Christmas Day - Cadenabbia & Griante

Woke up late, around 9:00am after the late evening at midnight mass (see the two blog entries below for Christmas Eve day and night activities) and found the entire lake and surrounding areas was covered in a thick fog. You would never have believed that there was a lake or mountains anywhere near here let alone right across the street.  I skipped breakfast because I knew we were having a huge Christmas lunch at noon so I took a long walk along the waterfront and although I couldn’t see any of the lake in the distance even around 11:00am I could see the water when I was walking along the shore line and could see some of the exquisite villas to my left.

The villas are so lavish with expertly designed grounds and boat hoses across the street that would make lovely cottages if they weren’t hollow inside to house the water crafts.  Most of the villas were closed for the season and some I’m told don’t get more than two or three weeks use each year by their wealth owners. It’s so sad to see these gorgeous homes just sit ideal waiting for someone to come and enjoy their beauty.

I walked until the footpath ended and then headed up a different hill from last night heading toward Griante and passed by what looked like large towers of a pink castle hidden behind a massive wall. It turns out it’s the Heinz family castle. From what little I could see it’s a pretty spectacular place as are all the impressive homes along the lake front.

I found myself following a similar path as the pageant took last night but then found a foot path that lead over a small bridge, past some old farm houses to a cobblestoned foot path leading up the hill at a rather steep angle which was to end at St. Martino’s Church at the top of the hill. I followed the path for about a half hour passing beautiful scenery and small shrines every 5 minutes or so depicting scenes from Jesus’ birth to the Passion. It’s a great walk but since I had to be back to the hotel for lunch at noon and I couldn’t see how much farther it was to the church I turned back and headed down to the lake. But tonight I looked up information on the church and walk and found the following: “St. Martino - There are a few steep sections, but the walk is along a well maintained and safe path that begins in the forest but quickly opens up offering excellent views of the lake. It is frequented by locals and tourists of all ages, but there are never crowds. A small chapel dedicated to the Alpini (Italian mountain soldiers) is reached at about half way up; it's is a perfect spot to take a break if you need one. Bring water as there is none at the top. There is a fountain in the village. If the weather is nice, bring a panino, some cheese, fruit and a bottle of wine and have a picnic while taking in the view.”

I had made it past the Chapel dedicated to the Alpini which is a lovely small white building which you can see from my picture and even with the church surround by fog it’s still worth seeing.  I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the top but from what you read it’s really about the views as much as seeing the church and with the lake and mountain covered by fog I wouldn’t have seen much.

I walked past an old stone house which you can see in the picture on this walk and right in front of it as I passed I saw a very old wooden bench and table now covered over by moss and grass and it was so beautiful I just had to capture it for the blog. There is so much beauty around these hills, I can see why it inspired people like Verdi to write incredible music.

Lunch was very nice staring with my favorite Prosciutto, melon and tiny mozzarella balls, followed by pasta with prawns and a mushroom risotto, followed by pork with stuffing and brussel sprouts, followed by salmon with potatoes and carrots, followed by English Christmas pudding, pineapple and pomegranate, mini mince pie and to end the whole affair, Panettone with a lemon cream. It was all delicious and we had lots of fun conversations and a really nice 4 hour meal. They even gave us little gifts all wrapped up.

I took a short walk outside to aid in digestion and then a 1 hour nap (which for me is so unusual but I think all the fresh air during my mountain hike took a toll not to mention all that food.)

My table decided to get to dinner around 8ish since there was just no way to eat any earlier even though they began serving dinner at 6:30pm.  They served the two enormous turkeys they had cooked and displayed earlier to a round of applause from the guests and I had a very nice salad and just a bit of the turkey and a little ice cream with Panettone and marble cake.

So although I am greatly missing my aunts dinner at home in Boston, it was still a lovely day.

Christmas Eve, Griante, Italy – Nativity Pageant, Midnight-Mass, Griante, Italy - Bonfire, Mulled Wine and Panettone

Christmas Eve on Lake Como was relatively quiet and looked, with the exception of some stores being closed, like every other day, but then around 9:00pm the towns around the lake, or at least Griante, the hillside town behind our hotel, become an open-air, traveling Nativity play.

A group of about 40 or 50 guests from the hotel walked up the stairs that lead from the side of our hotel to the top of the hill behind us to where the beautiful town of Griante happily sits. I didn’t know what to expect from the hotel’s write up on the evening but it’s a very large town with beautiful old buildings mingled with new more modern, yet not intrusive ones.

 

Some of the pictures are a little dark but I think you'll still be able to get a feeling for the evening and the beauty of the pageant.

