Day 129 Como to Brunate

Having arrived in Italy we needed to know how we should tackle the next few strolls which would get us to the end. We had no maps and no inkling of footpaths and of way marking.

We started the day with a long lie in and only got up at 8:30 in order to get breakfast before it was cleared away. Como looked very special in the morning sun as we strolled around taking in the touristy bits.

Then it was down to work, find maps and work out how we were going to overcome the mountains in between Como and Bagolino. The tourist information office pointed us towards the map shops and also to the pharmacy for foot care products. We ate a spartan lunch and had a crack at working out a route. In the end there are two possibilities, go long and high or go low and not so far. At the moment long and high is winning as it means that the views will be better, the air will be loads cooler and we shall be away from traffic. The downside of this solution is that the will take longer and need greater navigation skills.

We had decided to have a day of rest today but after a long afternoon sleep we thought that an evening stroll would be just the job. It would also test out our map and the waymarkings we should be using over the next weeks. A short stroll up to Brunate could be enjoyed followed by a trip back down on the funicular railway then dinner. With some assistance from locals we found the path up to Brunate. It was a stiff climb but not very different from others which we have done lately. At the top we found the funicular railway station and discovered that the ticket office was shut. We were a little nonplussed by this revelation at first. A helpful notice told us where tickets could be purchased out of hours. One of the bars was shut so we strolled to another, not mentioned on the list, in order to get directions. The bloke behind the bar was not helpful in any way but we did spot a policeman who pointed us in the right direction.

We enjoyed a pleasant trip down and had a chat about this and that with the other passengers. More or less a success on all counts if you ignore that fact that the delayed ticket down purchase made us too late for supper. Janet wasn’t hungry anyway and I have some beer in the fridge so we are both happy.

 

Tomorrow we head towards Erba, an altogether sterner test.