Dr. Patrice Smith 9/25/19 Dr. Patrice Smith 9/25/19

Reasons You Need To Visit Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places in Italy and one of the dreamiest destinations to travel to. This summer I happened to have my wedding there and it was hands down one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. Shaped like an inverted “Y, “ surrounded by mountains and dotted with charming waterfront villas and open air restaurants - Lake Como is the most picturesque travel destinations. It is a very dreamy and mysterious place - with its faded veneer of old money gentility, picturesque Victorian gardens, and lakeshore villas and restaurants. Lake Como is the perfect relaxing place to spend the summer and is well worth the visit.

Best Times To Visit

Lake Como is a popular weekend getaway destination for Milanese looking to get away from the crowds of Milan, so if you are trying to beat the crowds weekdays would be best. The cheapest and less crowded times to travel to Lake Como is during the off seasons, i.e April to mid-June or September and October. The temperatures at this time are perfect since it’s not during the hot Italian summer or the cold winter. Peak season begins at the end of June through August - this is most exciting time with lots of bustling tourists, these are also the warmest months of the year. I personally enjoy warmer climates and the excitement of bustling crowds so I opted to visit in mid August.

How To Get There

The easiest way to get to Lake Como is via Milan. The closest of the two airports in Milan to Lake Como is Milan-Malpensa (MXP). From there you can opt to take a taxi or get a rental car and drive 45 minutes to Lake Como or take the 1 hour train ride from Milan. If taking the train head to Milan’s central station, Milano centrale - you can browse schedules and purchase tickets online here.

Where To Stay

There are lots of gorgeous villas and hotels in Lake Como and the “best” towns to stay in are debatable. But, I would recommend staying in the towns of Como, Varenna, Bellagio, Tremezzo or Laglio. For my wedding weekend I stayed in the towns of Laglio and Moltrasio - I will also note that the famous actor George Clooney’s villa is in Laglio.

My recommended villa’s (also the only ones that I am familiar with) are: Villa Vittoria (where some of our wedding guests stayed and is just a few doors away from Villa Oleandra - George Clooney’s home), Villa Regina Teodolindo (also close to George Clooney’s home), Villa Lario, Villa D’Este, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, and Grand Hotel Imperiale (another venue where or wedding guests stayed).

From the bedroom window at Villa Vittoria in Laglio

View from the Lake View Suite - Villa Vittoria

Things To Do

The best way to properly enjoy Lake Como and enjoy all it has to offer is to pick a place as your home base and then take advantage of the ferries which traverse the Como villages everyday. There are also the options of fast boats, slow boats, private boats and buses (which is much slower). Visit the towns/villages and just explore.

The Prettiest and Most Popular Towns are:

Como
- Perhaps one of the Lake’s largest, most vibrant and also, most popular towns, is Como. It is filled with lively cafes, authentic Trattoria and plenty of places to sample Italian Gelato - Como is a great place to spend a day exploring. One of the highlights of Como is the spectacular Duomo, with its grand, dominating façade, and equally astonishing interior.

Bellagio
- Bellagio is by far the most famous town on Lake Como. It is famed for its majestic Italian villas over-looking the Lake, and for being the home to famous individuals. Take a ferry across and enjoy perusing the vast variety of shops, restaurants, wineries and Villas. There’s a beach (yes, you heard right), hiking trails and areas that offer water sports like kayaking and pale boarding. If you want to just take it easy, find a cafe or spa and unwind.

Varenna
- Varenna is a small fishing village that has a plethora of authentic Italian eateries that serve up traditional dishes with locally sourced ingredients. it’s a great place to sample local wines, as well as experiment with the abundance of gelato flavors. See Villa Monastero for sight seeing.

Tremezzo
- One of the most popular tourist towns on Lake Como is Tremezzo, meaning that it is built up with gran hotels and incredible villas. Tremezzo is one of the most beautiful towns on the entire Lake. It’s usually a stop over point for tourists visiting Bellagio. Like most towns in Lake Como, there are a lot of villas to explore; most notably Villa Carlotta, with its grand white façade and commanding size.

