Just Back from Italy
At the end of August I enjoyed a last-chance late summer vacation to Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland. This trip was part relaxation (Lugano and Santa Margherita) and part work (Lake Como).
Where I Stayed: Villa Castagnola (Lugano, Switzerland), Villa Serbelloni (Bellagio, Italy), and the Hotel Miramare (Santa Margherita Liguria, Italy). I loved all of these hotels and whole heartedly recommend them!
What I Packed: casual clothes, lots of linen, light layers, comfy shoes, swimsuits, one shirt dress for nicer dinners. August is a warm and casual month in Europe.
Highlights: a private boat ride on Lake Como, visiting the Villa Balbianello, relaxing on Lake Lugano, walking along the Ligurian coast from Santa Margherita to Portofino.
How I Traveled: I flew Delta direct between New York-JFK and Milan-Malpensa airports. Once there, we rented a car.
We started our trip with two nights at the Villa Castagnola in Lugano, Switzerland. We love Lugano's relaxed atmosphere and lake views. If you prefer grand dame hotels that are still locally owned and still full of character and authenticity, this is the place for you. Elegant yet always friendly.
My beach look in Lugano.
We then headed to Lake Como for a few days of site visits for an upcoming tour. Private boat is definitely the best way to get around this region!
I loved visiting the beautiful gardens of the Villa Balbianello. We also enjoyed a private tour through the inside of the villa.
A sneak peak inside the Villa Balbianello.
We then headed south to Santa Margherita Ligure on the Ligurian coast of Italy (between Genoa and the Cinque Terre). Here I was back on vacay mode. Santa Margherita is super cute, full of great shops and restaurants.
Our best meal was the fresh pasta with seabass we had at Langosteria in Paraggi, a small ocean-side town between Portofino and Santa Margherita. Capers, fresh lemon zest, it was perfection.
The view of Portofino. I highly recommend walking between here and Santa Margherita or Paraggi. It's a flat walk along the Med coast and takes about an hour. Beauty at every turn.
What I Packed. As always I tried to stick to a color scheme. I took three shirt dresses (bottom right), a teal cardigan (middle), two pairs of shorts (white and navy), and several long and sleeve less tops (top left). All cotton and linen. I brought a pair of Allbirds that were on their last leg (they did not return with me!). I was gone 7 nights and fit everything in a carry-on.