5. Looking For George

16 July 2026

It’s time to say goodbye to Baveno and move onto our next lake. Como will not be our final destination today, more an interlude for now. The Italian weather does not fail and we have yet another hot day ahead of us as we pack ourselves into the bus, adjust the air-conditioning and wait for the bus to chug up the hill, leaving Baveno behind.

Susanna, our guide fills us in on the history and geography of this region as we first travel south, then to the north towards the border between Switzerland and Italy. After almost two hours, we arrive in the city of Como. When we were here last ten years ago, it was in the dead of winter and we did not have the advantage of exploring the city during daylight hours. Although I would love to have disappeared from the group and walked to the funicular that could take me to the top of the mountain, I stay and follow a local guide who shows us some of the ancient buildings in this fascinating city. Starting in Piazza Alessandro Volta, which celebrates the scientist with a monument dating back to 1838, we hear about his achievements in the development of the first battery in 1779. It’s hard to imagine that just nine years after Cook’s navigation of the east coast of Australia, someone on the other side of the world had developed the first battery. I wonder what Volta would think of today’s batteries.

We follow the guide through a maze of narrow streets, which all seem to end in little squares. Shops filled with wonderful merchandise are appealing, almost beckoning me to enter, but I resist the temptation and follow the sound of the guide’s voice through the provided radio transmitter. In one square, we learn about the importance of grains in this place that can be dated back to Roman era. The grain market functioned as the primary centre of commerce, agriculture, and trade and the unusual ‘stick-out’ houses with their second and third floors extending well over the top of the first floor seem to defy gravity. They have survived, which is probably a testament to good design rather than good luck. All are beautifully restored. We visit the basilica of San Fedele before moving onto the Piazza del Duomo, where the main cathedral of Como is located. This is the last Gothic cathedral to be built in Italy. Started in 1396, it was not finished until 1770. The west front, where we are standing features a rose window and a portal between two statues of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger. Pliny the Elder was a prolific writer, naturalist, scientist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire. He died in AD79 whilst attempting to rescue people from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pliny the Younger was not the son of Pliny the Elder but was just as prolific with his writings. During the counter-reformation, Church authorities attempted to have the statues of Pliny the Elder and Younger removed from the cathedral because they were pagan Roman figures, and the church did not want to honour non-Christians on the façade of a holy building. The people of Como defended not only their historical figures, but successfully resisted the removal of them from the church. I remember visiting this square ten years ago and it is here that Christmas lights and scenes are projected onto the buildings every December to January.

Shortly after, and close to the lake, our tour finishes. Our tour guide points across the lake and tells us that George Clooney’s villa is somewhere over there! I don’t think it is likely that he will be wandering around Como this morning. It's too hot for starters!

Will we still attempt to take a ride on the funicular? Yeah, nah!! It’s too hot to be running to the ticket office and then to be squished into a tight queue for the train, so we decide to have coffee instead. Sitting in a café close to the ferry pier, we watch people scurry to and from the regular ferries. One person takes up our attention as he has a white suitcase strapped to his back and what looks like a lamp hovering over his head. He walks up and down the square in a regular pattern. When he got close enough to us, I see the Google Maps logo on the back of his suitcase and realise that he is manually creating maps for Google Maps. I suppose they cannot use drones here for one reason or another, so they do this job manually.

Before we know it, it is time to return to Piazza Alessandro Volta to meet the rest of the group and to complete the rest of our day’s travel. After backtracking for some time, we get on the road to our destination for this evening on Lake Iseo. The lake is every bit as beautiful as Lake Maggiore but perhaps is less touristy. Our hotel is located right across the road from the lake. The Cocco Hotel and Thai Spa is a strange combination, and even stranger when we opt to eat at the restaurant and are offered two menus, an Italian one and a Thai (of sorts) one.

It's been a long day of travelling with a couple of hours exploration time in Como. We have an early start tomorrow, so I am happy to turn in and try to find a television station with English subtitles, an endeavour, which is far too difficult since our television has no sound and apparently nobody can fix it.

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