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.

Lake Pusiano, Cypresses and Wallabies

Posted on October 22, 2024 by comocompanion

A gulp of cormorants, a creep of tortoises and a troupe pf wallabies – the varying fortunes of the magical Isola dei Cipressi on Lake Pusiano. Continue reading →

Posted in Gardens, History, Lake, Places of interest, rowing, wildlife | Tagged Brianza, Como, cormorants, Eugene Beauharnais, fish, italy, Lake Pusiano, nature, Palazzo Carpani, Resegone, tortoises, travel, wallabies | Leave a comment

Lake Como and Leonardo’s ‘Mona Lisa’

Posted on October 5, 2024 by comocompanion

Experts now claim that Leonardo Da Vinci set two of his best known paintings amongst the landmarks on Lake Como’s eastern leg by identifying the landscape depicted in the background of the ‘Mona Lisa’ and his ‘Virgin of the Rocks’. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, History, Itineraries, Lake, People, Uncategorized | Tagged Adda, Art, Azzone Visconti, canals, Como, Garlate, History, Le Grigne, lecco, Leonardo, leonardo-da-vinci, Mandello, milan, mona-lisa, Paris, Resegone, Vaprio D'Adda | Leave a comment

Fatal Accident on Lake Como: The Soldiers’ Story

Posted on September 11, 2024 by comocompanion

“I can’t stand this any longer” – the final cry of a British Army Officer who drowned along with Mussolini’s daughter-in-law on Lake Como, May 1946. Continue reading →

Posted in Events, History, Lake, People, Uncategorized | Tagged blevio, Como, drowning, Excelsior, Gina Ruberti, History, Hotel Vapore, Imperiale, italy, Lake Como, Mandarin Oriental, Medloc, medloc feeder, post war, Roccabruna, tragedy | 3 Comments

Lake Como’s Prizewinning Olive Oil

Posted on August 16, 2024 by comocompanion

Overlooking the town of Lenno at 385 metres above sea level, a small holding of twenty acres has consistently produced an olive oil that has won world class prizes – it is the Azienda Agricola Roveglio. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Lake, People, Uncategorized | Tagged agriculture, Azienda Agricola, Cheese, Como, Frantoio, Lenno, Olive fruit fly, Olive knot disease, olive oil, rentals, Rogna | Leave a comment

Como’s Olympic Rowers: Past and Present

Posted on July 17, 2024 by comocompanion

On the 27th July three athletes from Como’s rowing club, Canottieri Lario, and a further three from the neighbouring Canottieri Moltrasio will be leaving for Paris to compete in the 2024 Olympics. The three Comaschi are Aisha Rocek, Giorgia Pelacchi and Jacopo Frigerio. The Moltrasini are Elisa Mondelli, Matteo Della Valle and Davide Comini. They will be accompanied by Stefano Fraquelli, Canottieri Lario’s Technical Director who is the National Italian Rowing Team’s Female Coach Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Places of interest, rowing, Sport, Uncategorized | Tagged Athletes, Athletics, canottieri lario, canottieri moltrasio, Como, Gruppo Sportivo, news, Olympics, Paris, rowing, sinigaglia, sports, summer-olympics | Leave a comment

Como’s Nostalgia For…..Wash Houses

Posted on June 23, 2024 by comocompanion

The wash house (Lavatoio in Italian) is a common architectural feature across Italy and no less so in the mountain communities around Lake Como. Technological and social changes have rendered them almost entirely redundant yet many still remain and a significant number have even been renovated and restored. Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Culture, Folklore, History, Lake, Places of interest, Uncategorized | Tagged cleaning, Como, Food, Lake Como, laundry, lavandaia, lavatoio, nature, nostalgia, travel, wash house | 1 Comment

Como 1907: The Mouse and the Lake

Posted on June 1, 2024 by comocompanion

In May this year ‘Como 1907’ was promoted into the top league of Italian football – Serie A. This change is due to ‘the most interesting football project in Europe’ – a project inspired by Disney and starring the lake. What is that project and how did it come about? Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Lake, Sport, Uncategorized | Tagged Como, Como 1907, Dennis Wise, Essien, Fabregas, football, Lake Como, merchandise, premier-league, Serie A, soccer, Sport, sports | Leave a comment

An American in Venice (via Como)

Posted on May 7, 2024 by comocompanion

On April 18th Sonja Christoph and husband Alessandro left Como to travel by train to Venice for the day. This was just one of the many, and one of the shortest of journeys undertaken by Sonja in her moves from her native Florida USA to Como via Heidelberg, Munich and London. But perhaps, for all that, this was one of the more personally significant journeys taken until now – she was delivering her artwork entitled ‘Frames of Reference’ for display in the Venetian Biennale. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, Events, People, Uncategorized | Tagged Art, Biennale, Cameroon, Como, Culture, illustration, migrants, storytelling, Venice | Leave a comment

Swimming in Lake Como 2024

Posted on April 28, 2024 by comocompanion

Many ask if it is safe to swim in Lake Como. Every year we publish the official data collected over the previous season and this year (2024) we can confidently state that the lake’s beaches are cleaner than ever. Continue reading →

Posted in Lake, Places of interest, Uncategorized | Tagged bacteria, beaches, Como, e-coli, italy, Lake Como, lidos, pollution, swimmability, travel, wild swimming | Leave a comment

Como Tourism Post Covid

Posted on April 1, 2024 by comocompanion

Lake Como’s natural charms are secure but does Como tourism possess the necessary infrastructure, professionalism and will to meet the challenges of success, to safeguard and publicise the qualities of the ‘brand’ and to satisfy the evolving demand for ‘experiential’ tourism? Continue reading →