The Advocate

LAKE COMO

Heaven on Earth

As a Los Angeles native who has rubbed elbows with my fair share of celebrities, I found myself imagining Lake Como, Italy, as any cliché-skeptical American might: an overrated luxury resort town that had only gained international attention when George Clooney bought a villa there in 2002. But this cynic stands corrected.

The truth is, Lake Como is like heaven on earth. It is a gleaming gem in the center of Italy’s crown jewels. Capturing the region’s unparalleled beauty and narrowing out which attractions to highlight is a real challenge, and over the course of six days this past June, I had a life-altering experience and fell in love with the city and its community.

Como is more than a lake. It offers ancient Roman architecture and history, as well as majestic gothic and renaissance cathedrals and churches, gorgeous mountains that ring the lake, world-class museums, local wineries,

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