Como

Driving to the center of Como, I see the parked milk truck that passed me forty minutes ago. Turning onto the Lungo Lario Trieste main waterfront street, the traffic gets really busy. Near the roundabout I see rows of Ducatis, BMWs, Hondas, Suzuki racing motorcycles parked like the Deutsche Bahn railway table. Across the street at the Golosita corner outdoor café, the riders are congregating and enjoying the beautiful sunny day. The red, yellow, green, blue, and orange riders’ customs and helmets add to the already colorful ambience of this town.

This street is filled with many aromatic Italian restaurants. Hundreds of people are having lunch with their families, friends, and lovers. Seafood is the specialty. The daily catches from the Lake Como are the highlights of the menus around town.

Driving this wide S5 on the narrow cobblestone street creates some scene when there is oncoming traffic. Some Italians noticed the “D” Euro license plate and greeted, “Guten Morgen.” Others are probably just wondering; who is this ridiculous tourist who jams his large car onto this narrow street? Fortunately, looking at the parked Porsche Cayenne, BMW 5 series, and Mercedes E class cars, I take comfort from the fact that they are many ridiculous Italians too.

There is nothing special going on here. This is the typical weekend day when locals enjoy the beautiful day with friends and families. With the beauty this place offers, it doesn’t require any special event for this place to give away its extraordinary charms.

“Entro prego, vi renderò un pranzo squisito,” restaurant hosts and hostesses along this road are fishing for customers. I settle on a restaurant that still has the best outdoor table for one. The row of blooming cherry trees add contrast to the picture perfect lake view. A small amphibious plane is taking off from the middle of the lake. Several ferry boats are shuttling the cars and people between ports. A flock of pigeons is feasting on bread crumbs offered by little kids.

I pick one dish out of the standard five-dish Italian meal. I have many hours of driving ahead of me and probably eight hundreds more hairpins to do. So, I can’t eat too much. When the local baked fish topped with homemade tomato sauce arrives on my table, I am unimpressed. It looks very plain compared to how the French chefs decorate their chef-d'oeuvre. But when I put the small slice of the fish on my mouth, this local chef authenticates his magic. The soft texture of the fish slowly melts and the tasty juice combined with the homemade tomato sauce create a seductive culinary ensemble. What a perfect day in Como!

Harmony

It is after midnight and I am staring at the ceiling the four-person sleeper cabin of City Night Line train bound for Amsterdam from Munich. I am sharing this cabin with a German business man traveling to Brussels, a Netherlands grandpa coming home after visiting his son and his family in Innsbruck, and a young Australian backpacker who is on his 9th month on the road. Each of us has stories from our life journeys. But tonight our journeys cross path on this train, maybe only for this only one time, but then again maybe not.

As I am about to fall asleep, my mind drifts back to Lake Como. The word “harmony” comes to mind. The rhythm of life and the beautiful natural setting are in accordance creating the ambiance of contentment. Come to think of it, I feel the same way about my date, the S5. Technology, craftsmanship, sportsmanship, engineering, and emotion blend perfectly into one.

In the world where many car manufacturers are competing over beastly horsepower, Audi produces yet another fine machine. S5 doesn’t require any fiddling of the horsepower setting, the gear box setting, the launch and yaw control programs, the anti slip differential setting, the torque distribution modes, and the turn-signal duration setting to drive it in the spirited manner. All I have to do is to press the Start/Stop button with the key in my pocket and then drive. That simple! And simple life should be.

Drifting asleep, I promise myself to go back to Lake Como again and again till one day I finally find harmony in my own life. andreas@driving-vacation.com

Como

Driving to the center of Como, I see the parked milk truck that passed me forty minutes ago. Turning onto the Lungo Lario Trieste main waterfront street, the traffic gets really busy. Near the roundabout I see rows of Ducatis, BMWs, Hondas, Suzuki racing motorcycles parked like the Deutsche Bahn railway table. Across the street at the Golosita corner outdoor café, the riders are congregating and enjoying the beautiful sunny day. The red, yellow, green, blue, and orange riders’ customs and helmets add to the already colorful ambience of this town.

This street is filled with many aromatic Italian restaurants. Hundreds of people are having lunch with their families, friends, and lovers. Seafood is the specialty. The daily catches from the Lake Como are the highlights of the menus around town.

Driving this wide S5 on the narrow cobblestone street creates some scene when there is oncoming traffic. Some Italians noticed the “D” Euro license plate and greeted, “Guten Morgen.” Others are probably just wondering; who is this ridiculous tourist who jams his large car onto this narrow street? Fortunately, looking at the parked Porsche Cayenne, BMW 5 series, and Mercedes E class cars, I take comfort from the fact that they are many ridiculous Italians too.

There is nothing special going on here. This is the typical weekend day when locals enjoy the beautiful day with friends and families. With the beauty this place offers, it doesn’t require any special event for this place to give away its extraordinary charms.

“Entro prego, vi renderò un pranzo squisito,” restaurant hosts and hostesses along this road are fishing for customers. I settle on a restaurant that still has the best outdoor table for one. The row of blooming cherry trees add contrast to the picture perfect lake view. A small amphibious plane is taking off from the middle of the lake. Several ferry boats are shuttling the cars and people between ports. A flock of pigeons is feasting on bread crumbs offered by little kids.

I pick one dish out of the standard five-dish Italian meal. I have many hours of driving ahead of me and probably eight hundreds more hairpins to do. So, I can’t eat too much. When the local baked fish topped with homemade tomato sauce arrives on my table, I am unimpressed. It looks very plain compared to how the French chefs decorate their chef-d'oeuvre. But when I put the small slice of the fish on my mouth, this local chef authenticates his magic. The soft texture of the fish slowly melts and the tasty juice combined with the homemade tomato sauce create a seductive culinary ensemble. What a perfect day in Como!

Harmony

It is after midnight and I am staring at the ceiling the four-person sleeper cabin of City Night Line train bound for Amsterdam from Munich. I am sharing this cabin with a German business man traveling to Brussels, a Netherlands grandpa coming home after visiting his son and his family in Innsbruck, and a young Australian backpacker who is on his 9th month on the road. Each of us has stories from our life journeys. But tonight our journeys cross path on this train, maybe only for this only one time, but then again maybe not.

As I am about to fall asleep, my mind drifts back to Lake Como. The word “harmony” comes to mind. The rhythm of life and the beautiful natural setting are in accordance creating the ambiance of contentment. Come to think of it, I feel the same way about my date, the S5. Technology, craftsmanship, sportsmanship, engineering, and emotion blend perfectly into one.

In the world where many car manufacturers are competing over beastly horsepower, Audi produces yet another fine machine. S5 doesn’t require any fiddling of the horsepower setting, the gear box setting, the launch and yaw control programs, the anti slip differential setting, the torque distribution modes, and the turn-signal duration setting to drive it in the spirited manner. All I have to do is to press the Start/Stop button with the key in my pocket and then drive. That simple! And simple life should be.

Drifting asleep, I promise myself to go back to Lake Como again and again till one day I finally find harmony in my own life. andreas@driving-vacation.com