We slept late and had breakfast of croissants and cappuccino in the hotel café. The hotel was kind enough to keep our bags for us until we could check in to our apartment. We wandered down to the ferry and bought a day pass, hopped on a ferry and headed to Bellagio. We had no idea where the ferry was headed but the last stop was Lenno, where I knew Villa Balbianello was, so we trusted our fate to the wind. One of the stops was for Villa Carlotta, so we got off there and toured the amazing villa and gardens.
We hoped back on the ferry and went down to Lenno. We walked down to Villa Balbianello, but unfortunately it is closed on Monday and Wednesday, which gave us more time to have a leisurely lunch at a restaurant overlooking the water. More delicious pizza, beer and wine.
The ferries seem to come every 20 minutes, so we caught the 1:40 out of Lenno, which took us back to Bellagio and then Menaggio and from there back to Varenna by 2:40, just in time to meet our host at our apartment at 3pm. The three bedroom apartment is spectacular, with views of the lake from every window and a lovely teak picnic table and chairs on the patio.
All of us collapsed for a several hour nap. While the boys continued to nap, Steve and I ventured out to the town square to pick up some essential provisions–wine, beer, olives. No fresh bread until tomorrow morning. Rain is threatening so we may stick close to home for dinner. Luckily, there are several restaurants at the bottom of 
our street.
We have landed in paradise.