I’m going to open by saying Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited and it is right up there on my ‘I want to go back to’ list.

I caught the local train to Zurich HB and made it onto my Eurocity 7.09am train to Como with five minutes to spare. Anyone looking to travel by train in Europe should consult the Man in Seat 61 website. It is an invaluable source of information and practical advice.

Researching this site before my journey I learnt that the opening of the 57km long Gotthard tunnel in 2016 has made the Zurich-Milan route faster, but it had also reduced some of the alpine scenery on offer. All the same, I ensured I had a window seat and I saw lush Swiss meadows, seemingly endless mountains disappearing into the horizon and the beauty of Lake Lugano. Taking photos from a high speed train is challenging but I captured a few that are worth sharing, excuse the glare from the glass.

Arriving at Como San Giovanni the first thing I noticed was an increase in temperature and humidity. I got to practice some Italian when buying a ‘biglietto dell’autobus’ at a kiosk at the station. On the bus to our accommodation, which was two thirds of the way to Bellagio from Como, I caught my first glimpse of the famous ‘lago’ and was captivated! I couldn’t pull my eyes away, even when my fellow passengers, who I’d been chatting with moments earlier, asked me a question!

Alighting at a nondescript bus stop on the narrow lakeside road I messaged Anita and told her I had arrived. Moments later she appeared from the house across from me with a big grin and an even bigger hello!

It was hard to believe it had been two months since we had seen each other in Nice. We’d both travelled so much in that time, so there was no shortage of conversation.

Our accommodation was an almost lakeside house with the entire top floor converted into a three bedroom Air BnB apartment. The balcony had the most amazing views and as we sat chatting, eating and drinking my visual addiction to the beautiful scenery was thoroughly satisfied.

The next day we took a swim in the lake. The water was cool and refreshing, but getting in and out on the slippery river stones was a mixture of hazardous and comedic!

We enjoyed dinners at two nearby restaurants where ‘frutta del lago’ or fruits of the lake provided delicious fresh seafood offerings.

It was clear by the end of our second day that two nights was not enough in this heavenly place, but as they say, the show must go on. We said goodbye at Como San Giovanni and Anita headed to Venice and I continued on to Milano.

Milan

The train to Milan is only about a 40 minute ride and on arrival I couldn’t help but be impressed by the grandeur of Milan Central station. I made my way downstairs to the Metro and two stops later I was a few hundred metres of my Air BnB.

The next day outside the enormous Milan Duomo I met up with Sarah. She had been travelling with Anita, who had put us in touch since we were staying in the same city. I’m sure any solo traveller will agree that temporary company, especially with someone from your hometown, is gold! Sarah and I took in the Duomo then headed to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II for a spritz and a mouth-watering Italian lunch.

Not wanting the fun to end, we hung out again the following day. Sarah took the knowledge she had gathered over the past month or so dining in Italy and created the most impressive spread for our lunch. My attempts at recreating it since have been mediocre to say the least.

Again, it would have been nice to hit pause and live this life permanently, but Sarah was heading back to Perth and I had a train to catch to Florence!