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The Results Are In - Part 23

Publication in the prestigious Black & White Magazine is once again the subject of this tooting of my horn. And, the volume of my horn playing has risen above the normal level because I was published in the magazine twice this year…once in a portfolio competition, and once again in a single image competition.

“The category that my Poeple’s Choice award was featured is the “PATTERN/TEXTURE/ABSTRACT” category”

And, though I am playing at a higher decibel level today, the tune is not as sweet as the recognition I passed on to you on June 10th of this year…that being my recognition as Photographer of the Year in the coveted 17th Annual International Color Awards. If you have not seen that article, please check it out HERE.

February 2025 Black & White Magazine Publication - Single Image Winners

This February issue is to announce the winners of the 2024 Single Image Contest. Two of my images were published in that issue. And, as a bonus for my Italy fans, both of those photos were taken in Italy during our 2023 trip with friends!

Here is cover of the February 2025 issue…

Though it was published in February, it seems to me that based on the cover photo, it would be a great image for an issue to be published around Halloween.

Note that the issue includes winners from the “People’s Choice Winners” category and “Single Image Winners” category. My photos were recognized in both of those categories.

Though I did not have a winner in the “Spotlight Winners” category, I did have a photo receive that recognition back in 2022, complete with a head-shot photo of yours truly. If you missed that article, you can see it HERE.

The People’s Choice Award - Feb 2025

So, what is a “People’s Choice Award”? It refers to the public being offered the opportunity to select their own favorite photos. The public can vote on nominated images to help choose winners in different categories. The category that my Poeple’s Choice award was featured is the “PATTERN/TEXTURE/ABSTRACT” category.

Here is the People’s Choice Award winner in that “PATTERN/TEXTURE/ABSTRACT” category, which I titled “Stoned”.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT VIEWING THE PHOTOS ON YOUR IPHONE

On a Computer when you click on one of my photos, it gives you a full screen view. This means it can go from small to very large to see details. This is not always the case on an iPhone.
I noticed something on my iPhone. If you want to see a zoomed in view of any of my photos on an iPhone, rather than tapping on the photo just use your fingers by spreading them apart to zoom in on the photo.
Give it a try, especially with the butterfly photos so you can see their eyes and their straw-like proboscis.

I have no idea whether this works on other than iPhones

B&W Magazine People’s Choice Award Winner

This photo was taken in bella Bellagio, on the shores of Lake Como. Just recently, I published an article on eating dinner in Bellagio at Mistral Restaurant in the Grand Hotel Serbelloni, which you can see HERE.

To learn more about the wonderful lakeside village of Bellagio, you can see an article from the past that I’ve updated based on our 2023 trip by clicking HERE. You will see just what all of those stones are about!

Single Image Award Winner - Feb 2025

This Single Image Winner was featured in the “ARCHITECTURE/INTERIORS” Category. Being a church, It is obviously “architecture” related. And since it is inside the church, the “interior” term applies, also.

This interior photo was taken during our 2023 trip with friends. We are in Venice. We are in the lengthily named “Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari”, or in short “The Frari”. I place this church in the Don’t Miss category for your Venice visit. You can see the wonderful interior of this beatutiful church in this previous article here…Venice’s Frari…which incidentally features a shot of brother-in-law Craig striking a pose just outside the church’s secondary entrance.

Here is the Single Image Award Winner in the ARCHITECTURE/INTERIORS Category, which I titled “God Ray at the Frari”.

August 2025 Black & White Magazine Publication - Portfolio Winners

In the August issue, the photos submitted are submitted as a portfolio of images…that being images that have some relationship to each other in subject. My submittal for this contest consisted of images of butterflies. Yes, they are butterfly photos, and they were not taken in Italy. They were taken in Gainesville, Florida at the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History. This wonderful building is full of those little flutterbys. These photos were taken in March, 2022, during a photo workshop with my dear friend Jackie Kramer, of “Jackie Kramer Fine Art”, also known as “LuvBlooms”.

I will give you both the as-published black and white photos, as well as the color versions.

Here is the magazine cover, which is a good bit less creepy than the Single Image cover.

As this was a portfolio competition, there were more than one of my flutterby images published…there were three, and here they are in the Merit Award category, which has no particular subject category. Just below you can see the three images that were recognized.

As promised, here are the color versions of those three photographs.

Don’t you just love their eyes!!! And, since we are on the subject of butterflies, here are just a few more from that same Florida trip.