 

Just a short note on the amazing history of Griante which is part of Cadanabbia where our hotel is located. It has a tremendous history including being the spot for several famous artists to create some of their most beloved works:

 

"Cadenabbia which joins onto Griante is a small residential village on the western branch of Lake Como, Italy situated on the slopes of Mount Crocione and gradually levels out approximately 50 metres from the shores of the Lake Como. It is in the central zone of the lake opposite the headland of Bellagio with the magestic Grigne range of mountains (Dolomites) in the background. The mild climate and the tranquillity of the village attracted many people through the ages with many villas being built between the 17th-19th century: Villa Margherita owned by a family of editors Ricordi, Villa Collina that accommodated the chancellor Konrad Adenauer for over 20 years, Villa Giuseppina, Villa Norella and Villa Carlotta (in the community of Tremezzo) the gardens of which extend for the majority over the community of Griante. Over the years, Griante accommodated many famous people; Giuseppe Verdi who composed the beautiful aria of the Traviata in peace and quiet of Villa Ricordo (Villa Margherita). Stendhal spent a great deal of time here composing many of his masterpieces including the Chartreuse de Parme. This small village became so popular that it even attracted royalty; Queen Victoria, Nicholas II of Russia, the Kaiser Guglielmo II, Prince Umberto di Savoia (before becoming the last king of Italy), Pope Pio XI. There are some lovely walks from Griante one of which is up to the San Martino church (which dates from the 16th century). Although this walk is quite steep in parts, there is a path to follow and it is certainly worthwhile for the fantastic views across the lake.   CADENABBIA is the fraction of the community of Griante. This locality was mainly used for the boatmen for transporting goods from Lecco and Como. They would often stop for a rest in the local Inn. It is known that from this ancient Inn the first tourist hotels were built in the early 19th century. Today there are some beautiful hotels in this area; Grand Hotel Cadenabbia, Hotel Riviera and also a short walk away is the amazing Grand Hotel Tremezzo. There is also the Hotel Villa Linda which is between Griante and Menaggio."

 

The group from my table and I walked up the hill slowly and made our way around a winding street to find the band, dressed in period costumes, getting ready to play and a little further up that hill was the cast of the Nativity, two donkey’s, two goats and two roasters in a cage on the back of one of the donkey’s. They all began the profession which went throughout the town stopping at various locations including a pension now transformed into the Locando Del Gallo D’Oro, with an innkeeper and all who turn Mary and Joseph away. We walked passed sheep herders in little ally’s performing for us and at one point there was a family handing out mulled wine as we passed the musicians in an alcove under the pension.

The play ended in a park where they had several small bonfires lit and where there was a manger and the baby Jesus was born. The play was great from what I could hear of it over the crowd of Italians and English and they even did parts in English for the international guests and I suppose some locals because we met a teenage boy who lives up there with his parents and they’re from London originally.

Then we ended at the church at 11:00pm where Mary and Joseph gave the priest the baby Jesus.  The foreigners waited inside, after petting the adorable donkey’s, one who was getting so restless at the Nativity scene and was going around all the actors trying to get attention by nudging them and chewing on their sleeves, what can you say “some actors!” always making a fuss.

The church is small but beautifully decorated with gold and silver artwork and statues and mass began promptly at midnight with a large choir singing angelically from the choir loft which holds, for such a small church, a magnificent organ.

The mass began with a beautiful gold and silver basket of some sort with a metal stick that came up the back and held an ornate gold and silver star on top being lowered rather elegantly down from the top of the alter to the middle and they then put the baby Jesus, a life-size baby doll, on it and it was flown back up to the top of the alter that had a bronze crown of lights to illuminate his head.

It was a beautiful service although I could tell from some of the English and their murmurings it was a bit too elaborate for them and then when the baby Jesus was taken down in the middle of the mass and the priest walked around and everyone kissed the baby, mostly on the foot where a relic had been secured. Apparently I found out later from one of the English couples they just don’t do that kind of thing kissing statues, dolls or relics, it just “isn’t done!” they said. It was also when you put the money in for the collection as well.

The mass ended with Baby Jesus back up at the alter and the choir singing beautifully as we processed out into the parking lot where they were serving mulled wine and panettone to all the guests and they had a huge, kind of scary, bone fire. There were only 6 of us left from the English group but hundreds of the towns people and people from other nearby towns who had turned up just for the final festivities by the end of it all. We had something to eat and then walked down together to the hotel and were in our rooms by 2:00am.

Here is what was written on the invitation we received from the hotel:

“The local community has organized an evening stroll around the village of Griante reenacting the story of the birth of Christ for your enjoyment.  This is a very pretty traditional even organized by the population of the village through the old streets and passing nativity scenes with local residents play8ing the parts on along the way, our guests are most welcome so please do join in, the locals will be very pleased indeed to see you!  The evening will continue with midnight mass held in the main church of Griante. After Mass a bonfire will be lit with mulled wine and Italian Christmas cake for all!! It’s a beautiful evening with a wonderful Christmas atmosphere not to be missed!  The walk will start at 21:30 ending in front of the church, it is mostly downhill or on the flat, there is however an ascent up to the Church at the end and there will also be some walking on cobble stones.  It could be cold so please dress  accordingly, in case of rain or snow it will not be possible to hold the evening.

What an incredible event and experience and a good time was had by all.

Merry Christmas!!! Buon Natale !!