There’s only 1 Lake Como. Plus Zeppelins, plus F-18’s!

[craven morehead]

Fantastic TR many thanks @offshore171

 

[rginoz]

Thank you for the report. We remember our time at Lake Constance fondly & still marvel at the stamina of the pushbikebike riders we saw-many certainly didn't look that fit

The cycle paths around Lake Constance are mostly very flat, although the climb up to the old centre of Meersburg was one of the steepest sections of road I've ever seen. Needless to say, I dismounted for that part of the journey. Many of the bike riders that you see may only be doing short local trips, not the full Lake circuit. Overall, it's a fabulous circuit, very scenic, and well within the cycling capability of most people.

 

[offshore171]

Thanks everyone for the kind feedback. It’s only my second crack at an AFF trip report after last year’s Bermuda debut.

All the way to BDA

Earlier this month we visited Bermuda, so I thought I'd drop a trip report. As it's almost the exact antipode of Sydney, it's quite a journey to get there. For us, it started with QF11, right through to JFK.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

We were very fortunate to encounter a near perfect run of weather conditions, and every transport connection went to plan.

I am really glad to hear that others found the report interesting and/or informative.

Users here are the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic of any travel site I’ve come across.

 

[offshore171]

The cycle paths around Lake Constance are mostly very flat, although the climb up to the old centre of Meersburg was one of the steepest sections of road I've ever seen. Needless to say, I dismounted for that part of the journey.

It’s definitely easier by Zeppelin!

Overall, it's a fabulous circuit, very scenic, and well within the cycling capability of most people.

This has already got me thinking about another trip. Did you take your bike, or arrange one over there?

 

[offshore171]

Unlucky for me but I found the weather patchy in late May around Lake Como, so perhaps a late September, early October would be better next visit.

On the upside, you’ve got a perfect excuse for going back!

 

[rginoz]

It’s definitely easier by Zeppelin!



This has already got me thinking about another trip. Did you take your bike, or arrange one over there?

No, I think it's too much trouble to take a bike from Australia. We arranged it all through a German bike travel agency, www.velociped.de They can provide bikes (including electric bikes), accommodation and even luggage transport from each overnight accommodation to the next. I have used them three times, including around Lake Constance and down the Rhine River valley from Mainz to Koblenz. I found them to be very flexible and helpful - for example when I was delayed in Hong Kong by a typhoon and they rescheduled my entire bike trip including all the accommodations, at no extra cost.

 

[offshore171]

Final batch of random pics from the trip:

 

[Antoallison]

Beautiful high quality photos..thanks for posting.

 

[kookaburra75]

Great trip report, thanks for taking the time to put it together. It's given me and Mrs K some great ideas.

 

[craven morehead]

Thoroughly enjoyed following this outstanding TR many thanks for your efforts.

 

[offshore171]

Thoughtful email received just now from the Villa Serbelloni, where this trip began:



As some of you already know, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is located in Lombardy, the Italian region most affected by the spread of Coronavirus. At a moment such as this, we don't want to take your time to talk about offers, booking flexibility, or the effort that is being made by our staff during these hard days to reassure our guests. Instead, we think it is important to stop "the marketing noise" for a few weeks, and just listen to something incredibly spectacular that is happening right now:

Italians are known all over the world for being extroverted people who enjoy life and spending time with their loved ones. We’re also known for being loud, having a complicated bureaucracy and many regional differences that separate us. Nevertheless, the current adversity is helping us to remember our deep nature as a population: people supporting each other "virtually" throughout the whole nation, Italians coming together trying to find solutions together, fast and efficient decision-making by our main institutions, and the excellent collaboration of our healthcare professionals.

That's what Italians are, above all: generous and creative people. Italians create music to be played on their balconies and help neighbours feel less sad, create new games to do with their bored children at home, create funny videos to distract worried grandparents who have to stay distant from almost everyone, create new intensive care areas in a rush to treat the growing number of sick citizens and increase the number of recovered citizens. Italians are creating an organizational model that is helping the most recently affected countries of the globe to deal with what we are already facing. And, most importantly, Italians are happy to help.