And finally, since you are a somewhat captive audience, here are photos that I took last week on Bald Head Island, NC…which is a lovely place to be. These were taken with my iPhone.

Thank you dear reader for making it this far into my article where I tooted my horn a bit. You were able to see both God’s places, as well as God’s creatures as they were published in Black & White Magazine during 2025.

I hope you have a blessed day, and until next time, I say…

Ciao for Now,

Steve

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Eat Here: Mistral in the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

Index of Articles

“In my kitchen, the transformation of ingredients always prioritizes respecting their integrity, soul, and essence.”

— Chef Ettore Bocchia

Mistral Restaurant has been on our Bellagio agenda on each trip. We dined at Mistral with Judy and Mike, with Debbie and Scott, and now with Marsha, Jason, Sue and Jonathan. Each visit has been exemplary.

What can you expect for your evening…and evening is the time that you will want to dine at Mistral, as that is the time of romance.

A gated entrance is your first encounter with the Grand Hotel Serbelloni. This is a very private property, which makes it an exceptional place to stay. After being welcomed by the welcoming guard, here is where you approach the front door.

As we were a few minutes early for our meal, we made ourselves comfortable in the beautiful common area. Be aware that there is a dress codes, as shown on the Mistral website. “Please note that the dress code for our restaurant is Smart Casual, with mandatory long trousers and closed shoes for men. Short-sleeved shirts are acceptable”. As you can see, we did well with our garments…very well, indeed.

From left to right: Marsha, Jonathan, Sue, Jason, and Ellen. I’m behind the camera.

As we were seated at our table with a wonderful lake view, we found that even the table setting was special.

Check out the chargers.

And, then there was one of the most creative table setting that I’ve ever seen. Here is what I’m talking about.

If you’ve been to Italy before, you’ve been asked whether you want still or acqua frizzante (sparkling water). When it comes time for a refill of your water glass, the wait staff wants to be sure you get just what you ordered, so here is what you will find at the Mistral…

The blue babble secured in the bottom of your glass…acqua frizzante. The green babble…still water. A very creative way to avoid a refill mix-up.

Though one does need to stay hydrated in Italy (you can only drink so much wine during your day), it’s time for food now…right. Rather than trying to reproduce our menu for the night because it does change withe the season and executive chef Ettore Bocchia’s creativity, here is a direct link to their MENU. As the link to the menu may also vary with the season, HERE is the Mistral Restaurant’s weblink.

And, this next glass needs no introductions…and refills should be obvious.

Here is our group of six after we have gazed at the menu. That is Lago di Como (aka Lake Como) in the background.

From seven o’clock position and going clockwise: Jason, Ellen (wife), me, Sue, unknown waiter in background, Jonathan, Marsha.

Just below is a photo from the Mistral website. That’s the same premier table at which we sit…but ours is larger, isn’t it?

It looks like an amuse bush has arrived. Right now, I have no idea what it was.

Here our cameriere gives Ellen and Jason an explanation.

Was it delicious? Read on dear reader…

Yes, of course it was delicious…we are at Mistral Restaurant, we are in the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, we are in Bellagio, and we are in Italy. And just below is the proof of the deliciousness.

It looks like Jonathan has ordered an oyster appetizer.

I forget what this next one was, but it seems to involve caviar.

Next, how about a bit of “ethical” and “natural” foie gras? Yes, please.

A bit of something from the water has also been ordered.

Sue and Jonathan enjoy a French-style dramatic presentation.

Dessert is a peach melba with a homemade vanilla gelato…made right before our eyes using liquid nitrogen as the refrigerant. It was quite a show.

And, here is the final result.

Let’s not rush it. A pre-dessert toast with a delightful dessert wine is in order.

For Ellen and me, it’s a post-dinner Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni tradition to have our photo taken on the stairs of the common area.

Those of you who know Ellen and me well may notice that our photo was taken in the era of 2012. And, as Debbie and Scott were dining at Mistral with us that evening, we may as well add them to the portrait gallery, also.

Debbie and Scott from 2012

Dinner is complete. We are well satisfied, and we have had sufficient to suffice (a saying of my dear mother). It’s time to say arrivederci.

But Wait!!! Dinner is not yet complete, because we have not seen fabulous friends Marty and Tim Masters as they are dining at Mistral on April 17, 2025. They represent yet another satisfied couple who are dining at Mistral. So, here they are as they enjoy their martinis and go over their menus to decide what will be eaten tonight.

A beautiful evening awaits as we depart.

