EuroX Trip: Day 17

Today we spent the day at Lake Como.

Despite the fact it was a rather warm 7 degrees, it still felt like a warm summer's day down at Como, which had the real feel of a resort town. It is a very beautiful, picturesque place, sitting on a lake, Lake Como, with boats moored, ferries running around, and against the backdrop of towering mountains. About an hour and a half's train ride from Milan, I get the feeling that life at Lake Como is a lot more relaxed, and the vibe more laidback. Of course, it being Sunday may also help with that, as there were lots of Italians out and about - walking with the family, having a coffee at cafes, or even walking their dog.

If there's one thing I noticed about many Europeans, it's that they love their dogs. Really love their dogs. They take those damn mutts everywhere with them. Onto trains, inside restaurants, and even into bookstores. I am wondering, what the hell has happened to the hygiene code in Europe that they permit dogs into places that they normally aren't allowed? I have only ever seen dogs allowed into places like that when they were seeing eye dogs for the visually impaired, and clearly many Europeans are not visually impaired.
If there's another thing I've noticed, it's that the Italians like their foot pedals. A lot. In many toilets and bathrooms, the toilet has no flusher, and instead just a button you press with your foot. Likewise with washbasins - there is no tap, there is no laser sensor, just a pedal you press with your foot to get the water flowing. I think I also found a pedal that operates a hot air dryer.

But I digress, back to Lake Como.
After getting lost trying to find the cable car, Henry summoned up the courage to approach an Italian mother walking her baby, while I chose to stand around and look cool wearing black and sunglasses. She must have been very impressed, for she suddenly spoke good English and gave us detailed instructions.
The view from the mountain at the top of Como was absolutely breathtaking. Spread out beneath us was the city, all the little houses looking so small and insignificant against the big mountains that surrounded the valley, their snow-capped peaks something that I don't think I would ever tire of looking at. There was also much snow on the way to the panoramic view on that mountaintop, to which I chuckled and laughed like a slightly disturbed schoolchild, stomping in the snow and revelling in the crunching sound and occassional sinking of my boot further into the snow than expected.
After a lunch of spaghetti bolognaise and chinotto, we went to Belaggio, a small town along the banks of Lake Como. It was a nice, tiny place, a perfect place for a romantic getaway. It had those small, ascending stairway streets, all these little shops scattered all over, with the houses painted what is undeniably an earthy Italian orange, and the street network was a real maze. After we tired of wandering around, we amused ourselves feeding the ducks at the lake with a 2-day old sandwich Henry found in his pocket.

On the way back to Como station, Henry went ahead and got on the train while I embarked on the epic quest of finding a toilet. It was surprisingly hard, considering I walked into about four bars before I found one with a toilet. I wondered how the locals got about - did they piss in the lake or something? It would explain why it is so polluted. I know in Amsterdam there are public urinals, but what about in Como?
It boggles the mind.