Saturday, july 23

We woke up to a serious thunderstorm that lasted several hours, so we lounged around the apartment until 2pm.  Look who we found on tv, dubbed in Italian!  The Property Brothers are always entertaining, but even more so when given emphatic Italian voices.

When the rain eased off a bit, we decided to venture over to Bellagio.  The night before, we decided we'd go even if it was raining.  We were very lucky that the skies cleared completely by the time we got on the ferry.

We had a fun afternoon in Bellagio window shopping, snacking, and playing our favorite guessing game in fancy towns: father/daughter or rich old dude/pretty young girlfriend?

​Of course there was gelato...

Picture perfect B&B's

And wandering back and forth; here, at the top of the Serbelloni steps.

We made it to the lookout point at the edge of town and just sat for awhile on the stone wall over the harbor, watching the boats go by and hoping for a glimpse of George and Amal.

We ferried back to Varenna and had dinner at the exact same spot where we dined the night before.  This time, we even sat at the same table.

After two mojitos, Sarah graduated from feeding the small ducks by hand to feeding the huge swans, not unlike a child.  A sizable crowd gathered around to watch the spectacle.

We lingered at that table for three and a half hours because we honestly didn't want the night to end.  We really loved the vibe of this tiny town.  It's nice and quiet and while filled with tourists, somehow manages to feel authentic.  People are here not to check sites off their travel list, but to relax and enjoy the natural beauty.  Being around people from all over the world in such a compact area makes the world feel small, and Varenna strikes the perfect balance of local and international flavor.  Bonus: we've never seen such a high concentration of interracial couples in one place, making us feel right at home!