But wait, there’s more. When we arrive back at our Hotel Suisse [which is a restaurant masquerading as a hotel, and at least the restaurant portion of the place is decent] the desk clerk is in a mood for a dance with dapper Jason.

A fitting end to a wonderful meal at the Mistral Restaurant in the Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

I hope that you don’t mind having to watch us eat a wonderful meal in which you can’t participate…but alas, you certainly can…just as great friends Marty and Tim did just this past April.

If you find yourself dining at Mistral and you see us there, we will be happy to…let me think this through…let’s just say that I will be pleased to take you photo on the stairs as a souvenir of your visit.

But as always, I say ciao for now

Steve

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102 Blog Articles...But Who's Counting?

Index of Articles

That’s right…102! I had no idea that I had put out over 100 blog articles until I counted them this week. I’ve really been a bit chatty, haven’t I?!

I have enjoyed every minute in the production of these articles, mostly about my favorite place — Italy. ‘Why do you do this?’, you ask. Because I want you to be stimulated through my writing and photos to visit Italy yourself. And, as an added benefit, I get to travel voyeuristically along the way as I write and go through photos from great times gone by.

“I absolutely love doing this, and I certainly hope that you enjoy my blog articles, and that you find them helpful in some way”

Italy is a place with beautiful scenery highlighted by mountains, plains, coastlines and lakes…a prolific history of art and culture (I know that you’ve heard of Michelangelo and the Roman Empire)…vineyards and their wineries producing the world’s best wines, like Brunello…authentic (it has to be, right?) Italian food…and a loving, smiling, happy people.

Today, I thought I would give you of my ‘Top 10’ articles. I’ve categorized them into ‘Visiting a Particular Place’, ‘Experiences We’ve Enjoyed’ {that you would, too), and ‘Helpful Travel Tips”. These are my favorites because of memories of the times and places involved, be they humorous, joy-filled, frustrating, or whatever — or because I felt that they were particularly informative in preparation for your own upcoming Italy trip.

If one of the descriptions catches your eye, go ahead and link to the article so that you can enjoy a small slice of Italy, too.

[OK, I have a confession to make. There are actually 12 articles listed below…I just couldn’t pare it down to 10…sorry about that]

Each listing below has a clickable bolded heading that takes you to the original article.

Visiting A Particular Place

Stay Here, Eat Here, Drink Here: Banfi

A beautiful Tuscan day at the Banfi pool

This article lays out for you the full Banfi experience that you will just have to live through yourself one day. We’ve visited the Castello Banfi twice and found the experience to be absolutely wonderful. The tour of the Banfi winery is outstanding. And then there is the Castello Banfi itself…a must see, as well as a must stay. Dining? Yes, you have your choice of the informal La Taverna, as well as the fabulous La Sala dei Grappoli. The enoteca where you can taste and then purchase wine? The largest and most beautiful we’ve seen — and we’ve seen many. Published on May 24, 2016.

A Visit to Villa Cimbrone

The view along the walk from Ravello to Villa Cimbrone

If you will be visiting the Amalfi coast, with its breathtaking mountainous backdrop, you absolutely need to journey up those mountains to the the town of Ravello. It sits high above the town of Amalfi and has spectacular views from the Belvedere. The gardens are charming and there are several restaurants between the town and the Cimbrone Gardens from which to choose, like our selection, Il Flauto di Pan. Published June 7, 2016.

Renato Ratti Winery

Talk about a fabulous and unique winery and visit thereto! This Piemonte winery has been environmentally inserted into the side of the hill upon which the town of La Mora sits. Gravity provides an energy-saving way to transport the developing wine from vinification to storage. The grape of this Piemonte winery is the Nebbiolo and their top wine is Barolo, of course. Our tasting was of vintage Barolo wines going as far back as 1998, which gave us a personal and up-close education on a wine’s tannin, fruit and color over time. Published September 17, 2019.

Stay Here: Borgo San Felice

There is a beautiful place to stay and eat in the heart of Tuscany, and it is the Borgo San Felice. A friend had stayed here and highly recommended it…we are glad he did! The owners basically purchased a small Tuscan town and converted it into a marvelous resort hotel experience. From the ancient chapel to the modern swimming pool, we enjoyed it all during our two visits there. And the food of their Ristorante Poggio Rosso was delicious, whether at breakfast or dinner. Published January 12, 2016.

