Today was a big day – it’s H’s birthday! As we woke up, we drew back the blinds to reveal a picture-perfect sunny day on Lake Como. Today looked like it would be the best weather yet. The low cloud that had hung over the nearby mountains had cleared, and we could now see their snow-capped peaks. The view was truly stunning.

We had a light breakfast and set out early to avoid the crowds.

A and I were keen to do a short hike (almost straight up) the hillside to the Castello Di Vezio – a single-tower castle that sat on the hillside directly above Varenna.

H and Laura decided to spend the morning exploring the town and looking for some treats for H’s birthday at the local bakeries.

The hike up to Castello Di Vezio was intense – a steep cobbled track that wound its way up the hillside through the forest. After about a 25-minute trek, we reached the top and emerged from the forest trail at the grounds of the castle. We entered the grounds and looked around the gardens, which were lovely – with amazing views of Lake Como in all directions, shouldered by the steep hills and occasional snow-capped mountains.

The air was fresh and clear. It was magical.

The locals who maintain the castle place ghost-like figures around the grounds, along with some other more quirky figures.

Inside the castle proper was a guard who would place you in the stocks and pretend to chop your head off. A bit of a laugh for A.

We then climbed the castle tower – five floors up. Each floor had various ornaments from the different eras of the tower. The top floor was set out like a small throne room with a fireplace. From here, we could access the top of the tower and again take in the wonderful views.

It’s clear why the castle tower was built here: steep, almost impassable mountains to the back, and views across all areas of the lake to the front and sides.

After the visit to the castle, we headed back down the hillside track to meet H and Laura at the Varenna ferry terminal, where we caught a ferry across to Menaggio.

Menaggio was another nice town on the lake, different again from Varenna and Bellagio. We wandered the lakefront and then through the piazza before working our way to some of the back streets in search of a place to have a birthday lunch for H. Oddly enough, we stumbled across a sushi place – one of H’s favourite foods. So sushi it was.

We were not sure what to expect from a sushi place in a back street of Menaggio, but the meal was great and very fresh.

We continued on our wanderings in search of a beach to have a paddle. The beach club offered a private beachfront, however, it cost from 60 to 300 Euros (per person)… not quite what we were looking for.

So we moved on. And to our surprise, right on the waterfront was an 18-hole mini-golf course. What better way to spend a birthday than to play a round of mini-golf on the banks of Lake Como?

It was quite a challenging course, but we had a great time getting around.

After mini-golf, we improvised a beach. We found a set of stone stairs that led down to the water. H was the only one brave enough to test out the chilly waters. While she didn’t get in completely, she certainly had fun dipping her toes in and then waiting to get splashed as the waves hit the stairs.

Some fun paddling in the chilly water of Lake Como.

It was now time to head back to Varenna. We walked (with purpose) back to the ferry terminal and caught the next ferry back.

It was almost 3 p.m. by the time we got back to the apartment. Now it was time for birthday cakes. Earlier, Laura and H had picked up a selection of lovely small cakes from the local bakery – and randomly, we found a birthday candle in a shop in Menaggio.

We sang Happy Birthday to H and celebrated with the delicious selection of cakes.

H, A, and I decided to chill out for the rest of the afternoon. Laura was keen to take on the hike up to the Castello Di Vezio, which she knocked over in just over an hour – an amazing effort given how steep the hike up was.

In the early evening, we headed out for a special birthday dinner for H. Her request: crepes and gelato up at the piazza. The kids loved their treat dinner. Laura and I, however, opted for something slightly more refined.

Just at the top of the stairs near our apartment, barely 15 steps away, was an unassuming little restaurant. We had walked past several times and thought about checking it out. Tonight was the night. Luckily, we were out early as we didn’t have a reservation. They accommodated us, and the service from there was fantastic – and so was the food.

We shared an octopus starter, which was absolutely delicious. Laura then had squid-ink pasta with prawn and salmon, while I had slow-cooked and pan-seared duck. Both were fantastic.

But now the day was done. It was a big one.

Castello Di Vezio Walk

Managgio

Varenna