We got off the train and made enquiries of the whereabouts of the Lake Como in the few words of Italian we knew. “Straight down and left!” is what we could make out from the hand waving. Before we could realize, we were there. What stretched out in front of us was more of a Claude Monet’s painting given life with the sway of a magic wand. Nice sunny morning, blues skies with cotton wool clouds. Gently wavy waters covered the foreground, staggered hills graced the background. The clean and pleasantly cool air was as refreshing as a tall glass of orange juice. As we stood there dazed, a gentle breeze shook us up. Touched by an instant desire, we ran and booked the tickets to be taken off in a ferry to a small island somewhere in the middle of the lake.
The ride was an hour and a half, not a minute of which was too long. The lake was prettier as we rode on, than what we could see initially from the shore. The details of the scenery were a visual treat. Hills with trees and multi-coloured wild flowers, a few small houses painted in pastel colours with darkly painted windows and doors, the blues skies above, the wavy waters below, a sight that is sure to be etched in the memory of one forever. I wish I could paint the scenery or perhaps write a poetry on its glory, but for the pee-brained that I am, I could do neither. Having accepted my defeat on these intellectual pursuits,
I just gawped all around. Needless to say, the little digital piece in my hand was at a great handicap to capture the multidimensional beauty of the place. With our lungs puffed with the fresh air, we rode on, rode on for an hour and a half, not a minute of which was too long.
On reaching the island, one begins to wonder if it was the place where the angels dwell, the sort one read as a kid in fairy tale books. Flowery gardens surrounded by mountains and lakes, birds chirping, no noise of the modern times. Wow! A place too good for mere mortals like me. I m not sure if calling this place a ‘paradise on earth’ would not be an exaggeration of any sorts. We spent a few hours there, biting into fruits, dipping our legs in the lake water, running upto a point where we could catch a good panoramic view of the place and generally relaxing. The last boat that would take us back to our starting point was already there. Regretfully, it was time to get back to the ‘other’ world.
The return journey took us by a pleasant surprise. ‘Gentle showers and mild chilly breeze!’ We sat on open top and let the cold hit us. Every now and then we would take refuge on the sides of the huge chimney of the ferry and warm our hands and backs. A very exciting idea it turned out to be. We felt like lilies in a pound, fresh and pretty. As the showers got heavier, we slipped down to the inside of the ferry and opted for a beer. . Sipping a beer and grazing around through the glass windows of the ferry gave us an idea of what it feels like to lead an aristocratic life. Time stood still, yet we moved on. We returned with imperishable memories and completely invigorated souls.
Now for the least impressive details of Lake Como, here are the statistics. Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy. At over 400 m deep, the bottom of the lake is more than 200 metres below sea-level, it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. Truly, how do these digits matter while the place has so much of an experience to offer?!?!