WEEKEND AT LAKE COMO, ITALY: VILLA DEL BALBIANELLO!

villa del balbianello built in 1787 on the site of a franciscan monastery is located in the commune of lenno, in northern italy and overlooks lake como. lake como (lago di como) was formed when a glacier eroded the land, melted, then filled the space. it is the third largest lake in italy (and the most beautiful in my opinion), after lake garda and lake maggiore. it is over 1,300 feet deep and is one of the deepest lakes in europe. the algae that grows abundantly in the water make the water appear a beautiful teal green.

SIGH. i have dreamed of visiting this amazing villa ever since i saw the film, star wars: episode II attack of the clones! the villa was the location for padme amidala’s lake retreat where many sweet romantic scenes between her and anakin, including their wedding, took place. i thought for sure this magical place was created digitally and to find out that it actually exists, i knew it had to be on my must-visit-before-i-die bucket list!

the day we visited, we got up early, had breakfast at the hotel, took a ferry from bellagio to lenno, had lunch at lenno, and then took a taxiboat to the villa.

after arriving at the villa, we debated whether to book the 60 minute guided tour of the mansion + garden or just leisurely wonder the garden alone and we chose the latter as we weren’t quite sure how the kids would behave! next time, we hope to see the inside of the mansion. we peeked in here and there and we were definitely impressed!

the ticket price for garden only was €10/adult, €5 for children 4-14 years old; for the whole property it was €20/adult, €10 for children.

these gorgeous creeper figs are so beautifully maintained! i mean, they don’t just grow like this, right??

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every part of the grounds was meticulously manicured. so much fantastic detail!! the creeper figs along with this giant umbrella looking tree were my favorites!

i have to admit, it’s really hard NOT taking photos of kate ALL the time. she is always happy and content and positive – she has been like this since birth. and she just does cute stuff like this all day long. here, she’s hopping around like a bunny.

do these aloe plants grow GIANT around lakes?? we saw some giants ones at cinque terre too! my mom would be swooning away – she just loves aloe vera plants – she has them all over her deck in pots.

i couldn’t get enough of these lemon trees! there they were all in a neat row tucked in these beautiful planters and perfuming up the air with their fresh scents!! in my excitement to hurriedly sniff each one, i nearly tripped over (and the horrid thought of knocking them all down like dominos flashed before my eyes!!!) and kate just sits there calmly and reminds to be more careful. if i weren’t so mortified of what could’ve just happened, i would’ve rolled on the ground right there snorting away! this child i tell you – sometimes she’s like an old wise grandma!!

as i mentioned, we reached the villa via a taxiboat. the weather was much warmer than we anticipated and the thought of walking uphill for 25 minutes (without a stroller) seemed, well, not pleasant. anyways, you get the BEST views of the villa from the water so it was well worth it. and if you are traveling with a stroller (i know, i’m always talking about strollers, but that is the one thing i always wanted to know when kids were younger!) you can bring it onto the taxiboat folded up – we rode with a family with a young toddler so we saw firsthand!

can you spot chris here? he was loving the view and i was lagging behind taking photos of this and that! so glad i dawdled as i got to grab a shot of my handsome hubby like this!

i am so in love with this dress! j.crew comes out with these similar dresses every season and i always get at least two – they look dry clean only but are not (they are cotton) – i just throw them in the wash in cold water and they come out looking brand new each time! perfect for a toddler that loves to get messy!!! link below if you are interested!!

we must’ve twirled around and around a thousand times!! this never gets old! i will treasure these magical photos of us for forever!

in the photo below, right: this is where padme pulls up in a boat in the movie. i thought it was just the most beautifully shot scene! have you guys seen this movie?? we are such star wars geeks.

and here is the final resting place of the villa’s last owner, guido monzino, an entrepreneur, collector and passionate traveler (he was the first italian to climb mount everest). and judging from peeks into his home and the grounds, also a man of exquisite taste.

if you come by taxiboat, you dock here and come through these magnificent gates!:

this ONA prince street messenger bag is probably my FAVORITE camera bag. the size is ideal for me and carries my 3 must have lenses (35mm, 85mm, 14-24mm) perfectly. i love my cognac brixton messenger bag as well, but find myself grabbing the slightly smaller prince street more often. the bowery is also a good option if you want a smaller bag than the prince street – it can carry one body with 1-2 lenses!

this next series of photos crack me up so much! jack and his daddy were having a lovely moment together when a certain little somebody thought she could slide in to the frame without anyone noticing!

1. yay! a successful photobomb!
2. now feeling confident enough to smile really big!
3. has not yet noticed that big brother HAS noticed and about to do something all brothers LOVE to do: tease!
4. trying not to let it irk her.

5. alas, cannot let it go.. (cue the song that will now be in my head ALL NIGHT LONG)
6. pointing out the injustice of the world with her signature finger pointing!!

7. the look he gives when mommy is reprimanding him (probably confused as mommy is still managing to document the moment!).
8. still feeling the injustice of the world.
9. so sad…

10. a kiss from daddy. it always works its magic and she feels a little better now. jack did apologize and return the hat, but we also talked to kate about having a sense of humor about things like this! and we felt it was definitely a WISE decision to not book a 60 minute guided tour of the mansion + garden. yes, VERY wise.

we rode the taxiboat back, had a yummy gelato to make everyone smile again and then rode the big ferry back to bellagio for dinner! lenno was lovely. so very lovely.

p.s. this dog statue reminded me so much of tyler, our beloved yellow lab. it’s been more than two years since we lost him to cancer and the pain still feels so fresh. we miss him.

SHOP: my flowy maxi dress, (sold here and here as well), my platform wedges, my favorite soho disco bag that goes with EVERYTHING, my baublebar earrings, my favorite everyday gorjana rings (love these too!).

kate’s rose gold vans (we just got these gold silver ones for back to school), straw hat, dress (this one too!), chris’ white linen shirt in slim, his ray ban polarized aviators, jack’s band collar chambray shirt, jack’s backpack, jack’s sneakers.

thank you so MUCH for stopping by! if you have a web site as well, please comment down below – i would love to check it out!

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