It had been a long transatlantic flight with several connections before we landed at the airport. It had been A Season Away’s idea to have a van pick us up and take us to the villa. On arrival, it was the smell of a delicious lunch buffet that put us at ease and told us we had arrived “home”. Before we knew it, someone thrust a glass of great Italian Chianti in our hands...and we wandered outside with a plate of food to a stunning view of Lake Como at our doorstep. What a grand entrance to Italy...

The chef struggled with the huge wheel of Parmesan cheese... it was easily three feet across and about a foot or two deep and must have weighed a hundred pounds... from within came swirls of fragrant steam...he had prepared a cheesy risotto for villa owners Stefano and Stefanie at an impromptu dinner party for us on the shores of romantic Lake Como...

This was my first villa experience and the villa overlooking Lake Como was superb. I loved the camaraderie of relaxing and being together with a genial group. The best example was returning to the villa after a long day and relaxing in our “jammies” with a glass of wine. It is a mood and spirit to which one can easily adapt.