Menaggio Daily Trek, Lake Como, Italy, 9/23/2011

As part of our European trip, we rented an apartment for 5 days in Menaggio, a small town on the western shore of Lake Como in Italy. The apartment was situated about in the middle of town. The shops, bus and ferry were located along the lake shore, so every day we trekked back and forth from our apartment to the center. This meant passing thru a pedestrian tunnel and descending about 4 steep narrow alleys. I counted the steps of the one in the above picture: 110.

Italians, including elderly people, pregnant women and women with strollers, seemed to have difficulty handling the steep street. And indeed, after 5 days in Menaggio, just as it was time to leave, it felt a little easier to hike back and forth.

Menaggio was an ideal spot for us to stay for a few days. It offered everything we like: access to mountain hiking, to shops within walking distance and to culture to boot with the many historical sites, villas and gardens accessible via ferry.