Author Archives: comocompanion

About comocompanion

I am an Englishman in Como, Northern Italy - definitely both a Euro and Italophile with an interest in modern history, walks in the hills and mountains, and food and wine. I favour 'slow' tourism alongside of 'slow' food.

The Romantic Era of Smuggling: A Game of Cat and Mouse on Lake Como

Posted on April 15, 2021 by comocompanion

The Romantic Era of Smuggling: A Game of Cat and Mouse on Lake Como. Smuggling was common along the entire length of Italy’s northern border but particularly prevalent around the lakes so much as to become a key element in local folklore. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Culture, Folklore, History, Itineraries, Lake, People, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged Burlanda, Cigarettes, Cinto, coffee, Colonno, contraband, contrabbandieri, Davide Van De Sfroos, Domenica del Corriere, Erbonne, finanzieri, guardia di finanza, Il Cimino, Lanzo, Lezzeno, Ment, smugglers, Smuggling, spalloni, Switzerland, val d'intelvi | Leave a comment

Hollywood, Gucci and Lake Como

Posted on March 16, 2021 by comocompanion

Hollywood, Gucci and Lake Como. On 17th March Hollywood will descend on Lake Como for a day of filming at the Villa Balbiano. The film is about the Gucci family and the murder of Maurizio Gucci ordered by his estranged wife, Patrizia Reggiani. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Culture, Events, Lake, People | Tagged Adriano Celentano, Al pacino, Canepa, celebrity, film, Fiorio, Flora, Grand Hotel Cadenabbia, Gucci, Hollywood, Lady Gaga, Maurizio Gucci, Patrizia Reggiani, Villa Balbianello, Villa Balbiano, villa d'este | Leave a comment

Two Local Poets for International Women’s Day

Posted on March 10, 2021 by comocompanion

Two Local Poets for International Women’s Day. Both were brought up in Milan but with links to Lake Como. Both displayed poetic talent at an early age. Both suffered from mental fragility. Both are admirable women – Antonia Pozzi & Alda Merini. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, People, Uncategorized | Tagged Alda Merini, Antonia Pozzi, Antonio Banfi, Brunate, crepuscolarismo, modernism, Onorina Dino, Pasturo, poetry, Poetry Way, poets, rationalism, valsassina | Leave a comment

Carate Urio to Moltrasio via Rifugio Bugone

Posted on February 20, 2021 by comocompanion

Carate Urio to Moltrasio via Rifugio Bugone. This walk, from lakeside to the crest of the mountains on the Via dei Monti Lariani and then down, is rewarding but not for the fainthearted. It takes you by 2 refuges where good mountain food is available. Continue reading →

Posted in Itineraries, Lake, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged bugone, Carate, La Culman, Moltrasio, Monte di Urio, Monte generoso, mountain walks, Murelli, Rifugio, Santa Marta, Tosnacco, Urio, Via Verde | 2 Comments

Cleaning Up Como’s Tax Office

Posted on February 16, 2021 by comocompanion

Cleaning Up Como’s Tax Office. The Director of the Province of Como’s tax office (the Agenzia delle Entrate) has been convicted of taking bribes in exchange for heavily discounting local businessmen’s tax bills at a cost of €2 million in lost revenue. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, People, Uncategorized | Tagged accountants, bribes, corruption, Entrate, guardia di finanza, Pennestri, tangenti, tax, Ufficio Entrate | Leave a comment

Lake Como’s Bears, Wolves … and Werewolves

Posted on February 7, 2021 by comocompanion

Lake Como’s Bears, Wolves … and Werewolves. Just by travelling 10 kms inland from the lake, you enter areas remote enough to support the repopulation of wolves and bears – and the continued propagation of ancient myth! Continue reading →

Posted in Folklore, Places of interest, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged bears, cavargna, deer, ecology, garzeno, sasso del lupo, valle albano, valsassina, viandante, werewolves, wild boar, wolves | 3 Comments

Escape to Switzerland via Monte Bisbino

Posted on January 25, 2021 by comocompanion

Escape to Switzerland via Monte Bisbino – the story of Anna Sacerdoti and her family and how they avoided deportation – to honour this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, History, People, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged Anna Sacerdoti, Bisbino, cernobbio, Chiasso, Christian Schiefer, holocaust, Leggi Razziali, Platform 21, Shoah, smugglers | Leave a comment

Shadow of the Mafia over Como

Posted on January 14, 2021 by comocompanion

Shadow of the Mafia over Como following the arrest of 34 operating a scam involving the deliberate bankruptcy of 40 cooperatives and the closure of Pane e Tulipani in Como’s old town. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, People, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged Avenue Hotel, Bruno De Benedetto, cooperatives, Lido, lomazzo, mafia, ndrangheta, organised crime, Pane e Tulipani, usury, Viale Geno, Villa Olmo | Leave a comment

Argegno to Colonno

Posted on January 2, 2021 by comocompanion

Argegno to Colonno. The hike from Argegno to Colonno via Pigra is one of the most scenic routes on the lake. Continue reading →

Posted in Itineraries, Lake, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged Alpette, Antica Strada Regina, Argegno, Camoggia, Colonno, Corniga, Hikes, Pigra, San Zeno, Walks, waterfalls | 2 Comments

R.I.P. Noir in Festival at Como

Posted on December 15, 2020 by comocompanion

Covid has wounded ‘Noir in Festival’ this year but at least there are the online interviews and we hope the festival will be back in Como next year. Continue reading →