This was the response given by most people -- explicitly, or by facial expression -- when I told them about my impending trip to Italy's Lake Como. It's a fair question, and a question that each person must answer for himself, based on his own reading of the evidence and -- especially -- his own tolerance for risk.
But I was convinced -- am convinced -- that travel to Italy is safe and reasonable. The flight over? Italy requires full immunization and negative Covid-19 test results, requirements enforced by the airlines. And the U.S. also requires all passengers to be masked. While in Italy? Italy is now experiencing 6.9 cases per day per 100,000 population, down from 10 cases before I left for Italy. America continues hovering in the 45 to 50 case range. Even King County, including Seattle where I live, is experiencing 25 cases.
And there is the matter of national culture. Italy's population is 66 percent vaccinated, compared with 55 percent in the U.S. Italians treat masks as just another item of clothing, not a political statement. Everyone is masked in stores, hotels, and restaurants. Teenagers and children, less apt to be vaccinated, are commonly masked even outside while playing. Adults usually mask up in outdoor crowds, and wear their masks on their arms otherwise, ready to be slipped on when entering a building. Sanitizing of hands is emphasized far more than here, with hand sanitizer dispensers available everywhere.
Draw your own conclusion about the relative safety of the two nations. I've drawn mine.
But let's talk about the trip itself.
I flew to Rome on September 8, where I spent a couple of days re-exploring some of my favorite places -- the area around Santa Maria Maggiore (where my entire family had stayed during a visit in 2001), the Borghese gardens, the Spanish steps, and, especially, the narrow, twisting streets of the Campo Marzio. I left Rome early on Saturday, September 11, by high speed train to Milan, where I met up with my sister and our cousin.
We had planned to rent a car in Milan, and drive that afternoon to our rental house on Lake Como. Unfortunately, your correspondent managed to destroy the vehicle before getting it out of the parking garage -- the details reflect poorly on said correspondent, and will not be provided herein -- and so we stayed a night in Milan. We left Milan early on Sunday for Como (city) by train, where we caught a ferry for the 2½-hour ride to Menaggio on Lake Como's west shoreline, some half way up its length.
The manager of our rental sent a taxi to Menaggio, which carried us another three or four miles northward to the village of Rezzonico, where we were escorted on foot through twisting cobblestone streets and steep stairways to what was to be our lakeside home for the week.
The ancient streets and houses of Rezzonico were apparently once included within the walls of the Castle of Rezzonico, built by the Counts Della Torre in 1363. (The descendants of the Della Torre have been illustrious, including Pope John XXIII.) The castle towers remain, rising high above the town, and are occupied by their owners. The town is extremely picturesque, with narrow, cobble-stone streets winding up and down the hillside.
Our house was equally picturesque, with views of the lake from every window, balcony, and porch area. Built into the hillside, its four floors contained three bedrooms, one of which had a loft with additional beds.
Not having a car proved highly beneficial, forcing us to master the lake's excellent bus and ferry services. Rezzonico has a small convenience store, but the nearest supermarket was located back in Menaggio, and we made frequent use of the bus between the two towns. (Menaggio also had excellent gelaterias, which proved a major attraction to our group.)
Much of our time was spent in our house, preparing meals and staring at the changing moods and colors of the lake. But we also did a six-hour, 8½-mile hike from Menaggio up into the steep hills behind the town. Part of the trail was a rugged and somewhat precarious climb, but other parts were strolls through small villages and farmlands. We also spent one day taking the ferry across the lake to Bellagio, a hot spot for wealthy residents and visitors. (No, as we have replied to many inquiries -- we did not meet George Clooney.) From Bellagio, we ferried to the pretty shoreside village of Varenna, which we all agreed was -- after our own Rezzonico -- our favorite town on the lake (not that we came close to visiting them all.
Our last full day, we took a ferry from Menaggio to the far end of the lake at Colico. As you travel northward from Menaggio, the lake becomes less and less intensely populated and visited by tourists, and we did little in Colico aside from eating lunch. But the scenery en route -- as the lake increasingly digs its way into the Alps -- was well worth the trip. We returned to Menaggio by hydrofoil.
I felt sad leaving Rezzonico, and hope to return to the same house some future summer. We returned to Como by ferry, and by train to Milan where we spent one final night together before I flew home. My two companions planned to spend several more days in Italy after I left.
This was my first visit to the Italian lakes, and I was impressed. A beautiful area, no doubt improved by visiting during September rather than at the peak of the tourist season, and at a time when the pandemic limited the number of foreign visitors.
------------------- Photo No. 1 (top) -- View of Lake Como from one of our several porches Photo No. 2 -- Rezzonico Castle towers Photo No. 3 -- View from my bedroom window Photo No. 4 -- A street in Rezzonico Photo No. 5 -- Hiking above Menaggio
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