Writing with Light

Bellagio

Villa Serbelloni

Visiting Lake Como has long been on my travel bucket list. I don’t have to tell you that I love Italy and I’ve always had a romantic view of the lakes district. Since this trip was a birthday present from my husband (it was a milestone birthday…that’s all I’ll say 🙂 ) he decided to make our stay in Bellagio really special by booking us into the Grand Villa Serbelloni.

The original villa was constructed in 1850 by a wealthy Milanese family as a holiday villa. In 1872 the villa was sold and the Grand Villa Serbelloni opened its doors in 1873. The villa which is neo-classic and Art Nouveau style enjoys a prominent location on the promontory which juts halfway out into Lake Como.

The villa quickly became a favourite among the elite including European aristocrats, Politicians and Hollywood royalty hosting the likes of Winston Churchill; John F. Kennedy; Mary Pickford; Douglas Fairbanks; Clark Gable and Al Pacino.

Today the hotel still has a classy, old world feel to it and as you can image it was a real treat staying here.

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The Grand Villa Serbelloni

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The Main Dining Room

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On of the Grand Staircases leading to the main parlour and the Mistral Restaurant.

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The Pool at Night

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The Grand Villa Serbelloni from the Dock.

 


Bellagio Nightscape

The lights from the village  and passing boats make Lake Como shimmer and shine at night.

Click on the image to see a higher resolution version (it really does look better) or to Purchase a Print.

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On another note I wanted to share with you a couple of discount codes. Ian Plant has revamped his Dreamscapes store and is offering 15% off all products until the end of August. You can visit the new store here. The 15% discount code is NEWSTORE. Dreamscapes

 

 

 

Topaz Labs is having an amazing sale on its Topaz Adjust plug-in. From now until the end of August save 50% on this powerful plug-in. Visit Topaz Labs here and you can download a free trial. The 50% discount code is AUGADJUST. 


Bellagio Street

Bellagio’s town centre is made up of narrow streets running up and down on cobblestone steps. Each street is filled with boutiques, restaurants and cafe’s and all roads lead to the lake.

Click on the image to see a high-resolution version (it really looks better) or to Purchase a Print.

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Lago Di Como

Lago di Como or Lake Como is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe and on this point I would have to agree.

Surrounded by quaint villages and towns and framed by the Alps this has been a mecca for aristocrats and the rich and famous for over 100 years. The rich and famous still flock to Lake Como (Believe me I was looking for George Clooney but had no luck in finding him) but it’s now a not to be missed destination that’s accessible to all.

I still have lots of Paris images to share with you but I thought I would give you a glimpse of Lago di Como.

Click on the image to view a higher resolution version in the gallery (it really looks better) or to Purchase a Print.

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