Just Sold! Next up on our Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek, we drove to the peaceful town of Varenna at the northern end of Lake Como. Our hotel has the most amazing views of the lake and the colorful town below. It’s my idea of paradise!I love the mountainous scenery surrounding the lake, the unique architecture and the lush foliage that grows everywhere. Strolling along the shore, hopping from town to town on the ferry, and just relaxing on a balcony soaking in that amazing view, are some of the highlights visiting there. On this evening, I set up my easel to capture the soft pinks and yellows as the sun set in the distance over the peaceful village, filling the scene with a magical light.

Just Sold! Next up on our Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek, we drove to the peaceful town of Varenna at the northern end of Lake Como. Our hotel has the most amazing views of the lake and the colorful town below. It’s my idea of paradise!

Next up on our Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek, we drove to the peaceful town of Varenna at the northern end of Lake Como. Our hotel has the most amazing views of the lake and the colorful town below. It’s my idea of paradise!

After a busy schedule the day before, several of the group opted to take it easy and join a cooking class while others visited the castle in town and I chose to paint the gorgeous view from our balcony.

The next morning we awoke rested and raring to go, so we boarded a ferry that would first take us to Bellagio. The photographers and tourists spent most of their morning exploring town and the botanic garden, shopping and shooting, while we set up our easels in the lush public gardens nearby to either capture the colorful blooms or the view of Bellagio across the harbor.

Next up on our Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek, we drove to the peaceful town of Varenna at the northern end of Lake Como. Our hotel has the most amazing views of the lake and the colorful town below. It’s my idea of paradise!I love the mountainous scenery surrounding the lake, the unique architecture and the lush foliage that grows everywhere. Strolling along the shore, hopping from town to town on the ferry, and just relaxing on a balcony soaking in that amazing view, are some of the highlights visiting there. On this evening, I set up my easel to capture the soft pinks and yellows as the sun set in the distance over the peaceful village, filling the scene with a magical light.

Just Sold! In the afternoon, we visited the impressive Villa Babianello, made famous in both the James Bond and Star Wars films. It lives up to its reputation, perched atop lush formal gardens with a gorgeous scenic overlook of the water. After such beautiful views of the lake that day, we treated ourselves to an elegant dinner with another breathtaking panorama of Lake Como below. Dinner was amazing with red pepper prawn soup, scallops in pumpkin risotto, caprese salad and delicious wine to wash it down!

Just Sold! After a busy schedule the day before, several of us opted to take it easy and join a cooking class while others visited the castle in town and one of the villages across the lake. We were whisked away to a tiny nearby hamlet where the chef, Moreno, prepares all of the dishes himself that he serves for dinner at his restaurant. He started the morning out by feeding us cappuccino and homemade cake to enjoy while he began showing us how to roll out and form pasta for cheese tortellini and marinara from scratch. Next up, was a decadent potatoes gruyere with ham slices, all of which we got to sample. The finalé was the creamiest mushroom risotto, local red wine, and don’t forget the limoncello for dessert. Yum!

On the last day of Lake Como Art Trek, we stayed right at our hotel and painted the gorgeous view of the town and water below while the photographers explored some more. We reconvened later that afternoon to see what the painters had created each day and watch a slide show of the photographer’s work. That evening we dined on a delicious meal of local meats, lake fish, pastas and of course, wine, while enjoying our last night together with new friends. A perfect ending to a wonderful trip!

After a busy schedule the day before, several of us opted to take it easy and join a cooking class while others visited the castle in town and one of the villages across the lake. We were whisked away to a tiny nearby hamlet where the chef, Moreno, prepares all of the dishes himself that he serves for dinner at his restaurant. He started the morning out by feeding us cappuccino and homemade cake to enjoy while he began showing us how to roll out and form pasta for cheese tortellini and marinara from scratch. Next up, was a decadent potatoes gruyere with ham slices, all of which we got to sample. The finalé was the creamiest mushroom risotto, local red wine, and don’t forget the limoncello for dessert. Yum!