Sunday 25 March 2012
The day looks beautiful, even if not as clear as in past days. By subway we reach Cadorna and...we miss the train!!! The next one leaves an hour later: we take the opportunity to buy the ticket at our leisure, give the little one his snack, and savor the life of the square.
This morning the Stramilano was being run (so there are many athletes and enthusiasts returning from the course with multicolored tracksuits, medals and bibs. Our little boy greatly appreciates the water games of the fountains in the Station square: he remains enchanted and hypnotized by them. The needle and colored thread, on the other hand, don't meet with the same success!
At 11:15 we board the Regional Train (not without effort: the stroller barely fits between the "handrails" at the doors and all the seats are reachable only by steps) and we settle in, leaving the stroller open near the doors and keeping the little one on our laps. A group of nice gentlemen gives us the red Stramilano balloon (what a discovery for the little one), but then we discover that it's more fun to be on the stroller and look out the big glass door (panoramic!!!), at least until sleep wins and the little one falls asleep.
In less than an hour we arrive at Como Nord Lago (Largo Giacomo Leopardi): the sun is shining and the outdoor temperature is pleasant. The lakeside promenade is partially closed for renovation work, but we take the already finished side and head for the funicular station for Brunate (Piazza Alcide De Gasperi 4 in Como,
We buy the tickets right away, but before getting on we call the restaurant to make sure there's room at the restaurant we had identified thanks to TripAdvisor (because mealtime is approaching and we can't dawdle too long looking for a free spot (on the lakeside, of course, restaurants abound, but they seem a bit too touristy to us).
The rides follow one another at short intervals and you can easily get on even with the stroller open (although how the route works with the slides isn't clearly indicated and there's only one spot available per ride). In less than 10 minutes we arrive at our destination, with dad enjoying the landscape and the ride, while the baby collects compliments from the other passengers and reciprocates with smiles and coos (to better cope with the elevation gain and any ear discomfort due to the pressure change, it's good to keep a pacifier, bottle or similar on hand, to stimulate sucking).
Having gotten off the funicular at Brunate (the so-called "balcony of the Prealps," for its splendid panoramic position that lets you dominate the city of Como, the entire branch of the lake, the plain and, in the background, the western Alps with Monviso and Monte Rosa), we follow the little map to reach the Trattoria del Cacciatore (Via Alessandro Manzoni 22 in Brunate, It's a typical inn, without a view of the lake, but with a nice outdoor area, sheltered by a pergola roof, which unfortunately we can't take advantage of because in the meantime the sky has clouded over and a few drops of rain are falling.
There's no menu: the two young men serving in the dining room describe it and it includes (at least for today) an appetizer of mixed cold cuts (good), a first course to choose between tagliolini with mushrooms or ravioli, a second course based on polenta accompanied by stracotto or brasato or gorgonzola; it ends with mixed desserts to choose from among cake, affogati and ice creams. The quality is good, home-style, and the quantity more than satisfying, for a good price ratio. The only discordant note is the fact that it's actually not suitable for very small children: you reach it via a steep, narrow staircase, they don't have high chairs (except one, but without a leg divider and—to be honest—a bit wobbly) nor a changing table or space available for changing.
We decide to take a couple of steps to admire the village and the view of Como, but the brief drizzle during lunch has cooled things down a lot and there's a crisp breeze that makes us opt to go down to lake level (again via funicular) for a walk in the city of Como.
Back on the lakeside, we head toward the station and then continue toward the center. We stop briefly at McDonald's (Via Caio Plinio II 2 in Como) to change the little one and joke about our fate: after years of avoiding the junk food of this well-known chain, I find myself praising its widespread presence and the security it gives to traveling parents, certain of always finding a well-equipped "baby changing room" there!!!
From there we continue to the Gothic Cathedral ( which we visit briefly. The center of Como—pedestrianized—is very lively, with throngs of people strolling and chatting, looking at shop windows (many shops are open) or enjoying an ice cream. Tourists abound too, judging by the people moving around following maps and guidebooks and equipped with cameras, or by the different languages we hear spoken. Following the flow, we reach the end of the pedestrian area near the Torre di Piazza Vittoria and decide to take advantage of the little one's nap to treat ourselves to a mega ice cream cone at Gelateria Lariana (via Cesare Cantù 20, right across from Feltrinelli).
We retrace our steps and head toward the station, satisfied with this first outing with the stroller. The trains to Milan have an excellent frequency and fortunately we find one departing shortly. This time we find seats (again after dealing with some steps) on the fold-down seats, which allow us to keep the stroller close. Between one game and another, the snack and some children who stop to exchange babbles, we easily arrive at Milano Cadorna, we take the subway again (packed: evidently so many Milanese—and someone from outside Milan too—took advantage of the lack of cars to enjoy the city center) and we arrive home just in time to prepare dinner for the little one, who is also a bit tired, but apparently happy with the outing!
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