Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Checked out of the Airbnb and got on the road around 8am. We had planned to stop, or at least drive through Mantua. However, there was road construction and a lane split that caused us to miss the exit and would have to re-route 30 mins, so we skipped Mantua and went straight on to Borghetto.
This put us into Borghetto earlier than expected, so none of the restaurants were open for lunch yet. Borghetto is the birthplace of the Tortelinni, so I really wanted to try the dish. We strolled around the very small town for an hour, waiting for the restaurants to start service lunch.
The town sits directly on the Mincio river, which empties from the alps and flows all the way to Rome. The river literally bends through and around the town, some of the restaurants sitting directly in the middle of the rushing water. There’s also a fun legend about the town and the origin of the tortelinni that is worth reading.
Osteria al Volto Bistrot was the first restaurant to open and serve pasta, so we grabbed a quick lunch before getting back on the road. But before we drove off, we noticed a walking trail going down by the river near the parking lot, so we strolled down to see some of the raging rapids.
Next stop was Spiazzi, a small town at the top of the mountain. It was the perfect place to park and walk down to the Santuario Madonna della Corona, a church built literally into the side of the mountain. There were a couple different trails to access the church, but the first one was closed, so we went further North to the 2nd entrance. Here, along the walking trail, there were small art installations to mark the path and tell the story of Christ to resurrection.
The church is beautiful, with plenty of opportunities for photos. It is free to enter and beautiful inside, as one side of the church is made from the mountain itself. The view out into the valley is breathtaking as well. On the way back to the top, we didn’t have the energy to climb, so luckily there was a shuttle bus.
We still had several hours of driving ahead to make Como. Our next stop was for dinner in Bergamo. I had travelled to Bergamo once before and already had a restaurant picked out, since it was so good the first time, I had to experience it again.
The driving and parking in Bergamo city center is limited, so we parked in the lower area of the city and took the funicular up to the top. Da Mimmo Bergamo Alta had some of the best pasta we had tasted in Italy. This is where Connor found his favorite dish of spicy pasta. Afterward, we grabbed a quick gelato and headed back to the car. It seems I accidentally only purchased a one-way funicular trip, so we ended up walking back down the city below instead, which was really no issue.
Back to the car and a few hours later we arrive in Como. Our Airbnb was in Cremia, which is on the opposite end of the lake. Once in Como city, the roads started going in and out of tunnels, so I had several issues trying google map our way onto the right street. There were several wrong turns, but we finally made it to the Airbnb.
Logistics
- Mantua (skipped)
- Borghetto
- Verona (skipped)
- Spiazzi
- Santuario Madonna della Corona
- Sirmione (skipped)
- Bergamo
- Lake Como
Restaurants
- Borghetto – Osteria al Volto Bistrot
- Bergamo – Da Mimmo Bergamo Alta
Gleitz Well Traveled 