One of the things that inspire Italians to be instinctively generous, is the beauty that surrounds all of us. We know we are lucky to live here because, as many Italian artists and scientists wrote during history, beauty is the main fuel of creativity. We want to share this blessing because in Italy, there's enough beauty for everybody and it never runs out.

We now look back knowing that our Hotel, which is also our home, went through almost every global crisis of the last couple of centuries: 2 world wars, the Spanish flu, the Great Depression, 11 September, the 2008 subprime crisis... and yet here we are, ready for the next season: as soon as the "green light" will turn on again, we'll open our doors to those who want to experience some of that beauty at first hand.

Adopt the Italian Style during this emergency: substitute a hug or a kiss to your loved ones with a song, donate what you can to your local communities and hospitals that are spending all their energies and resources to help others, and most importantly: the better you respect the rules staying at home today, the sooner your next trip will come tomorrow.


Ci vediamo presto!


The Bucher family,
owners of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni since 1918

 

[craven morehead]

Thoughtful email received just now from the Villa Serbelloni, where this trip began:

View attachment 210260

As some of you already know, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is located in Lombardy, the Italian region most affected by the spread of Coronavirus. At a moment such as this, we don't want to take your time to talk about offers, booking flexibility, or the effort that is being made by our staff during these hard days to reassure our guests. Instead, we think it is important to stop "the marketing noise" for a few weeks, and just listen to something incredibly spectacular that is happening right now:

Italians are known all over the world for being extroverted people who enjoy life and spending time with their loved ones. We’re also known for being loud, having a complicated bureaucracy and many regional differences that separate us. Nevertheless, the current adversity is helping us to remember our deep nature as a population: people supporting each other "virtually" throughout the whole nation, Italians coming together trying to find solutions together, fast and efficient decision-making by our main institutions, and the excellent collaboration of our healthcare professionals.

That's what Italians are, above all: generous and creative people. Italians create music to be played on their balconies and help neighbours feel less sad, create new games to do with their bored children at home, create funny videos to distract worried grandparents who have to stay distant from almost everyone, create new intensive care areas in a rush to treat the growing number of sick citizens and increase the number of recovered citizens. Italians are creating an organizational model that is helping the most recently affected countries of the globe to deal with what we are already facing. And, most importantly, Italians are happy to help.

One of the things that inspire Italians to be instinctively generous, is the beauty that surrounds all of us. We know we are lucky to live here because, as many Italian artists and scientists wrote during history, beauty is the main fuel of creativity. We want to share this blessing because in Italy, there's enough beauty for everybody and it never runs out.

We now look back knowing that our Hotel, which is also our home, went through almost every global crisis of the last couple of centuries: 2 world wars, the Spanish flu, the Great Depression, 11 September, the 2008 subprime crisis... and yet here we are, ready for the next season: as soon as the "green light" will turn on again, we'll open our doors to those who want to experience some of that beauty at first hand.

Adopt the Italian Style during this emergency: substitute a hug or a kiss to your loved ones with a song, donate what you can to your local communities and hospitals that are spending all their energies and resources to help others, and most importantly: the better you respect the rules staying at home today, the sooner your next trip will come tomorrow.


Ci vediamo presto!


The Bucher family,
owners of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni since 1918

Outstanding !!

 

[Toula92122]

Stunning photograph and beautiful words. That's the type of business owner I like to support.

 

[kookaburra75]

Stunning photograph and beautiful words. That's the type of business owner I like to support.

Ditto - it the sort of thing that keeps me going in the eternal search for toilet paper during our period of madness - that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's called Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

 

[TheRealTMA]

Excellent post!

We had a great lunch there two years ago.

(only parking in Bellagio anyway!)

 

[offshore171]

Stunning photograph and beautiful words. That's the type of business owner I like to support.

Yes absolutely. I will be going back. It may not be for some time, but it will happen.

 

[offshore171]

there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's called Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

Beautifully put.

Do you mind if I steal that line?