Ciao Lake Como And Bellagio!

We set off for Como on a Trenord train from Cadorna station in Milan. It is a pleasant Sunday morning and the train leaves at its scheduled time. Buying the ticket at the station is quick and easy. The train is not full. And there is an unhurried, holiday feel to the trip in the partially occupied compartment. With brief stops at some small stations, the train reaches its destination about 50 minutes after leaving Cadorna. As we step on the platform, the sight of the lake just across the road from the station greets us.

In a couple of minutes, we are at the lake. It is a huge lake with several twists and turns, lined by mountains on the sides. Little villages lie scattered on the slopes all along the lake. Small boats bob on the lake while large boats are busy ferrying tourists to the villages. The lower parts of mountains are green while the upper parts are blue, and many cliffs are hidden behind the low-lying clouds; giving the landscape a dreamy, fairy tale look.

We spend some time taking in the beautiful sights and then walk towards the ticket booth for buying our tickets to go to Bellagio on a large boat. There is a longish queue but thankfully it is moving fast. We board the boat soon. It is comfortable, with seating on several levels. Some decks are covered, some are partially covered and some are open.

We settle down in a partially covered portion of the top deck. The boat is filled with enthusiastic tourists of all ages. This is a slow boat servicing villages along the route. As it starts moving on its way, we are treated to picture postcard scenes one after the other. Villages are dotted with pretty houses and fancy resorts. All of them have been painted in colour co-ordinated shades of yellow, beige, red and pink. There are no loud banners, ugly advertisement boards or any other eyesores anywhere in sight in any of the villages. All that one sees is beauty in abundance everywhere. The boat progresses winding its way along the curves of the lake as we feast on the amazing views unfolding in front of our eyes.

Mountain tops kissing the feathery clouds, refreshingly clean waters of the lake, villages with tiny eateries, narrow roads, cars, houses, people sitting on benches on the lake front...everything is picture perfect. There are some big lake-facing hotels and some very exclusive villas. I am told well-known Hollywood stars own villas in these villages.

The two-hour ride comes to an end too soon and we wish there was more. As we alight from the boat the lovely town of Bellagio welcomes us with its restaurants, boutiques, and small shops selling arty knick-knacks. There are stalls lined up along the lake front selling jewellery, bags, clothes; it is probably a Sunday Market. The balconies of restaurants and hotels are filled with colourful flowering plants. And the calming presence of the lake adds a sense of serenity to the ambience.

Photos by Lata

There are several staircases to go uphill in the town, flanked on both sides by eateries, and stores selling lingerie, clothes, shoes, bags, decorative items. It is a splendid setting and I see young women posing for pictures on the stairs. I am sure the pictures would make a style statement, considering Bellagio's proximity to the fashionable city of Milan. 

I indulge in window-shopping for some time without daring to look at any price tag! The views of the lake and of the mountains--some of them belonging to the Alps range--are of course invaluable. Later, when we board the boat for returning to Como, the strip of Bellagio starts receding in the distance. It is early evening, and cool winds across the decks prompt me to put on a jacket.

The boat moors at piers in the villages that come along our way. People alight and board. An enthusiastic group of Italian senior citizens is on board our boat.They start singing. We enjoy their music. There is no language barrier when it comes to music. Their energy is infectious. They laugh, joke, take pictures and sing. 

Soon we are back in Como and it is time to get off the boat. It has been a lovely day. No doubt, Nature has been very kind to this part of the world, but the human effort in keeping it clean and maintaining miles and miles of uninterrupted beauty is what makes this place special and irresistible for visitors.

Goodbye Bellagio!

The Saree Saga

Time was when all married women were seen in sarees, at least in my part of the world. The training to wear a saree began earlier. The wedding of a close friend or a relative was a good occasion for all young, unmarried women to flaunt their six yards of splendour. These gatherings provided an excuse for prospective grooms and their families to 'see' girls / women of marriageable age in a natural setting without making them self-conscious. So it was almost an unwritten rule that young women wear sarees at others' weddings. Those who tried to deviate from this path by wanting to wear something else were sternly admonished: You'll be getting married soon, what will your in-laws think if you can't wear a saree properly.

Most of the leading ladies in Hindi movies danced around the trees dressed in opulent sarees, with their hair tied in ridiculously high bouffants. How they managed to lip-sync to a song, respond coyly to the hero's advances, prance about in high heels and look as if they were enjoying the whole exercise is anyone's guess. Jokes apart, saree is not an easy wear when it comes to doing several chores. As women discovered the ease with which they could do many things wearing a salwar-kameez or a pair of jeans and a top, they began relegating the saree to the back shelf. Salwar-kameez and its variants took over as the most popular costume for women across the country.

The humble saree was lying low for some time before it made a spectacular comeback. Not being a stitched garment, it is very versatile and can be draped in hundreds of different ways. And when some intelligent designer had the bright idea of giving a whole new glamorous look to the blouse, women started using the saree to make bold fashion statements. As the blouse went from being small to almost non-existent, the stature of saree as a stylish attire rose higher and higher. The birth of designer sarees opened unlimited opportunities. Once a traditional piece of clothing, the saree has become cool and happening. But fashion trends are always mercurial, so there's no telling where the saree will go from here.