Monday-Tuesday, 10-11 november 2025, Bellagio and Lucca

On Monday we took the ferry from Varenna to Bellagio, another town on Lake Como. It’s well-established as the place for shoppers and fashionistas. In the 1920’s, the Rockefellers bought an extensive villa here, and John F. Kennedy visited in the 60’s.

We found Bellagio pleasant, but not particularly inspiring. However, the air was much less hazy than it has been, so we got better views of the lake and its surrounding mountains.

I think the building high on the hill is part of the Rockefeller villa; even if not, it shows the high class of the area.

The next photo is probably impossible to read, given its angles and the bright afternoon sun. This is a memorial to JFK, located on a long pleasant promenade near the water. He visited Bellagio in June 1963, and it seems clear that the people of the town were deeply moved by his death that same November.

You may be able to see his photo on that lower slab.

We returned to Varenna on the ferry before sunset, idled around for a while, then set out to eat. Lesson learned: though guidebooks and even their own websites say that restaurants are open, it may not be true at this time of year. Our fourth choice for dinner turned out to be quite OK.

On Tuesday, we left Varenna to return by train to Milano, then took the FrecciaRossa (“Red Arrow”) high-speed train to Florence. If California ever comes close to achieving a similar train, I’ll take it, if only for the fun of flying along at around 180 mph in smooth, quiet comfort.

In Florence, we changed trains for Lucca, for our fourth visit, just because. One of our favorite features is the still-complete medieval city wall, the top of which is now a popular route for a bike ride, run, or evening stroll.

Another feature of Lucca is elaborate old storefronts, which I’ve photographed on previous trips. This time I’ll just give you two shots from our walk back from dinner. First, some fluffheads:

and next, what I guess one would call a collectible:

I’m not sure where I’d put it at home.