Study Break to Lake Como

When we decided to explore starting a footwear company, we needed to first have a formal education in shoes. So we headed to Milan to study at the famed Arsutoria School of shoemaking. The morning we arrived in Italy we ignored our jet lag in favor of seizing our only expected free day to check out Lake Como. Navigating train and ferry schedules, we briefly visited three towns on Lake Como including a family recommendation to stop by the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni Bellagio.   

When we ended up having an unexpected day off from class, our thoughts went right to the Serbelloni hotel pool. The luxurious lakeside pool was such a draw that we toyed with getting a room reservation despite the price and not even having time to spend the night. To our delight, we learned we could simply purchase a day pass to the pool. That and the $18 poolside cappuccinos were some of the best money we ever spent as we drank in the mountains, palm trees and early September lake breezes. We paged through Italian fashion magazines and excitedly planned how to apply what we were learning to building a company offering the shoes we want to wear. 

We capped off our day with dinner at Varenna Caffé where we discovered the perfect late summer salad recipe of arugula, peaches and prosciutto dressed with a balsamic reduction and Italian olive oil. 

Not bad for a quick day trip!