{"id":507,"date":"2007-12-28T08:57:42","date_gmt":"2007-12-28T14:57:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2007\/12\/italy-vacation-relaxing-in-bellagio\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T23:24:53","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T05:24:53","slug":"italy-vacation-relaxing-in-bellagio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2007\/12\/italy-vacation-relaxing-in-bellagio\/","title":{"rendered":"Italy vacation: Relaxing in Bellagio"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bellagio_2\"<\/a>By Polly Sheridan<\/em><\/p>\n

Rome<\/a><\/strong> has its ruins. Florence<\/a><\/strong> has its art. But if you want to really relax<\/em> on your Italy vacation<\/a><\/strong>, I think Lake Como is a great place to unwind. Lake Como, just miles from the Switzerland<\/a><\/strong> border in northern Italy, is shaped likean upside-down "Y," and the town of Bellagio sits right in the middle — where the three legs meet.<\/p>\n

The
\ntown’s main street, Piazza Mazzini, runs along the water, with
\nrestaurants and hotels taking full advantage of the views. The stepped, pedestrian-only lanes extending up from the main street
\nare perfect for leisurely window shopping. Elegant shops feature
\nItalian leather goods, clothing and more.\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Como silk is a specialty here, and boutiques sell beautiful
\nscarves. The saleswomen at Azalea on Salita Serbelloni invited me
\nto unfold as many scarves as I wanted to appreciate the patterns and
\nnote the artist’s signature — often written at the bottom.<\/p>\n

We wanted to explore, so we picked up a walking tour brochure from the tourist information
\ncenter. The two-and-a
\nhalf-hour walk took us through tiny villages that felt miles and
\nyears removed from the glitz of Bellagio. We passed a 17th-century villa and historic churches and strolled
\npast olive groves and bountiful gardens. The brochure offered great descriptions of the sights. I recommend wearing sturdy shoes if you go,
\nas the walk takes you down several narrow cobblestone lanes, which can
\nbe slippery.<\/p>\n

We were ready for dinner after our long walk, and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from.
\nDespite its proximity to Switzerland, Italian cuisine rules in Bellagio
\n— with pasta dishes, and often fresh fish from the lake, along with traditional
\ntiramisu and homemade gelato for dessert.<\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n