Hold on to your hats!!

a look at the first snow of the year! (peaking out from behind)

It’s now day four with Josh’s mom and Mike (Sunday), and we are on our way to Lake Como to show them the beautiful city of Bellagio. The mountains were SO clear that day, they were lucky to have such great views of the Alps on the drive there! We could see all the way to Torino! Well… it seemed like it anyway. The clear views were due to the strong winds blowing through. It was a windy day!! I have only seen the mountains like that a few times since we’ve been in Milan. Usually it’s really hazy due to the humidity and smog.

Bellagio is about an hour and fifteen minutes from our house, so we were there in time for lunch. The first order of business was to grab some food (the hunger monster was starting to come out). We enjoyed being inside away from the wind and the cold. This little wine bar that we went to has been a favorite spot of ours. They have great food, great wine, and a cellar/cave like atmosphere. Before we ordered Mike ran out to buy some smokes, so we had to wait until he returned to order our food. We planned on ordering for him, but the waiter would not look at us or come over to our table since Mike wasn’t there.  

NOTE: when dining in Italy, the servers will wait until everyone is at the table to take orders.  We took our time and left the restaurant mid-afternoon, just in time to walk around and enjoy the afternoon sun. We did some shopping and exploring (Bellagio is known for it's silk products- scarves, ties, etc). I'm sure by the end we were all wind burned, but it was really fun :) One thing that suprises me when going to Bellagio is how many American tourists there are. Of course, there are other nationalities represented as well... but around every corner you would hear someone speaking American English. The word is out on Bellagio!

Our lunch spot- its a little wine bar/restaurant

Enjoying some warmth and good food!!

a much needed shot of caffeine

white caps on the waves- this is VERY unusual for Lake Como

the ferry unloading people and cars

Mother and Son- they even dressed alike for the day :)
Pink top, gray shorts!

Apparently Belaggio is just too much for some people...
He was drooling... She looked bored!

After walking around for a couple of hours we drove back to Milan. We originally planned to take the ferry to the other side of the lake to see Villa Balbianello, but by the time we were ready to hop on the ferry the villa was closed for the night. So we just headed home. We had a very special date with the Pizza Nazi that night that we didn't want to miss!! Of course, we joke when we call him that. He's a very nice guy that enjoys giving people a hard time at the restaurant. He gives the place an atmosphere of feeling busy and exciting and ushers customers out of the restaurant when they are finished. He does this all with a smile on his face and has a good rapport with the customers. He definitely knows us by now and realized we were with parents, so he was on his best behavior. The Pizza Nazi didn't usher us out- he just pinched my cheek and gave us a smile. Of course, the pizza was a hit with Laura and Mike!! They said it was the best pizza they have ever had!! I'm thinking that everyone that comes to Milan will have to try it to see if that is true... But it certainly has been the case with Josh and I, as well as his mom and Mike!

Next Stop: Florence!!! (although Laura and Mike went to Rome for a couple of days before meeting us in Florence on Wednesday. I'll see if I can get some pictures to post)

*some of the pictures posted are from Mike and Laura's camera