The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
TRAVEL FACTS
three-day mini break. We had full, all-inclusive access to the restaurants and bars as well as a few other treats in Cadenabbia and the surrounding area.
Lunch and dinner are served at the Lido 50 metres down the street.
The restaurant boasts an impressive a la carte menu, with delectable Lombardyflavoured choices such as sausage tartare, calamari and seafood tagliatelle.
Upstairs at the Lido is the Rooftop Pizzeria, which offers a whole range of succulent pizzas with views of the stunning lake.
Another big pull for the Britannia Excelsior is that owners Ross and Doriana Whieldon and their staff go the extra mile to make guests feel at home. And not only that, the family clearly has a significant influence on and knowledge of the area, which guests can tap into.
The next morning, we met up with Ross and Doriana’s son Thomas, who runs a heli fly fishing business in the mountains.
He gave us a few handy tips on what we should see and do during our short time in the area.
The 18th Century Villa del Balbianello, where filming took place for the James Bond movie Casino Royale, is a must for film fans, while history buffs can visit Giulino, where Mussolini was arrested and executed.
And, of course, there is George and Amal Clooney’s Oleandra summer residence in Laglio.
For walkers, there are plenty of longer hikes, including from Griante to the hillside chapel of San Martino, while the 10km Green Way Roman road from Griante to Lenno passes through some of Italy’s most picturesque villages.
However, on our second full day we fancied popping over to the “Pearl of Lake Como”, Bellagio.
Although the hotel runs its own shuttle boat three times a day, we headed down to the nearby ferry port to buy day tickets, which allowed us to use the ferries in the lake’s central zone all day. We happily wandered around Bellagio’s quaint cobbled streets, before stopping off for lunch.
Then, after a gelato on the lake-front, we hopped on the ferry to another picturesque village, Varenna, with its narrow streets, mysterious alleys and lively piazzas.
On our final morning, before departing for the airport, we took a stroll to Menaggio towards the Swiss border, before spending one final hour gently bobbing up and down on Britannia Excelsior’s floating pool.
Our own version of “dolce far niente” was undoubtedly inspired by Italy, but thanks to the Whieldons and their staff ’s hospitality, there was a comforting UK feel to it.
As we expected beforehand, Lake Como is a place of pure Italian relaxation, and the fact that the Britannia Excelsior rules the waves on this small corner of it, makes it even more welcoming. Shearings offers nine-day “Summer in Lake Como” coach trips from the UK, staying at Hotel Britannia Excelsior for seven nights, from £559pp.
See shearings.com
For more information on the Hotel Britannia Excelsior visit hotelbritanniacadenabbia.com
YOU SOON REALISE WHY CADENABBIA HAS BECOME A FAVOURITE