VAL DI MELLO, ITALY

Val Masino, Italy

Although most places I visit are beautiful. Val Di Mello, was one of the most beautiful places I have been to since being here in Italy. A place you can only easily reach with a car. Bus may be an option but we found it was difficult with transfers and such. So, after lunch we set out driving about an hour or so Northeast from Menaggio. Around the top of lake Como, one stop at a little grocery store to get some snacks, and then headed on our way. Literal switchbacks up the mountain, we arrived to a tiny little town, where parked the car to start the hike. We got out of the car and from the get go I was blown away. We were on the foothills of the Bregaglia range of the Swiss-Italian Alps with huge rock faces shooting up and up.

We followed the river and hiked up about 40 minutes until we came to the valley. Not sure I would even call it a hike, but it was a nice walk through the woods an incline. Once we came out of the woods, we followed a paved road a little bit further up. The more we walked, the more the mountains came alive. Little by little, the mountains came out of the trees and showed the real beauty of this special place. Soon enough in every direction there was a massive white or grey rock face pointing straight up to the bright blue sky. The colors were so vivid. The rich green grass, like the type of green my father tries to get our lawn to look like each spring, until it is completely dried out by the summer sun. The crystal blue water of the lake, so smooth it was hard to believe it was not frozen. Then there was the dusty chalk color of the mountains so sharp they were practically cutting through the soft blue of the sky. Every thing was so magnified, it made you felt so small. The kind of feeling you get when you are in a plane looking out the window, down to the tiny life on the ground. Perspective was really put into perspective while looking around at this incredibly beautiful scenery.

Once we walked up to the actual valley, it was reasonably flat. It seemed as though we were at sea level, but we were pretty high up in the mountains. Families spending the day to go swimming, have a picnic, and enjoy the sun along with the amazing view. We walked along the river, until we found a little spot on the grass. There we sat, ate a little, and took in the view.

Upon arriving to the valley, I could not believe the clarity and color of the water. Clear green, turquoise water, flowing down the river forming little ponds every couple hundred meters. I wanted to swim in it from the start, but the sun was going down and it was chilly. No excuse when we arrived at one of the beautiful little ponds. Although no one was in it, and the water was so still. I took the risk of the chilliness. I jumped in and it was breathtakingly cold, but so very crisp. I quickly dried off as much as I could and let what was left of the sun dry the rest of my clothes. So worth it.