A tourist again in Como

I am enormously indebted to my Italian family and friends for releasing the real Italy to me to examine, dissect, accept and finally call my own. I feel immensely privileged to have gone backstage in Italian life. I make no apologies for the romanticism of some posts, and acerbic observations in others, for as Henry James said; “Italy is mostly an emotion”, and this blog has both kinds.
I recently started being a tourist in my own town again and the province of Como is not a bad place to do that in , blessed as it is with such beauty and wonderful little villages that dot the shore line on a 70km glacial lake that's blue and clean to swim in. Well, I swim in it, some are too scared of lake monster.
Recently we had a romantic weekend up near Tremezzo where at the Tremezzo grand hotel life seems to have stopped in the 19th century and they serve G and Ts, Testarossas and other wonderful cocktails and food on a terrace that overlooks the entire ampitheatre of mountains and lake. It's five star bliss in the proper imperial way. Nearby is Villa Carlotta, and villa Balbianello at Lenno where James Bond and other movies have been made. We shared the hotel with all the guests and sponsors coming to the F1 grand prix at Monza.