Page 108 - Cork & Tee Sample Program Flipbook, 2018

Day 7: A Day on Lake Como. Mid-morning, meet Roberta or another of our handpicked
guides for a 6-hr leisurely exploration of Lake Como, one of the most beautiful mountain lakes
in the world. Cruise past lovely lakeside villages and historic villas.

Roberta will customize the tour according to your preferences and you will have a separate boat
captain, who will pilot your lake cruiser.

We recommend starting today’s touring with a visit to Villa Balbianello. You might recognize
the villa from its appearances in Hollywood blockbusters such as Casino Royale and Star Wars
II: Attack of the Clones. Built on the site of a Franciscan monastery for Cardinal Angelo Maria
th
Durini at the end of the 18 century, the villa stands on the tip of a steep promontory overlooking
Lake Como, almost opposite Bellagio.
Today, the villa has the appearance
desired by its last owner, the explorer
Guido Monzino, with a rich collection
of Chinese, African and pre-
Colombian art, precious English and
French furniture of the 1700s, and the
small museum with documents and
mementoes of his expeditions. Yet the
true masterpiece is the panoramic
terraced garden dominated by the
elegant "loggia" with three arches rising on the highest point of the promontory. Roberta will
guide you on a tour of the villa and its gardens.

We recommend making a stop for lunch at Villa d’Este, built in 1568 as the summer residence of
Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio (cost of lunch not included in your program). The hotel property
consists of more than 25 acres of glorious gardens. Continue your voyage, perhaps cruising past
George Clooney’s three villas as well as other magnificent private villas of Como.

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