Stumbling Upon Something Magnificent

Just what was it that we stumbled upon? It was a church sitting high on a hillside overlooking Lago Lugano, just west of Lago di Como. Oh how dumbstruck we were when we opened the doors of the church of Albogasio Inferiore in the small, lakeside town of Albogasio-oria. They say that one can’t judge a book by its cover, and that goes too for churches. The inside has beautifully painted fresco walls and ceilings, as well as other gorgeous ornamentation. Published July 28, 2015.

Experiences We’ve Enjoyed

One Fine Day

The setting is the Amalfi Coast. The conveyance was a 38’ Itama boat, captained by a friendly Gian-Carlo. The day was wonderful. This is the quintessential way to see the Amalfi Coast — by boat. We cruised in luxury with prosecco in hand. We swam the White and Green Grottos. We dined waterside on the Isle of Capri. And every bit of this day was perfect. Published September 29, 2015.

Enjoying Italy-Bought Wine

It’s strange how certain things can trigger memories of the past. We had that experience one lazy day…and those memories were certainly fond ones. What was it that triggered these great memories? It was wine, of all things. It was a wine that we had tasted at lunch in Radda in Chianti and one that we subsequently purchased at a winery in Tuscany. The setting for this article is our living room…in front of a roaring fire…with good book in one hand and a good wine in the other. Published February 2, 2017.

Wild Goose Chase

I’ve chased a wild goose or two, and I’m sure that you have, too. This incident relates to the day we bought a nice wine, as discussed in the article just above. We were on our way to a highly praised dinner…as praised on Trip Advisor. What we found when we arrived at the very small hilltown of Poggio alla Croce was an unexpected mystery. We had a reservation that I had managed to pull off in Italian…at least I thought I had. Find out what happened and how our evening managed to end. Published February 2, 2016.

Your Romantic Gondola Ride

If you’ve been to Venice and you haven’t ridden in a gondola, then you haven’t really been to Venice. The ubiquitous gondola is the iconic symbol of Venice. Your gondola experience should be a romantic one. This means that there is a certain time for your ride…a time that is best for reasons more than just romance. And, as each time has its place, I give you a suggestion on the best place to start (and end) your ride. Published July 12, 2016.

Helpful Travel Tips

Getting There: Bellagio

Bellagio is undoubtedly the most charming town we have visited, and its important how you get there! It sits on the end of a peninsula on Lake Como. You can auto there, but the road is twisty-turny and you may arrive with a bit of fuzzy brain. You can arrive by train…kind of…at least you will be close, but will require a ferry ride from Varenna. And you can arrive by boat…but not just any boat. You definitely don’t want the hydrofoil. What you want is the slow boat from the town of Como. It’s a slow ride and it is absolutely beautiful. Published August 2, 2016.

Another Way Into Italy

Of course you can fly directly to Italy, but there is a way that you might find to be a lot more fun…and relaxing. Why not start your Italy adventure in Switzerland?! You start in Zurich and take one of three trains into Italy. That has been our favorite way because it is a fabulous way to overcome your jet lag…as well as seeing the beautiful Swiss countryside. Published July 30, 2019.

Please, Thank You, and Where's the Bathroom

Don't let the fear of not knowing the Italian language keep you from Italy. Our experience has shown that for most of the places that we go (i.e. not too far off the beaten path), English is well spoken. I do recommend the joy of giving Italian a try, as it’s kind of fun to order a light breakfast by saying, “Pane tostata con burro e marmellata di arance”. But for sure, don’t let the lack of parlando Italiano keep you from Italy. Published August 14, 2016.

Now you know what I know — that being that the above are my favorite article posts. Trust me when I say that it was super difficult to pare them down to those twelve.

I absolutely love doing this, and I certainly hope that you enjoy my blog articles, and that you find them helpful in some way. If a trip to Italy is in your future…and I certainly hope it is…then the article ‘A Trip to Italy in Your Future? Read On!’ is a guide to using the Index of Articles to help you plan for your trip.

And, I really would love to see you there in beautiful Italy! But, in the meantime…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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A Trip to Italy in Your Future? Read On!

Index of Blog Articles

Though there are no photos specifically related to the subject of today’s article, I have sprinkled in a few photos from the Lake Como environs to break up the text monotony. Click on an image for a larger view.

Introduction

My wife Ellen and I love Italy. We love to go to Italy. When we are not in Italy, we love talking to each other about Italy. And we often find ourselves talking to others about our love of Italy…sometimes, when prompted, but often just out of the clear blue…like that clear blue sky on a warm Tuscan afternoon, or the clear blue of the waters off the Isle of Capri, or the…sorry, there I go again!

