Is gelato a food group?

After a leisurely breakfast we sauntered off to the Duomo.....I know it seems that every church in Italy is beautiful and they are, but each church has its own character.  This one has an elaborate altar dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Mother with side pillars to mimic those that surround St. Peter’s altar at the Vatican.  The dome is breathtaking and photos are attached.  The one thing that gave me pause was the Crucified Christ.  We all picture Jesus in our own way but I don’t think we picture Christ with wooly hair and beard.  A little disconcerting to me....

After looking at the angle of the funicular, I decided terra firma or another ferry ride were good enough for me.  The views are all magnificent; the photos one better than the other.

Off to Cernobbio which is just 2 ferry stops away.  Jill, a colleague of Dom’s, was just here about a week ago and she recommended a lovely hat shop.  We found it immediately and just as quickly fell in love with the proprietors, a husband and wife who lived for about 3 years in the Beverly Hills area.  They have lived on the Lake now for 33 years.  She tried several hats on me, one nicer than the other.  I chose the one that Dom loved the most and I couldn’t be happier.

Funny thing, Dom showed them the photo Jill sent him of her wearing her hat and he immediately recognized his hat.  Sorry, Jill, it was just the hat he remembered.  He squealed, “this is my hat!”  They recommended a local restaurant for lunch which we thoroughly enjoyed.

We were determined to have an aperitif at the Villa d’Este but when we arrived we were told it was closed until Sunday for a private affair.  I kidded the expensively suited man at the gate that I was afraid it was just that we were riffraff and so not allowed in.  He laughed and invited us back.  No wonder we couldn’t get a reservation.

So we consoled ourselves with a gelato and sat under a shady arbor that lined the walkway to the ferry pier.  Dom has decreed that we can only have one gelato a day....of course, he did.  We see people eating their cones or cups beginning at 10am.  There are gelato shops everywhere; some right next door to each other.

I reflected as I relaxed in the shade, that the lake just seems to evoke a calmness.  The sun shining in different ways every hour; reflecting off the water; shading parts of the mountains or the homes on them.  One never gets tired of the beauty.

We had a reservation at a restaurant that the Toronto couple had heard was great.  They went last night and reported it was just fair.  Our concierge gave Dom a thumbs down when he mentioned this place and promptly recommended, of all places, a Sicilian restaurant which instantly brought back my most delicious memories.

Those of you who know me, know my motto is that every meal should begin with desert...lol...well, our antipasto course was like a dessert tonight.  We began by splitting a caprese salad with the largest, creamiest mozzarella I have ever had.  We each opted for the linguine with lobster and fresh tomatoes,  only to laugh when the claw shaped nutcrackers appeared.  Our efforts were definitely rewarded!  Sooooo good.

When the waiter showed us the dessert menu the memory of my gelato flew out of my mind.  I asked the restaurant owner if the cannoli was crisp.  He replied that his mamma Stella (which, of course is the name of the restaurant) makes them.  Dom inquired where in Sicily he was from.  When he said Cefalu, well, that was enough for us.  I am sending a photo of the most delicious, crispiest cannoli I have ever eaten.  What a way to end our stay in Como, with the lovely memory of an alfresco dinner with such delicious food, reminiscent of another favorite place of ours.

We are sad to leave Como, but excited to see Milan, a city, believe it or not, that Dominick has not been to in his work travels.