Lenno
- Lenno is famous for Villa del Balbianello (where I got married). It’s a picture perfect estate that was also used as a set in the movies Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale (James Bond). This i the most romantic place to have a wedding.

Cernobbio
- Cernobbio is famous for its luxury hotels catering to the rich and famous. It has a peaceful, cosmopolitan vibe and is home to Villa D’Este -which was the original summer home for a cardinal but now a luxury hotel. It’s also the home of Villa Erba.

Lake Como offers visitors a variety of different attractions, from its spectacular natural scenery, hiking trails, beaches and gorgeous towns and villages that are quintessentially Italian. Whether you prefer to be in the centre of activity or prefer being more isolated and enticed by the local way of life, Lake Como has something for everyone to enjoy.

Dr. Patrice Smith 1/26/19 Dr. Patrice Smith 1/26/19

Paradise Found: Turks & Caicos Islands

Turks & Caicos is one of the most beautiful Caribbean Islands I’ve visited! (besides Jamaica, of course - I’m biased). It’s surrounded by the largest sand banks in the world which allows for crystal clear, turquoise blue water. It is scenic, quiet and a lot less touristy than other surrounding islands. It is truly paradise!

My girlfriends and I recently enjoyed a long weekend “girls trip” to this beautiful island. This was in the month of November when the temperatures in the northeastern parts of the United States were rapidly falling and we were all in need of a little sunshine.

We spent 5 days on this breathtakingly beautiful island and the only thing I (kind of) regret is not photo documenting the entire trip. But, that is the magic of this place; It makes you slow down, unplug and completely immerse yourself in all it’s splendor.

Below you will find a travel guide that can be handy if you ever find yourself planning a getaway to beautiful Turks and Caicos. A fair warning - Turks is not a cheap place by any stretch of the imagination. It is very much geared towards luxury and not at all considered a budget destination.

How To Get There:

Several islands make up the Turks & Caicos Islands and thus there are several airports. Since we were going to Providenciales , we flew into the Providenciales International Airport (PLS) which is the main airport on the island. We all flew separately from different North East airports. The cost from New York (JFK), Washington, DC (DCA) and Pittsburgh (PIT) ranges from $450-$600 at that time of year.

We also rented a car upon arrival so that we could not only get to our villa in Provo but enjoy exploring the Island. We rented from Grace Bay Car Rentals for around $220 for 5 days.

You can get around via Taxi or rental car. If you are staying at a hotel in Grace Bay (touristy area) and have no plans to leave your resort then this might be unnecessary. However, if you’re staying away from the resort area (like we did), you will need a rental car to get around. Keep in mind that in Turks and Caicos, they drive on the left (the British way). Most steering wheels will be on the right. Not to worry if this freaks you out initially, my American friends adjusted quite quickly.

Local Currency:

The local currency is the United States Dollar (USD), so no conversions to worry about for my American friends.

Weather:

Since this is the Caribbean, expect tropical weather. The average temperature ranges between 80-90 degrees year round with sprinkles of showers randomly which seizes quite quickly.

Where We Stayed:

Our Villa was exquisite! We stayed at Sunrise Ridge - the main house, and it was phenomenal. It is located in the exclusive Turtle Tail neighborhood of Providenciales and is a 5 acre estate set on one of the highest points of the Turks and Caicos islands. The ridge has captivating views of the Ocean, Flamingo Lake and the island of Providenciales. Our villa came decked with a swimming pool, Barbecue, outside dining, private decks and a fire pit. It had everything we needed and was stocked with things from blenders to coffee makers to beach chairs, umbrellas and coolers. Cost was ~$1000/night and varies depending on the time of year.

Ocean View From The Pool Deck of Our Villa

This Hammock By The Pool Was My Favorite Spot.