Our reward in talking to others about Italy is the voyeuristic joy of mind-traveling there. After all, we can’t be there all the time, right?

It’s really nice when someone asks me specifically about travel to, and in, Italy, rather than me just rattling on uninvited. A couple of friends did so recently. L asked about pre- and post-cruise visits to Rome and Venice. M asked about travel to the Lake District, specifically Lake Como. As we have been to each on several occasions, I feel comfortable in my responses.

Disclaimer

Besides the mind-traveling voyeuristic joys, I get joy in passing on tips that might help readers get more enjoyment from their visit to Italy. But, I want to make it clear that we have not been to all parts of Italy, and I would not try to wax endlessly about some place that we have not visited. However, where we have visited, I feel compelled to share our experiences, as I can often clarify some otherwise-confusing things, especially where our own experience was a learning experience, sometimes learning the hard way (see Get Lost!!! and Wild Goose Chase, for example).

My Blog Articles

Today’s blog article is number 80. I have to admit that several of those 80 articles were related to my horn-tooting regarding recognition of my photography…I am a bit proud of that. But, by-and-large, most articles concern eating, drinking, lodging, the land, or the people of Italy. So, hopefully wedged in there somewhere is information that may be of benefit to you as you make your way to and within Italy.

As it turns out, I have an index of those 80 articles. And that index is organized in what I hope is a helpful way. That index is called the Index of Blog Articles, and it can be found at the top-right of the more recent blog articles.

This Index of Blog Articles is organized by publication date (the left column) and by subject (the right column). The subject headings are:

Getting To & Around Italy
Go There: Amalfi Coast
Go There: Lake District
Go There: Piemonte
Go There: Tuscany
Go There: Valpolicella Area
Go There: Venice
Go There: Miscellaneous
Adventures & Anecdotes
Eat Here
Stay Here
Italian History Tidbits
Italy-Photo Transformations
Photography Itself
Miscellaneous
Recognition

Articles in the subject column may appear in more than one subject heading. For example, the sections on where to eat and stay (I’ll let you guess under which headings you will find those) are also found in the appropriate Go There:-specific sections, also.

So, back to L who wants to enjoy Italy before and after a cruise…a cruise that ends in our favorite Italian town of Venice. What I provided to L is a reference to my Index of Blog Articles. As they are going to Venice, an obvious set of articles would be found in Go There: Venice. But, as they first need to get to, and then around, Italy (there may be little choice in this matter because of the cruise aspects of the trip, but there may be some leeway) the section titled Getting To & Around Italy should be of interest, also.

And now for M, who is thinking about Lake Como. I directed him to the Go There: Lake District section. As of this writing, only Lake Como is covered in that section, but articles on Lake Maggiore, Lake Garda, and Lake Lugano are in the works. And, as I have suggestions on getting to and around Italy that I think will be helpful to M, I directed him to Getting To & Around Italy, also. Finally, as I’m hoping that M will stay other places in Italy, I suggested that he look at other Go There: articles for places he may enjoy visiting.

OK, I think you can understand the benefit of checking out my blog articles as you plan your trip to Italy — and specifically using the Index of Blog Articles you will find at the top of each blog article. Give it a try, and then let me know how it worked out for you…maybe I can create an articles about your own experiences!

Ciao for now,

Steve

Go There: Bellagio

Index of Blog Articles

[Updated July 2025]

At the end of your slow-boat ride on Lake Como is your destination: Bella Bellagio.

“One of the things that makes Bellagio so unique are its ‘streets’. These are no ordinary streets, as no autos can travel them”

The setting for Bellagio is unique, as it sits at the end of a spit of land which juts out into Lake Como, or Lago di Como. This location actually adds a good bit to its charm, as there is no through traffic to clutter up your visit...one has to either intentionally be driving to Bellagio, or one must be lost.

Getting There

To learn more about how to get to Bellagio, see my article from last week, appropriately titled, "Getting There: Bellagio".

Here you can see a passenger 'slow boat' that I so espouse as it arrives at Bellagio.

One of the 'slow boats' that ply the waters of Lago di Como

Ah, the destination has been reached...we are now in Bellagio.

The 'Streets' of Bellagio

One of the things that makes Bellagio so unique are its shopping 'streets'. These are no ordinary streets, as no autos can travel them. There are about a half-dozen of these ally-like streets that go from the lower, lakeside, outbound roadway of Bellagio, to the upper, inbound roadway.

