early start today, breakfast ok,no views. We have all purchased tickets for a daily trip on the lake  we are of to Bellagio said to be the pearl of the lake.

it is a four hour round trip, best way to view the towns and properties around the lake and least expensive. Costing around £ 15.00 each

The boat is a lake bus for the public to access the towns I would guess more quickly?

Bellagio is 2 hours from Como town, a very relaxed way to tour this area .

A very nice place to visit, by road 30 K, w thought we deserved a boat ride, past some beautiful properties dotted around the lake. The lake area has a very relaxing and alpine feel about it.

Bellagio is built into the hillside with assorted shops and restaurants around a peaceful place to rest a while, leather goods a very good prices, didn’t expect that.

We stopped for cheeseburgers and tandoori chicken, em very Italian.

On the lake are mostly sailing yachts and small power boats, nothing vulgar or showofy.

The water in the lake seem to have a green colour reflecting all the greenery from the forest that fill the mountains surrounding the lake.

Como sits on the lake of the same name, for those of you that are poor at geography ,we are staying at The Best Western Hotel about 500 mts from lake, still very hot 38 C .

We had a walk down to lake past the football stadium and aircraft hangers, lot of sea planes here! Found a little local bar , what’s new ! Went into the main town, every town is not that large for most bars and restaurants,to hot outside Helen could not stick it, so found an air conditioned place.

again places are shut until 7.30 so we had time to way up the menu, this is the first time we have eaten and finished before it was dark. So we went and checked out the boat times so we could cruise the lake tomorrow.

Had a paddle in the lake,very warm, Phillip decided to sit this out most gracefully with that bit of fun we decided to call it a day.

Again top terrace breakfast , overlooking the land marks, good fuel for the day ahead.

not a long drive today, checked out had vehicle delivered, it had been garage at not a small price to protect it, it came back with damage not happy, short argument , when I said I will dispute this with the credit card company, thing changed, the car parking firm have agreed to pay for repairs on receipt of paid invoice, that will be repaired quickly, then if they are slow I will dispute the whole bill as the hotel sold me the parking they are responsible .

Trip via autostrada , less than three hour.

Views across to the other side of town.

Had our most expensive fuel stop just under E100.00 for a fill up,it had better be good.

it was good to the fuel showing 220 range left in tank at the highest point of the mountain, by the time we reached the valley it had risen to 278 Kim’s range left. Tolls cost just under E 40 today.

Across to the other side of town, Como

Got to Como and hotel position wrong side of road on sat nav , still about 38 degrees C around the lake. Good weather has been with us all the way.

Pauline’s birthday today,not given her age

Hotel Baglioni very busy for breakfast mostly Americans and far eastern people.

everyone was directed to there breakfast tables, but not us, we just blundered in an picked our own, did not know of the protocol . These terraces look over the town we are only 200 metres  from the Duomo.

We left to look at the sites around the city  phew  forty degrees C today again, you need to drink and shade regularly  not  a bad idea , checked out the leather good ,great place to buy lots of choice and you must barter hard for best price, if you do not you will get ripped of.

We wanted to check out the gardens ? Closed, apparently the museums and park all close on the first Monday of the month, but most of the others only Monday’s .

Walked along the river side contrasting side the medivial on side but still very old the other but not anywhere near as much, but you get the views to the hills and mountains . You have to go to the Ponte Vecchio, must be the most expensive bridge in the world, just go and have a look! Nearly as expensive as their ice cream E10 a cone.

It is just to hot to trapes around this city so we took our time and returned to the hotel.

Well time for Pauline’s birthday bash, top of the terrace , so lobster and trimmings, very nice too, it was just about cool enough to sit out about 32 degrees C.

Well, we had say goodbye  to our stay on theAmalfi Coast, fantastic place sad to leave.

driving away at 9.30 we had to stop for a street race across the roads and as sending the mountain steps, we could feel the pain while we had to wait seated in our cars.

enjoying the drive up the mountain and around the hairpin bends, steep drops and magnificent views.

hoe I could have done with a gopro hero camera?

once we had reached the autostrada, pretty straight forward driving temperatures were 40 degrees centigrade same price road tolls E 40

preached Florence in less than six hours,still have not seen many UK car 4 at present, we have now driven 3200 kilometres from home.

bit of extreme driving in Florence to hotel, found myself doing a Clarkson,there is a route to the hotel, only it was a pedestrian only walkway, big enough for a car and ended opposite the hotel, but could not cross the road kerb was to high, so we doubled back whilst talking to the tourist,very pleasant .

found hotel big place overlooking the churches, not bad( see in pic)

very hot this evening,went to a very good restaurant  trattoria trebbio , if you are ever here it is a top place and well worth it.

Well tonight is our last night here, sad to be leaving but looking forward to Firenze to us locals! .

It has been great sitting on the beach,swimming, chilling and watching these amazing boats that pull in to this little bay here for lunch time meals at the two beach restaurants .

On Saturday we had a floatilla of boats,

Enjoying the sea sun and food.

these guy,s in the restaurant have a couple of boat which they collect their patrons and deliver them to and from the shore.

Great way of life for the more wealthier people , the recession proof people, the lucky and hard working. Big kids in a great playground

just got to add pictures of this , it has been absolutely fabulous an we have had a brilliant time here..

veiws from our room ,moonlight the bay’s wonderful

we had great intentions of visiting the sights Sorento, Pompi and several more , but a joint decision was taken we have had a lot of driving days so we should not feel guilty about lazing on the beach and pool. So relaxation was the name of the game.

We took a bus into Amalfi for an afternoon and evening , to look around chill and partake in an evening meal, very nice it was to in a restaurant on the sea front where again we over indulged, nothing new there then.

We decided to go the next day for our evening adventures plus a meal and statutory drink, what a pleasure that also was. Cab back to hotel, fixed price E25 .

The hotel is built into the cliff face, could be eleven floors all told, with it own private beach and pool.

you could walk up and down if you wish or take the lift,graham and Pauline mostly walk it.

We must have had a death wish because in this heat could but we’re English so we do it.

The rooms at the hotel are doted all over the complex , most with great views,or large verandas ,

an expensive part of our trip and our little luxury on this trip.

Trying to explore walking out on the roads can be very tricky , no paths and you need lightning reactions to avoid the cars. Views from anywhere in this hotel are fantastic, it is a fabulous and romantic place to stay.

have tried many types of pasta and a variety of seafood while we are here, hay if we could only live like this, but reality and the credit card loom , would recommend this hotel, but upgrade to sea view also gives you a better sun bed at the beach, they are allocated to the room