Our last day in Lake Como was spent at the fabulous gardens of Villa Melzi, which was only a short walk from our hotel in Bellagio. It was such a beautiful day and the views throughout the gardens were just stunning. I will never forget the way the sunlight sparkled on that vibrant blue water.

This is probably the most spontaneous trip we've ever taken. I knew I wanted to see Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello (see here) while we were in Lake Como, but I had tentatively reserved our last day for jumping off diving boards into the lake, taking romantic private boat rides, and laying by the pool back at our hotel (see here).

As I mentioned before though, a cold front swept through all of Europe and made any swimsuit activities unthinkable. Luckily it was still warm and breezy in the sun, and Dan found another villa for us to explore just down the street.

Villa Melzi d'Eril was yet another summer residence of the Italian elite. The property original belonged to the vice president, among other titles, of Napoleon's Italian Republic in the early 1800's. It is currently privately owned by another family.

The villa itself is closed to the public but the expansive gardens are open from late March through October for a small fee (cash only). I would definitely recommend a visit, followed by shopping and dining in beautiful Bellagio.