May 31 - Lazy Day for Us - The "young folks" off to Como

It was a slow morning for all of us. Tom and Val left around 12:20 to take the ferry to the city of Como at the southern end of the lake. I love Como, and would have enjoyed going, but Ron wanted a quiet day, and I was concerned about the walking distances - so we stayed behind.

I was able to catch up on some paper work details, organize photos, and try to update the blog. Drying my hair took some innovation since there was no plug near a mirror where I could sit. So, I used the shiny stainless of the oven instead.

Drying my hair in tiny kitchen, using oven for "mirror"

We made reservations for 8 PM at Chez Mario, a restaurant in the Hotel Royal perched in the hills above Menaggio. Tom and Val got back in time to go with us. Ron drove us up the hill. As he was dropping us off to go find a spot for the car the owner came out and beckoned to us, saying we could park right there. We were immediately made to feel welcome. Flag poles with flags of different nations lined the walkway, and Mario apologized that there wasn't an American flag. He said they fly the flags representing all their guests, and we were the only Americans that day. He immediately went and took down another flag, and hoisted the "Stars and Stripes".

Ron had a beautiful soup and Tom a salad.

Ron had a delicious dorade (fish) for main course with a platter of grilled vegetables. I had ravioli with a walnut sauce. No pictures, no notes, so don't remember Tom and Val's main except that Tom had beef.

Tom ordered a meringue dessert with chocolate sauce for he and Val to share, and I had a few bites. Yummy.

The finale was complimentary glasses of limoncello - very tasty! It was a lovely evening. Perfect weather, no humidity, a delightful location, friendly service, and delicious, beautifully presented food.

Limoncello

The only issue was the drive back down the hill. Had to go past our apartment, as the driveway is almost impossible to turn into from that direction. Then a precarious turn to go back up the hill, nerve-wracking turn into the drive. Whew! Good to be "home" safe and sound!