The Courtyard Where I Had My Morning Tea Each Day

Food:

Since we stayed in a villa, we stocked up on food at the nearby grocery store - Graceway IGA Supermarket, which was about 10 minutes away. Even though we had ample food at the house we wanted to experience the restaurants on the island.
The Deck at Seven Stars - We went here on our first night in Turks for something quick to eat. We ended up grabbing bar food (choice from the menu) and was quite satisfied. The conch fritters are divine.
Infiniti Restaurant & Raw Bar at Grace Bay Resorts - Go here on a Saturday night when there are lots of people and the energy is high. However, expect long wait times for food as they get super busy. The food and drinks here are quite pricey but really good.
Coco Bistro - Located in the heart of Grace Bay in walking distance of all the resorts. The food and atmosphere are really nice and a must try.
Hemmingway’s - We ate here on our last night in Turks. The ambience, customer service, food and drinks are excellent! I had the curried lobster and wanted more when it was done.

Don’t let the look of this fool you. I waited a very long time for this Grouper from Infiniti Restaurant and it was worth every second.

What To Do:

You go to Turks because of the beaches! and the main one is Grace Bay Beach on the north side of Providenciales.

Horse back riding tour with Provo Ponies - this was quite fun and rather relaxing.
Sunset drinks at the very modern, and sleek boutique Hotel Gansevoort - One of the best things here is the beach bar. The drinks are really good and they make a mean mojito.
Snorkeling at Turtle Cove - We didn’t make it here but were told by the locals that this is the spot for snorkeling as Smith’s Reef is VERY beautiful.
Bonefishing at Juba Point Salina - If you’re into bone fishing, this is where it’s done because of the low depths of the water. The water here isn’t suitable for swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding or anything of that nature.
Flamingo Lake to see the flamingos - Want to go flamingo spotting? Flamingo pond is where you want to go. The number of flamingos will vary with the time of year.

Soothing Horse Back Ride with Provo Ponies

As I mentioned, the one thing I (kind of) regret is not taking more photos. If I had thought about doing a travel guide I certainly would have. However, a visit to Turks and Caicos should definitely be on your bucket list in my opinion. It is one of those very simple yet breathtakingly beautiful destinations that you ought to experience. Of course, do your research and have an open mind.

Experience does for the soul what education does for the mind. - Casey Neistat

Dr. Patrice Smith 8/9/18 Dr. Patrice Smith 8/9/18

Venice, Italy

I love Italy! I haven't been to very many cities, but of the ones I've visited Venice is my favorite. I love the fact that it is small enough to explore in just a few hours and not miss a thing. You can go cafe-hopping for coffee, wine, pizza and gelato; go shopping; sit and relax in the small squares; take a ride on a water taxi or gondola and so much more.

Venice is known as the city of canals. The city literally sits on water. There are no roads and everyone gets around by Gondola, water taxi or by foot.

St. Mark's Square is the heart of Venice. It is always extremely busy with lots of tourists and locals going to and fro. It's the perfect spot to people watch.

The Campanile Di San Marco is the bell tower of Veniceand offers the best view of city. Catch the elevator to the top to check out the scenic view!

The Ponte di Rialto is Venice' most famous bridge which spans the Grand Canal. This is the magnificent view of the city from the Rialto Bride. I took many many selfies (which I will spare you), but it is especially breathtaking at sunset.

A trip to Venice would not be complete without the infamous Gondola Ride!

The world famous art of Lace Making - Here this lady demonstrates how lace is made. It is so intricate and takes many many years to complete.

Beautiful Canals and allies for lots of Photo ops!

FOOD! From Pizza to Pasta to Gelato, I could not stop eating. The taste of authentic Italian cuisine is quite different from what I had been accustomed to.

If a trip to Italy is on your mind, you must have Venice on the itinerary! I took this trip back in 2015 and my memories of this place are still very vivid. If you have questions about tours and accommodations reach out via email.

Reasons You Need To Visit Lake Como, Italy

The Prettiest and Most Popular Towns are:

Paradise Found: Turks & Caicos Islands

Venice, Italy

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