Weeks 1-2

The first two weeks I had my friend staying with me out there. As it was her second holiday in her life, she was obviously very excited!

We visited various places: Como City, Lake Lugano and Lugano City, Gravedona, Domaso, Menaggio and Belaggio. The weather was very hot during this period of my trip. One lunchtime in Lugano it was 40 degrees C. You don't get a breeze coming off the Lake in Lugano like you do on Lake Como.

Highlights of these two weeks were:

1) Going on the gondola ride up to Brunate from Como City.

2) Watching Harry Potter while there was a severe thunder storm raging outside!

3) My first swim in the Lake - heaven...

Other memerable (for all the wrong reasons!) things that happened were:

1) The giant hornet flying into the living room at the house one afternoon.

2) The first afternoon when lightning struck a line on the railway and we had to sit there, with the doors and windows closed (and no air conditioning) for half an hour in 37 degree heat.

3) The night a marching band started playing in the village square and 100 people walked around the village carrying a huge cross and a painting of the Madonna. I should point out that the permanent population of the village is 32. The festival turned out to be for "Madonna del Carmine".