Villa Balbianello

We spent the day close to home today. Around lunch time we ventured to the Villa Balbianello, roughly a 40 minute walk from the apartment. Just over 7000 steps there and back, according to my phone, but I am not sure how much I trust the step count with the phone.

My Fitbit gave up the other day. The one I had previously did not react well to having been put in the washing machine. Not sure why this one has given up, possibly too much sun screen in the works?

Quite a few people at the villa. We remembered to take advantage of our National Trust membership so got a reduced entrance fee. Very hot again today, around 30 degrees, so we were glad much of the walk to the villa passes through trees and is quite sheltered. Yesterday we saw lightening in the distance, but nothing came our way.

The villa dates from 1787, the last owner left it to the Italian National Trust when he died, together with a trust fund to pay for the upkeep of the villa. It has an ideal position on a promontory next to Lenno and looks both north and south along the lake. Richard Branson has a villa close by, but does not have the view.

The photograph shows a view of the loggia, this is almost (though not quite) the photograph I intended to take, and I saw later there is a very similar postcard on sale.