One day in the city is enough to be going on with, so today we are heading for Como, the town at the southern end of Lake Como. A 50 minute train ride from Milano Centrale and by 9.30am we are standing beside a decidedly chilly Lago Como.

Soon the rain that was threatening became a full blown thunderstorm so we retired for coffee. We emerged into an overcast morning but still enjoyed exploring the narrow streets, piazza and beautiful cathedral.

With the surrounding mountains still shrouded in cloud we gave up on our plans to go walking and headed for a lakeside restaurant for pizza and wine. The wine seemed to do the trick because after the third glass the sun came out and we were able to take the fernicular to some fabulous views over the town and then another kilometre or so of winding trails to a lighthouse overlooking the lake.

Well worth the effort as we were rewarded with magnificent views all the way to the snow covered alps