La cura per la noia è la curiosità
(The cure for boredom is curiosity - Dorothy Parker)
It snowed last night, so this morning I decided to go exploring with my camera. I took the traghetto up the lake about 7 kilometers to a small village called Torno. I was the only passenger on the outgoing ferry and when I disembarked a few minutes later, I realized that I was pretty much alone in Torno too. The man who helped me off the boat disappeared into his shed and other than a few people working around the village, it was very quiet. The snow was still visible on the hillsides but it had melted near the lake with the light drizzle of rain that was falling. I gave up on capturing a Lake Como snow scene.
But for me, this is when I remembered all over again what I love about my experience here. Most days, I have fallen into a routine of daily life in which I often forget that I am far from home and living in a foreign country. Life feels pretty normal to me again. But on this day, I had time to wander by myself and see this place through fresh eyes. I peered through gates at elegant villas and neglected formal gardens. I was walking on pathways and stone stairs that have been a part of the village for hundreds of years. I turned down a narrow lane, ducked my head under a low stone archway and came upon a small, deserted piazza. One stone staircase led directly into the water of the lake. The few people I encountered spoke to me in Italian and I was able to understand them and reply in turn. The day was damp and dreary but I saw beauty and a history around every corner.
I love to think about how this village comes back to life when the weather warms and the seasonal crowds of summer residents and tourists return. During a previous visit, we watched a wedding party celebrate in the piazza by this harbor. I have brought friends here and we sat in the sun and enjoyed people-watching while we ate gelato. I will have more visitors who I hope will love this place too. But today, I had all the time I wanted to see it close up and at my own pace. I had this beautiful old place to myself.
 |
| Approaching Torno on the ferry |
 |
 |
