At 7:30 our villa host drove us to the small train station at Terontola-Cortona-Cortona on route to Lake Como on the northern tip of Italy, close to the Swiss border. We changed trains in Milan – an impressive covered station with bays for over 25 trains. You locate your train by watching a massive computer board which will tell you what track to go to. Very efficient considering the thousands of people standing waiting for trains

After a coffee, we gathered our bags and made our way to theVarenna station at Lake Como. We stayed at an ancient medieval hotel called Alberto Milano- recommended by Rick Steves.