, I decided to not respond. I suppose the experience could have been worse, but I am not sure how.
Certainly packing the car was equally bad. John and I decided to travel with just two carry-on bags. The rest of our group had brought suitcases that were only slightly smaller than steamer trunks. By the time we had piled all of them into the car we had lost the entire back row of seats in the van. I was driving and John was navigating. The rest were crammed into a single row. They were uncomfortable and not shy about announcing that every few minutes.
Fortunately, it did not take us all that long to reach Lake Como. The moment we turned onto the narrow road that lines the lake the kvetching turned into “oohs” and “ahs.” We stopped for a wonderful meal at a small restaurant. The service was perfect, the food was exceptional, and the view could not be better. It seemed like it could not have been more wonderful. And then found our apartment … and it became even better. To see what it’s like, you can check out this short video on YouTube on the Della Fontana Penthouse.
In the evening we strolled down to the exquisitely charming nearby town of Varenna.
Tomorrow, we will be exploring Lake Como.
