By Kiera R.
In June, Penn Alumni Travel is once again offering a trip to the Italian Lake District. Travelers will stay in Chernobbio, a short boat ride away from the town of Lake Como (known for its movie-star resident George Clooney). While we can’t guarantee bumping into Mr. Clooney in town, we can promise a wonderful stay in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
I traveled with a Penn group on this program in 2007 and was recently reminiscing about Lake Como with someone else who traveled there. We were both encouraging our dinner companion to visit.
Here’s why:
There’s water
Surrounded by mountains
The setting itself is breathtaking. It’s calming, it’s peaceful, it’s relaxing, it’s beautiful.
The town of Lake Como is small and charming – lots of people are walking around the streets, visiting the market, eating at outdoor cafes.
I always enjoy spotting Fiats – this is an old model sandwiched between more modern cars.
One day there was an excursion to Milan. We visited da Vinci’s “Last Supper” which was truly amazing, and I climbed up to the roof of the Duomo to get up close views of the statues on the roof and a wonderful view of the city.
We visited beautiful homes and gardens.
Villa del Balbianello was used as a backdrop for some scenes from Star Wars Episode II and Casino Royale.
And we visited Bellagio, charming with steep streets and expensive shops.
I haven’t even mentioned the wonderful food we had – risotto is a regional specialty and my daily habit of cappuccino and gelato was hard to break!
Our group thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and I encourage you to join us there next June!
Frankly Penn 