It was a golden autumn afternoon and looking out at our sunlit garden my mind stepped back to an autumn’s day not so long ago when we walked through the gardens of the Villa Carlotta and drank in the richly scented air of Lake Como. Almost all Halloo’s Eve, I stood transfixed at the window of our hotel room for it seemed as if the spirits of ancient Tuscan warriors lingered in the mists surrounding the deep waters. The bonfires of Bellagio across the bay enveloped the village creating a gauze like haze and in the distance the Italian Alps stood as sentinels to ensure the silence of this magical valley. All seemed incredibly well. Quite a contrast to our first Halloween when upon returning from San Francisco we were confronted with what would become the conclusion of our stormy past lives and the beginning of a new and wonderful era. It was there that our Italian odyssey concluded and awoke us once again to the reality of our lives but we were already silently scheming and plotting our return.We had weathered ten years together and despite the odds had not only survived but prospered for along with the ease of attachment we seemed to have found in each other the pieces missing in ourselves. Exploring the culture rich countryside of Como we could hardly resist the temptation to linger on indefinitely and become part of its secret solitude. From Tremezzo we took the fairy across the lake to Bellagio, a trip that while only lasting twenty minutes transports you from the Napoleonic 18th century to 17th century Baroque. A set of sterling silver salt & pepper shakers, which resides in our dinning room in Chicago, will forever store the seasonings of the sleepy Lombardy town which in turn has added season to our life together.
Being together in Como added richness to the adventure, a richness that can only come with sharing. One of the greatest things about travel has to be the wonderful oneness that two people can feel when alone together in a foreign country. As we traveled into the Italian Alps time seemed to slip away and the crispness of the alpine air gave lightness to our being, beckoning us to stay.
