Castle Writers
Out of the Cocoon
Athlone 2020
Italian Holiday
I pulled back the curtains of my hotel bedroom on an October morning in 2012. I can still see the marvels that met my eyes! Blue, blue water edged with lush greenery and various kinds of vegetation. In the background majestic mountains framed this sumptuous scene. Overhead, the sky was blue, with not a cloud to be seen. I called my companion to have a look. We had not expected to have this marvel await our eyes! It was the first day of a wonderful holiday at Lake Como, Northern Italy. There followed 10 glorious days of sight seeing all around the area, where you took a boat, rather than a bus to travel to various places. We visited Bellaggio and Menaggio, before we took a trip to Milan,where we viewed La Scala, the statue of Leonardo da Vinci, and the Duomo Cathedral. Back to Lake Como. On our cruise, we passed George Clooney's villa Oleandra and we got a glimpse of it, though secluded in the trees. Sir Richard Branson the English Business magnate of the Virgin Group, the singer Madonna and Donatella Versace, all have properties on this lake. In my mind's eye, I could see Madonna having her toe nails painted by a handsome male servant and George Clooney sitting on his balcony sipping a "Cardinale". Maybe Donatella Versace would host a dinner party for her friends and produce swathes of colourful material, and get their opinion as to what would be suitable for the next Versace collection. We went to see Villa Balbianello, house and gardens. It was here that the films Star Wars and Casino Royale were shot. Villa d'Este is a luxury Hotel in Como. There are villas to rent or buy on the Italian lakes. I don’t know the cost, but for folks like me I think Air BnB would be a more realistic prospect! That holiday was certainly one to remember. Shakespeare wrote in his play Henry 1V, " If all the year were playing holidays, to sport would be as tedious as to work"
I'm not so sure! Yvonne Ferry 32
