I must admit, when my mother came to me asking if I’d like to backpack around Italy with her and my sister I got a swell of nervous energy. My mind ping-ponged around from food to men to wine!

Exotic travels are always exciting when first tossed around in one’s mind, then comes reality: summer heat, lugging around a backpack, dealing with my mom’s pre-menopausal neurosis’ and my sisters mood swings… I calmed my mind and agreed to the adventure, because how often does a 26-year-old single woman get offered a free plane ticket out of the country?

Our first stop was Lake Como in Cadenabbia, Italy. George Clooney lives there, you know? But no George Clooney was to be found, unless you consider a hairy-chested, rotund man named Giuseppe to be Clooney-like. We encountered many Giuseppe-type characters as we stepped off the plane and onto the bus.

Yes, it was our first day and we were anxious to arrive in The Como of the lake. As we made our way around the highway into Lake Como we were told that we would need to travel about 45-minutes further, out of the city, into one of the smaller towns to find our hostel.

The bus took us onto a tiny road and as each tiny corner approached I felt my stomach climb to my throat. It wasn’t just the fact that the bus driver was traveling on what seemed to be a one way road high above the land and lake below, but also that he was on his cell phone screaming at some person I could only assume was his wife, we shall call her Filomena, because what he was calling her is not appropriate for this article.

As our bus entered Cadenabbia, an intense joy spread through my body. Finally we would be able to shower. You would not believe the filth that accumulates on one’s body after a 13-hour plane ride and a two hour bus trip.

We hopped off the bus and began the five-mile walk to our hostel. We arrive at the hostel sweaty and hungry - only to find it closed. My mom ends up laying down on a picnic bench out of exhaustion and frustration and falls asleep. My sister sees an opportunity and has me snap some video footage of my mom snoring with her stomach exposed. As some form of cosmic retribution a swarm of bees (three bees, actually) start buzzing around my head. I run around to distract the bees and my mother snores herself awake and says, “We’re out of here!”

We set off with our backpacks and our sweatiness to discover a lovely Bed and Breakfast called La Marianna. Located across the street from breathtaking Lake Como, at $70 Euros a night we were more than eager to stay there.

Paola the owner and host welcomed us inside and conversed with my mother and sister in Italian while I floated around admiring all the decor and the hundreds of books just waiting to be read that Paola had neatly stacked in the living room. She took us to our room where there were three beds and a view of the Lake.

The room could not have been more beautiful: clean, painted yellow and white like a spring day, and we had our own bathroom. It was an amazing turn around from what it could have been had we not lucked out with finding La Marianna.

We showered and slept a few hours, then made our way into town just minutes away. We found an inspiring piazza accompanied by an outdoor gelatteria. Numerous archways lead us through to several shops and ristorantes. We stopped for a pizza, then sat near the lake and just reflected on life and how, within 15-hours, we went from overcrowded Los Angeles Airport to the calm of Lake Como. What a wonderful world we live in.

Jet-lag prompted us to retire to our room, where we slept for what felt like an eternity. We awoke to find that not only is La Marianna’s owner, Paola, a kind and interesting person, but also a chef. She prepared breakfast (assorted cereals, fresh baked bread and sweet rolls, eggs upon request and yogurt, and cappuccinos) for her guests and had tables set up across the street next to the lake.

It was perhaps the nicest experience I’ve ever had - it felt so natural.

Our trip took us through 10 Italian cities, Paris and London. Out of all the places we stayed, however, La Marianna was by far the best memory. Maybe it was the magic of Lake Como, but I still recommend Paola’s hotel to anyone who asks me about Italy.

La Marianna
Via Regina 57
22011 Cadenabbia di Griante (CO)
Italy
Tel: 39 0344 43095
www.la-marianna.com

- Reviewed by Michelle Roso (mroso8@hotmail.com)

Michelle Roso is a seasoned traveler who has odd things happen on her trips. From being targeted by raging Italian pigeons in the tiny town of Ferrara, Italy to dropping her brand new camera down Kent Falls (a 40-foot waterfall in Connecticut), she has an insatiable hunger for accidental fun.