"Rezzonico - Land of Castles" Rezzonico by tpal

I think there is a moment during every trip that captures the collective essence of the entire experience. This was our first full day on Lake Como. It seemed everywhere we looked was picture postcard perfect. It was late afternoon. We had seen a villa, lush gardens, walked along a lakeside promenade, and had just enjoyed a pleasant afternoon in Menaggio. We decided to explore a bit and drive further north. It seems I don't drive quite as fast as the locals and consequently I found myself pulling over frequently to allow the convoy behind me to pass.

At one point a quick right turn off the main road put us face to face with a castle! In fact it was Castello Rezzonico which turns out to be a real 14th century castle that is now a private residence. We decided to explore. Walking along the right side of the castle wall we were led to a long descending walkway. There was enough of a curve to it that we couldn't see the end. As I stood there wondering how far it went we saw an elderly woman ascending. Now I'm thinking, "If she can...I can".

So down we went. And down. And down. Suddenly we were aware of something new. It was really quiet. And beautiful. The shallow rise long run cobblestone stairs were very regular with solid stone along each edge. The doors to the homes along the way were individually unique and obviously selected and cared for with great pride. There were potted plants on the cobbles and window boxes above. The light was dim and the feeling was peaceful.

Finally, we reached the bottom and to our surprise the walk opened up to a beautiful piazza...with a bench. What was before us was Lake Como from a most spectacular view. We were looking directly at the crotch of the "Y" with the leg to Como fading off to the right and the leg to Lecco to the left. It occurred to us ..."the people of Rezzonico live with this beauty every day".