Lake Como, Italy

We had wanted to visit Lake Como, Italy (only a 5 hour drive from our house!) but may not have made the trip there if we hadn't had a good reason to do so.  Jim's family in Minnesota gave us that reason!  Jim's aunt and uncle took their family on a 2 week trip through Europe before meeting up with their daughter, Ellen, who was studying in Lyon, France.  We wanted to meet up with them somewhere along the way and chose Como!

The scenery on the drive from Stuttgart to Lake Como was stunning.  We were in a valley for the majority of the drive, with mountains on all sides of us and water alongside us.  We were in awe!  

There was not much traffic until we got into the city of Como...then we just crawled along (as motorcycles zipped around us--it was really a change from the more orderly roads in Germany!  Yes, you read that right!).

Woohoo!  We made it to Italy!

First stop: Italian pizza followed by gelato.

The next day was rainy and chilly.  

Pretty playground by the water

We wandered up to the ferry dock just as a ferry was about to leave.  We spontaneously decided to get tickets and jumped on a ferry from Como to Bellagio, not realizing that it would take 2.5 hours to get there!  That was a looong boat ride with a squirmy toddler.  I found that chasing a toddler on a boat = feeling seasick on a boat.  I felt a little better after I got him into the Ergo and was able to look out at the horizon.  And what a view it was...

Misty day

Seeing the Alps was a highlight!

Alps!

Lake Como is well known for being George Clooney's home away from home.  Also, part of the James Bond movie "Casino Royale" was filmed at one of the many villas you can see from Lake Como.

After a speed boat brought us back to the city of Como, we met up with our cousins for dinner and (more) gelato!

Lauren and Drew (don't they look alike?!)

The fam minus Jim (the photographer) and Ellen (studying for finals in Lyon!)

The next morning was beautiful and sunny!  We took another short ferry ride on Lake Como.

Please, paparazzi, no more photos!

The Duomo in Como

Here's what posing for pictures with kids really looks like

How awesome to see our Minnesota family in Italy!!