We actually went to the town of Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta on two separate days, but for the sake of efficiency I'm rolling these into one blog post.
Most boring start to a post ever?
Let's start again. In a few moments, you will scroll down and see that best pizza of all time in the entire universe that I mentioned before.
First up though - a bit of Tremezzo. Even though it's one of the more well known towns around Lake Como, it was actually very quiet and peaceful. The lakefront, where the ferry docks are, are usually a little more busy, but generally speaking the town had a sleepy, calm vibe to it.
Especially as we walked up the narrow streets to the residential area, where we were completely alone, walking on empty roads that separate the houses and villas.
A good thing too, as we were left in complete peace to enjoy the spectacular views.
We had a goal in sight on this walk, which was Pizzeria Balognett. I had read about this place on in this Guardian guide, and it sounded like something worth trying.
When we arrived, we saw a sign that looked a little like a diner on the motorway. Let's just say that it looked unassuming.
But never judge a book by its cover, as we tell ourselves over and over... this being a prime example.
We headed down to the tiny little restaurant and garden, where we were seated at the only non-reserved table outside. That was already a good sign - who would even think of booking such an out-of-the-way hole in the wall, unless it was something special?
The pizzas. We still talk about it nearly everyday, when hunger strikes. Even when we're full, actually.
They are the thinnest, crispiest, most flavourful pizzas you will ever eat. They have some sort of special garlic topping, as well as the freshest ingredients that you could hope for (they grow their own vegetables in their garden, for goodness sake).
We were two extremely happy campers. The restaurant is run by a lovely Italian couple, and only them. They live upstairs above the restaurant, and have a massive wood oven for those superb pizzas in their kitchen. When we told the man that they were the best we'd ever had, he was very humble and said "Nonono! That's too much!" but Carmelo, you're wrong. You deserve every bit of praise.
As I said, all the tables were booked so it's clearly not as hidden a gem as it looks, but if you ever find yourself in Lake Como, a trip to Tremezzo for this alone is worth it.
We had gone to Villa Carlotta the day before this, and if we had known we would have had lunch here twice! But nevertheless, Villa Carlotta was beautiful, with or without the pizza.
It boasts a museum with some of the finest art around the lake, and a stunning botanical garden as most of these Villas do. Built at the end of the 18th century, it is all opulence and glamour and stateliness. Together with the panoramic views you can take in from pretty much any spot you're standing in, it's no wonder it's a popular landmark.
And this is after trying to restrain myself from posting too many photos.
The ferry rides to and from the towns were the perfect opportunities to sit back and relax - as it takes some time to travel back and forth, you can just take a breather on the deck, read a book, take in your surroundings.
We really miss this place, if you couldn't tell.
