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Il Sorriso - Lake Como

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Accommodates 8— 4 Bedrooms — 2 Baths

We love this property. The views are magical, unforgettable. As far as we’re concerned, you simply can’t get a more beautiful setting in the Italian Lake District. And at a wonderfully accessible price.

But before we go any further, a warning. You simply have to accept a steep, stepped path down from the road where you’ve parked your car to the house itself. These steps have low risers, and so they’re not difficult in that sense. But they’re irregular, slippery when wet or icy, and numerous: about 200. Keep in mind: luggage (pack light or in several smaller, less-heavy-than-normal bags, because you have to carry it down to the house and back up again at the end of your stay) and the simple fact that you’ll be coming up and down that path daily, sometimes with groceries. The path is in fact a public street, and you’ll meet other folks, many of them senior citizens, negotiating it. The key is to imitate them: go slowly, very slowly.

You can also walk further down from Villa Sorriso to the lakefront itself where there’s a ferry stop for the “local” boat. This descent, too, is steep and cobblestone-stepped.

So think twice about Il Sorriso: But once you’ve decided that you’re up to it, we guarantee you: It’s unforgettable.

And while we’re at it, here’s another thing: While Lake Como is undoubtedly the most famous and elegant of the Italian lakes, it is also in certain ways the most inaccessible. Roads are narrow and winding, and traffic is slow, especially if you, like us, find yourself stuck at 20mph behind the inevitable truck. If you’re coming to the Lake District to cover “a lot of ground”, we would counsel you to consider Maggiore or Orta. When you’re at Como, you must truly unplug yourself from the ratrace. You can accomplish one thing a day, not more.

One last, practical thing: Don’t rent a 9-passenger van at Lake Como. And don’t think you can use the roads in this area to improve your learning curve on that stick shift. If you haven’t driven a stick shift since you were 18 years old – or if you’ve never driven one – the narrow, winding roads of Lake Como are no place to learn. So you’ll have to pay more – significantly more – for that automatic transmission. Do it. You’ll be far happier.

Now, back to Villa Sorriso:

What we have here is a pink Italian-Art-Nouveau-style villa dating from the first decade of the last century. The location? The little village of Pognana, halfway between the city of Como and the elegant resort of Bellagio. Pognana has the little shops you’ll need for daily living, but you can go to the city of Como for more important shopping and fine dining, though the lakeside nearby is dotted with all sorts of restaurants and trattorie. An important thing to remember is that both Bellagio and Como have boats and hydrofoils which both cross the lake and navigate its entire length. So if you want to go for the day to see Menaggio and the gardens of the Villa Carlotta, don’t drive all the way: take the boat from Bellagio. And if you want to experience the glamor and sophistication of Milan, drive (or, better yet, take the bus) to Como and the train from there.

Villa Sorriso develops over 3 floors. Furnishings are old family pieces. Floors are ceramic tile. This is a family summer home, not the Villa d’Este. The bed-bath arrangement is far from perfect, and beds are just adequate, not Sealy posturepedic. Ground floor: Living/dining room; second separate dining room; independent kitchen (about to be completely redone as we write this description); mezzanine with full bath. Up one level: two matrimonial bedrooms; mezzanine with second bath. Top level: two twin bedrooms. Telephone for incoming and local outgoing calls, plus internet connection; hairdryer; washing machine; dishwasher; stereo/CD player. Outside: wonderful pergola-covered outdoor dining; flowers; fruit trees; vegetable garden. And those unforgettable views, from inside and out.

Villa Sorriso is ideal for physically fit families. Maximum 3 children under 15; no children between 6 months and 5 years old. It’s also perfect, in our mind, for two couples or a group of adult friends willing to accept certain limitations, especially regarding bed-bath positioning. We would – and we will – stay here some day ourselves.

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