(Ah! Finally… the continuation to ‘The layover’…)

Milan… one of the fashion capitals of the world. My fashionista instincts were pumped up with adrenalin as the plane was landing at Milan Linate airport. But as I look out the window, this greeted me.

Yes! This is Milan. I’m amazed how this airport is still called Linate when this sign is bigger and more visible. Mind you, after seeing this, I didn’t bother looking for the Milano Linate sign.

Anyway, Milan — any of the 2, Linate or Malpensa — is the closest airport when getting to Lake Como. It is but an hour by train from Central Station (Milano Centrale). The fare is around €24 each way, if I remember it right.

When finding accommodations in Lake Como, you must pay careful attention on the location. See, Lake Como is shaped like an inverted ‘Y’. The point where the 2 arms of the lake meet is the town of Bellagio. (Yes, like the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.) It is one of the most visited places in the lake. The south western tip of the lake is Como, the main town which serves travel connections with Milan and the rest of Italy. We stayed in Moltrasio, which is about half an hour from Como either by bus or driving. We were not driving so it was public transport for us. Unfortunately, we arrived in Como after 8pm so the bus is no longer running. No other choice then but to take the taxi who seem to be a frustrated Formula 1 driver as he sped all the way through the narrow winding roads. I was clutching on to the door with my dear life thinking that I’m going to get killed even before I had my holidays! Italian drivers!

The checkered flag was waving at Hotel Ristorante Posta, which is right by the Piazza San Rocco. It wasn’t a fancy, modern or boutique-y type hotel. The ambience was appropriate with the surroundings. Friendly and homely.

At first, I was disappointed by the location of this hotel. I meant, in reference with its location in the lake. It wasn’t a main town so not much to see. It was 30 minutes from Como and more than an hour from Bellagio! But when we explored Moltrasio in foot, the disappointment went away. Moreover, this hotel defied the fact that hotel restaurants are more expensive than a mere restaurant, as I’ve learnt from my previous travels. The price on the menu is very affordable… even cheaper than some of the places we went in the Lake Como area. Plus, it was scrumptious! Oh, I could taste that tiramisu right now…

As I’ve mentioned, the hotel is just by Piazza San Rocco where the Navigazione stops for Moltrasio. This is the ferry/boat that goes criss-crossing on the lake and my topic for the next post in this series. The plaza is not that big but it is charming and boasts of this lovely gazebo, which looks like it has been used in some big Hollywood film. It is actually part of the posher hotel to ours, the Hotel Grand Imperiale.

Next: Views from the lake

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