In this photo is the lakeside portion of the auto roadway that leads out of town. The roadway makes a bit of a jog to the left at the Hotel Metropole, our hotel for this stay.

The roadway headed through, and then away, from Bellagio. Our pink hotel in the distance — The roadway headed through, and then away, from Bellagio. The pink hotel in the distance is the Metropole

And here is the upper roadway...yes, that's actually the road coming into Bellagio, and we are driving it in a car that we rented for a day (see more in the article 'Stumbling Upon Something Magnificent').

And here is the lower roadway which leads away from the center of Bellagio…yes, this is indeed the roadway.

In between these two portions of auto road are the pedestrian shopping streets, as you can see below. These streets echo the difference in elevation between the lower and upper roadways.

Be sure to wear your comfortable shoes…ones that will be appropriate for walking on cobbled walkways, as seen below.

Shopping Bellagio

The Como area was once the silk capital of Europe. Mulberry trees kept the silkworms happily making silk, and the Italians were happily making silk cloth. Though this industry has all but vanished, there are still many items made of silk available in Bellagio.

Here we see some of the silk and its shoppers.

A tradition of days gone by was for young women to wear a bridal headdress made of intricately design hair pins -- I'm sure there is a more appropriate name for them, but that's how I know them. Just below is one of those hair adornments.

Today, these head pieces have been disassembled into its individual parts and they are available for purchase. Here you see Ellen and Debbie as they consider their purchase of serving pieces that have been fashioned from these pieces.

In the market for Italian-made shoes or shirts? You are in luck!

Here are a few more photos that show you other things that are available for your shopping pleasure.

Food!

I always try to include photos of food from any place that we visit...this is important, don't you think? Here are a few selections from a number of restaurants we have visited on our trips to Bellagio.

And there are some beautiful settings for partaking of food. We especially like the lakeside setting of the first photo, which is the al fresco dining for the Hotel Florence. And both of the ladies in our group thought that our waiter made the setting more attractive, too.

Hotels

Here are the three hotels in Bellagio that I recommend. This photo gives you an excellent feel for their location and the size of the main part of town.

Hotel Metropole

Our hotel on one trip, the Albergo Metropole, sits in a perfect location in town. We had a room with balcony overlooking the lake. This hotel is being remodeled at the time of this writing.

Here is the link to the Hotel Albergo Metropole, which indicates that it should open in 2026.

Our lakefront rooms were superb. You can see the ferry dock in the photo with Scott and Debbie, and across the lake to Menaggio in the photo with Ellen and me.

And the view at sunset left nothing to be desired. Here is an evening ferry from Menaggio nearing the Bellagio ferry dock.

Evening view from our room at the Metropole

GRAND HOTEL VILLA SERBELLONI

On a previous trip we stayed at the five-star Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. The guest register for this palace of a hotel is chock-a-block full of names of the past that you would recognize -- including yours truly, of course.

Here, you can see the layout of the GHVS, with the main portion of Bellagio being to the right. We swam in the pool -- brrrrr -- and actually found a dip in the lake from that pier to be a bit warmer! The Mistral Restaurant sits dead center within the pink awning. This is THE PLACE to eat in Bellagio for fine dining.

Have you ever eaten in a more opulent breakfast room?

Lunch on the terrace is exquisite.

Below is one of our dinners in the dining room at Mistral Restaurant.

Here is the link for the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

HOTEL FLORENCE

The Hotel Florence would be my economical hotel choice today. It is well located across the street from the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. My great friends, the Masters, stayed at the Hotel Florence and highly recommend it.

Between the Hotel Florence and the Metropole is the Hotel Suisse. Although I found the restaurant there to be good, I cannot recommend this hotel…it seems to be a ground floor restaurant with an afterthought of rooms on the upper floors.

Here is your link to the Hotel Florence of Bellagio.

Sights of Bellagio

It is interesting to note that, though Bellagio sits at the base of the alps, it is in a sub-tropical climate. You will find several palm trees, like this one, scattered around.

Below are several photos of Bellagio and its environs. Here you will see the view of the lake and beyond from Bellagio, the beautiful flowers, buildings, etc. Enjoy.

And here is an interesting view of a Pringles dispenser! Have you ever seen one of these? But what a great idea for those emergencies when you feel you need something lite and a bit salty.

Here is a photo that just about sums it all up for us...

And now, it’s time to say “good night”.

Want to make a trip to Bellagio? Drop me a line and I'll be happy to give you some more tips!

Ciao for now,

Steve