Up to Monte Venini!

 Since I literally fell off Monte Grona last year and had a very lucky escape, I thought my mountain days were over. But last week I had the chance to go up Monte Venini for the first time ever. Venini is right above Menaggio on the south side of the road that goes over to Lugano. It was stunning in the spring sunshine and I'm so grateful that I got to go. The old military road, built in WW1, is long and hard going, not for the faint hearted or the weak-stomached!

Shutters!

 The shutters open and close using clever black clips that catch the shutter as you push it open.

To close, you simply press down firmly on the thumb-shaped indentation at the bottom of the clip.  This releases the clip.

Please please never twist the clips in the wall.  This weakens them and is completely unnecessary.

Link to the bus timetable from San Siro to Menaggio, Como, Colico

https://www.asfautolinee.it/orari_pdf/estivo/C10.pdf

After the rain

Lovely to see this little cloud hovering over the water. All that remained of a spectacular storm. 

Fresh figs!

We love fresh figs, and these were just gorgeous.  There are lots of fig trees around the village, growing out of stone walls.  The figs never seem to be ripe when I am looking, so these probably came from the south of Italy. But the leaves came from the village!

Discovering glorious views at the north end of Lake Como

Il campanello - the little doorbell

This is the original brass doorbell that we named the house after. This is because we think it's the very last one left in the village. Just a tiny touch of the old days that lends a special character to the house.  We have recently had the entrance renovated, but have kept the old door and the bell as a reminder that the house is actually over 300 years old.  Thankfully, there shouldn't be too much else that does that!

And here it is polished up.