Tales from The Last Supper

While Milan will not go down as one of my favorite cities in Italy, there are some very noteworthy things to do and see there.  For the rest of the week I will be sharing my tips for Milan with you.


When you think of Milan, one of the things that probably pops into your head is Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.  

If you are like me you were probably thinking, we will see the last supper, maybe have to wait in line and then we will hop over to La Scala.  Sadly, if you were like me, you were wrong!  Apparently you need to make reservations 3 to 4 months in advance.  I know that some of you are skeptically reading this thinking:  “that is crazy!  No way!”  Let’s put it this way:  we walked in and there was a young man in a wheel chair trying to explain that this may be the last time he would ever be in Italy, could they please make an exception, it took him a lot to be able to get here in the wheel chair and have someone with him.  They were having none of it.  No budging, no sympathy.  Not a chance of him getting in.  They told him that reservations were required 3 to 4 months in advance and that was the only way that he could gain entrance.  So the moral of this story is:  if you are going to be in Milan and you wish to see The Last Supper, make sure that the first thing you do is make a reservation because not even the handicapped get in without one.

Two Restaurants with Spectacular Views and Amazing Food!

Two sunsets to die for and two fantastic meals don’t come easily, however in Varenna we were blessed with both.  We were lucky that we chose well for our two nights in Lake Como and we want to make sure that you don’t miss out.  We arrived from Venice late on the first night and grabbed a quick bite close to where we were staying. It was fine, nothing special.  Average meals do exist in Italy.  The next two nights blew us away.

Vecchia Varenna was the place we chose on our first night in Varenna.  The restaurant is situated right on the lake and the meal was fabulous.  The night we ate there, the sky was the brightest pink I have ever seen.  

It was only while taking pictures did I realize that the color only lasts for about 10 minutes or so before it just gets dark.  We sat there watching with a great bottle of wine and then ordered our food.  We decided to share several dishes so that we could taste a little bit of everything.  We had home made pasta dishes, 

fish that was caught that day from the lake and desserts that were to die for.  

The staff and service were excellent.  Don’t miss out on Vecchia Varenna!

La Vista is the restaurant that I mention in my blog about Lake Como hotels.  Is is connected to the Hotel Albergo Milano and is run by the husband and wife team, Edigio & Bettina Mallone.  The restaurant is up on the hill in Varenna, so when you sit on the deck you have a birds-eye view of the lake and mountains.  It is truly incredible!  

Reservations are recommended, especially if you are there in the nicer weather.  They will not over book so that in the event of rain, they can sit everyone inside.  Every day Edigio creates a different 3 course meal for 35 Euros, which we got.  Edigio was also our sommelier, and ran downstairs to get us the  ‘07 Aglianico that we wanted because the one he had upstairs was too warm for his liking.  It was an amazing bottle all for 21Euros!  We started with a tuna carpaccio and beef carpaccios, 

we then moved on the a filet with a Gorgonzola sauce and a Lake Como bass with a chardonnay sauce

and finished our meal with a cappuccino mouse in a dark cup that was ridiculous 

and a pear stuffed with goat cheese.  It was outstanding! 

These are 2 great restaurants that I would whole-heartedly endorse.  Both nights we had great service, amazing food and wine and views that are unlike any other.  If you find yourself in Varenna, put these restaurants on the top of your list.  You won’t be sorry!

Lake Como Vacation Rentals

Renting a villa or apartment instead of staying in a hotel is quite fantastic.  How often do you think to yourself, I just want to hang out in the hotel tonight?   These days I want several things out of a vacation.  Seeing the sights is certainly part of it, but having down time to just relax is essential.  Having a villa or apartment can afford you so many options of how you want to spend your time.  Whether you want to have a relaxing afternoon on the balcony reading your book, or cooking up some of great finds from the local markets with some friends or just the luxury of making a cup of tea without having to call room service or go out somewhere, you can’t beat the freedom of a villa.   But where do you start looking?   Below is list of villa and apartment rental sites that I would recommend for Lake Como.   Of course there are many more, but this will give you a good place to start.  Be sure to look at my page of “tips for renting villas and apartments” if you are feeling a little unsure about what to look for.

www.varenna.net - This is the site for the Hotel Albergo Milano, but they have 2 apartments that they rent out that are listed on this site.

www.rentvillas.com - they are great for many areas all over Europe.  They have listings at all budgets. 

www.vrbo.com  - This is a great site. Many times I will see listings from this site on other sites but because it is directly through the owner, it can be a little cheaper.  They also have a rental guarantee.

“A Room with A View”

I hemmed and hawed about which hotel to choose.  I was deciding between two.  Little did I know I chose the hotel with the larger room (I was hoping I did and it was a duplex!) 

and also the one that had a spectacular garden area so that I could sit and read and write by the lake with a nice glass of wine or a cup of tea.  Hotel Villa Cipressi was a fantastic place to spend a couple of days in Lake Como.  The views are spectular, the grounds are stunning, staff is friendly and helpful and the price is definitely right.  

We had so much space we were delighted!  When we opened our shutters in the morning to the spectacular view of the lake and mountains, I felt like I was in a Noel Coward play.  You got transported to another time, like the 1920's,  when people of privilege lounged in leisure at these amazing Villas. Villa Cipressi was built mainly from 1400 to 1800.  It is now owned by public corporations and managed as a hotel.  If you are looking for old style elegance with lots of room, this is the place to stay. 

Having said that, the other hotel that we looked at was Albergo Milano.  We had a spectacular dinner in their restaurant which I will tell you about later this week.  The views are amazing.  It is a small boutique hotel run by a husband and wife team.  They also run the restaurant.  We sat next to a couple at dinner that was staying at the hotel, who said that the rooms were beautiful but a little small.  Everything else about their experience was fantastic.   They said they would definitely stay there again.  Hotel Albergo Milano has recently added two apartments to their list of places they rent out.  They were not available for this last trip,  but they looked really nice.  I would be into renting one the next time I am there.  Based on my experience in the restaurant, all the reviews I have read and people that we spoke to who were staying there, the apartments would be a great alternative to a hotel. 

Varenna was talked about in all the research I did to be a spectacular place to stay and a very central place to see the rest of the lake from.  I would agree.  

It was everything I wanted:  not too over-populated with tourists, yet had enough to do.  The boats run frequently from there to the other towns and the trains run direct from Milano without having to connect to a boat.  Staying in Varenna was a real treat.  I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.  No matter which hotel you choose, if you choose to stay in Varenna, you will most certainly have a quaint and beautiful room with a view.