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5/5 Wed – Raining, no, STORMING!  Today is definite proof that we do not want to sign up

for the Amazing Race.  We had a little trouble with our Italian and ended up on a train to Como,

instead of Varenna on Lake Como. We then spent an hour looking for the ferry to Varenna.

We finally found it, but the only ferry to Varenna was at 3:20 P.M.

We had told the hotel we would be there at 2:00 P.M. Oh, well.

The boat ride was interesting although the rain was so hard that visibility was zero at times.

Two and one  half hours up the lake, we finally arrived at Varenna.

The hotel  was unbelievable! It was up a private road carved out of the mountain

 which led to a set of private funiculars, and finally up a lift to our room.

The hotel is a former monastery high up the mountain.

Our room turned out to be the best one – at the very top with a large private balcony.

Above and below are views from our balcony.

When we met other guests at breakfast, they asked if they could see our room. Weird!

5/6 Thur – We packed for 80 degree weather. It snowed last night!

Above - Snow view from our balcony

But the sun is out today, and the dusting of snow near us has gone.

Above and below are photos from our walk along the beachfront in Varenna.

We hiked up to Perledo and across the mountain past waterfalls to Castle Vezio,

This is one of Como’s oldest and most famous hiking trails, Il Sentiero del Viandante

 or the Wayfarer’s Path, which dates to Roman times.

Afterward, we hiked farther up the mountain through the forest to ?

We decided we had no idea where we were or where the trail was going,

so we backtracked and found the trail to Fiumelatte, the world’s shortest river.

Only 250 meters long, it rushes, frothy and milky-white (hence the name)

down the rockface and crashes into the lake.

 We then followed the river down to Lake Como and finally, Varenna.