Our Italian adventure began with a flight into Milan where we immediately picked up our rental car to drive straight to stunning Lake Como and ferried to Bellagio.

We experienced old-world glamour at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in the center of Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como. This historic neoclassical villa was built as a luxurious private residence in 1853. It was converted to a hotel in 1873 and has hosted famous guests from Winston Churchill to Al Pacino.

Our room was decadent with soaring 20 foot ceilings, historic furnishings and a balcony overlooking picturesque Lake Como.

We spent our time in Bellagio exploring the local shops, restaurants, and took a ferry Varenna where we took in the botanical gardens at Villa Monastero.

Our next stop was Il Boro, a historic 19th-century villa on an extensive 2700 acre estate in Tuscany, owned by the Ferragamo family. The estate is near the medieval village of Il Borro in San Giustino Valdarno.

Originally built in 1848, the property has a rich history and was meticulously restored by the Ferragamo family, who purchased the estate in 1993.

The resort has a medieval village with vintage shops (shoemaker, jeweler, textiles, weaver and art), ruins, vegetable gardens, apiary, olive grove, vineyards, horse farm, golf and tennis(guess who won?!).

We stayed in the medieval village, what a treat.

Il Boro was our launching pad for daily adventures. Each morning we set out from our serene base to discover Tuscany’s historic towns and scenic byways.

Siena

Chianti was our favorite region in Tuscany. We enjoyed the small villages of Castellani, Radda and Greve.

San Gimignano was another favorite…

Cortona

In Umbria we stayed at another special resort, Borgo Dei Conti/ Garden of Italy. This medieval fortress of the 13th century was restored to a dramatic example of 19th-century neo-Gothic architecture with a contemporary interior.

While in Umbria we again made day trips to local towns, favoring small villages. We delighted in local delicacies: truffles, pecorino cheese, olives, Sangiovese grapes(liquid form). We consumed pasta twirled in a hollowed-out pecorino wheel. What a presentation of a tasty meal.

We visited Castiglione de Lago, Panicale, Solomeo, home of Brunello Cuccinelli headquarters, Perugia, Montfalco, Spello and one of our favorites, Assisi.

Milan

We concluded our trip with a couple days in Milan. We marveled at the Duomo di Milano, a magnificent Gothic cathedral. It took nearly six centuries to build the Milan Duomo, with construction beginning in 1386 and ending in 1965. The cathedral can hold more than 40,000 people. We visited luxury shops in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and experienced the city’s vibrant food scene.

Once again, Brian did a superb job selecting lodging, locations and experiences that were just right for us. A trip to remember for sure!

Ciao Ciao,

Betty and Brian