The ongoing support and interest of you, the readers of Como Companion, have encouraged me to link a Facebook page to this online newsletter.

Banner of the new Facebook page for Como Companion

Our Facebook presence will mainly give notice of upcoming events in the Como area that may be of interest to English-speaking residents and visitors. The newsletter has not previously covered this type of content. For example, it will be able to share details of events organised by followers of this blog like  Irma Kennaway‘s presence at the ‘I Did It’ Exhibition at the nhow Hotel, Milan.

Some of Irma Kennaway’s works at the ‘I Did It’ exhibition, nhow Hotel, Milan. The artworks will remain on show until April 2018.

In addition to the standard events that occur throughout the year, e.g. the Christmas activities put together by Città dei Balocchi, it will inform you of one-off events organised by local restaurants and wine bars as well as those activities organised by social and sporting associations.

One of the cribs on show at San Giacomo Church – this event organised by Citta Dei Balocchi is the first to be posted on CC’s Facebook page.

The newsletter will continue to post articles describing walks, aspects of local history, interviews with local artists such as Ester Maria Negretti and Mr. Savethewall, etc.. It will maintain its eclectic mix of industrial, touristic and cultural subjects. The aim of discovering and sharing knowledge of this fascinating and beautiful area remains unaltered other than possibly to align ourselves ever more firmly to the tenets of sustainability and the ‘slow’ movement – with slow food and, of relevance to residents as well as tourists, slow tourism.

Freezing Cherub in Villa Olmo Fountain – Winter 2016/17

The newsletter will continue to update its calendar which tries to include postings on events of possible interest to English speakers. So we exclude items such as drama performances in local dialect (of which there are a fair few),  or more typically, presentations and discussions held exclusively in Italian. However you can turn to the CC Facebook page for greater detail on some of the more accessible upcoming events for ex-pats and visitors.

Latest Instagram photo – Alessandro Volta looks down from his plinth on the Christmas lights in Piazza Volta.

There is also a Como Companion Instagram account used mainly to share photos of this beautiful area where we either live or visit. The challenge is to combine the use of these three channels in a coherent self-supporting way. I foresee the newsletter content becoming more stable and less time-specific with the Facebook page taking on the more dynamic content. Instagram will hopefully alert you to what has been published on either of the other two channels as well as continuing to offer me the chance of wallowing in the visual beauty of Como, its lake and surrounding hills and mountains. However this optimistically-named strategy turns out, I thank all of the Companion’s readers and followers for your support over the last year and I hope you stay on board over the years to come.

Misty Lake – Winter chill