(Miss)adventures: Bold yet humble

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Madeline Herzog
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Traveling to Italy with a friend made this adventure a little easier. Having Jeremy there gave me a sense of security and made me more confident to strut the streets of Como without feeling intimidated.

During the last leg of our flight to Milano, Italy, I looked out my window as we passed over a magnificent mountain range, which I quickly recognized as the Swiss Alps. I’ve seen pictures of the Apls my whole life, but seeing it in person was absolutely breathtaking. I was taken away with the elegant but bold demeanor it revealed.

My eagerness to get into our rental and get to Lake Como, Italy, was met with a brief moment of panic. Manual transmission cars were the only vehicles available with the rental agency and neither of us knew how to drive a manual.

After discussing “how to” for a minute, Jeremy braved the adventure of learning. All went well until we noticed our accommodations were at the top of a mountain. We eventually made it, but between the stalling, winding roads, white knuckles and anxiety, I was ready to relax.

We decided the best option for the rest of our three-day weekend would be to walk. Our first destination was Volta’s Lighthouse, a memorial to electrical pioneer Alessandro Volta, which was a quick two minute walk from where we were staying and it featured panoramic lake and Alpine views.

Walking throughout the weekend was very convenient and definitely less stressful than driving up and down the mountain. Plus, walking the paths through the mountainside gave us more time to stop and enjoy the scenery.

Having the next full day to venture into the great outdoors was refreshing. We walked along the mountainside until we reached the top, making sure to explore different paths. The views during the entire hike were simply incredible.

Stopping for lunch in a local restaurant was an opportunity to try some new food. I was not sure what I ordered, but they came out with purple pasta and pesto sauce; I loved it!

Climbing down the hillside, we stopped in the village of Brunate and took a mountain cable car into Como. We were able to relax for a few minutes and take in the view of the lake and mountain landscape on the ride down.

In the city, we shopped and watched musicians performing in the streets before making our way to a local grocery store. A home-cooked meal and taking the cable car back up the mountain was a great finish to the night.

With the weekend just about over and it being time to leave, we were nervous about driving the rental car down the mountain. It was definitely worse with the sharp bends and added speed of going downhill.

To de-stress, we decided to take the ferry across the lake, stopping at other villas that dotted the hillside. The ferry was relatively inexpensive and a good way to relax and take in the views from the water.

Hands down, Italy is my favorite destination in Europe so far. The people were generous and patient, and the scenery stunning.