This village of Nesso was invaded, conquered and then allowed to fade into history. John Kerrison stumbles into one of the prettiest spots on the Italian lakes.

Beside the faint murmur of a conversation in Italian from an upper apartment window, the only sound in the cobblestone laneway was the echo of my feet as I ambled this age old path to the lake side. 

I was lost (my favourite way to travel) but I knew these lanes and arched tunnels would soon bring me to the grey blue waters of Lake Como. 

What I didn’t expect to find was a scene of immense yet understated beauty when, around one corner, I found the Ponte della Civera.

I walked to the centre of the stone bridge which was framed by ivy-covered apartments with wood window shutters on one side and what appeared to be a house with white wash paint and its own jetty. I had this moment to myself. 

I breathed it in. This bridge has crossed this narrow gorge on Lake Como since Roman times. Local researchers suggest it may have been rebuilt a thousand years ago. 

As the afternoon sun painted this view in gold, I was alone in the world. 

Until two teenage boys came careening out of the same lane, disrobed down to trunks and jumped into the lake.

“We gasped in awe at the neoclassical inspired villas with lush gardens and sweeping balconies. There were many of them. 

There are many popular towns where visitors base themselves to explore Lake Como. Nesso isn’t typically one of them. The C30 bus stops at Nesso but most folks are heading to the more glamorous Bellagio. 14 kilometres north. 

A little mercato sells fresh fruit and bread for a few hours each day, there’s a cafe where locals wave hands in spirited debate not long after sun up, and there’s great food.

If you do decide Nesso is your home on the lake, treat yourself at Ristorante Briisa de Ness. I had the sirloin and a side salad followed by tiramisu from the specials menu.

You can skip the hire car and the bus but not miss the luxury food and shops in Bellagio. Buy a ferry ticket online and experience a one hour cruise past Argegno, Sala Comacina, Isola Comacina, Lenno and Tremezzo. 

I met Cal and Ellen onboard, travellers from Kansas who were planning to stay a weekend in Bellagio. 

We gasped in awe at the neoclassical inspired villas with lush gardens and sweeping balconies. There were many of them. 

Our chit chat was broken when Cal said, ‘There she is!’ He’d recognised Villa del Balbianello which is in a league of its own. 

Across the top deck, people stood with phone cameras at the ready. This opulent and grand home was the backdrop for scenes in Star Wars Attack of the Clones and the Bond film, Casino Royale.

Bellagio is a delightful afternoon. Half a dozen lanes in a parallel grid run from the lake to the hillside which means you can wander systematically and make the most of your time. 

I had delicious bacon and cream pasta at Angolo DiVino Enoteca Wine Bar. The waiter asked if I’d like a local red wine. I don’t drink. As he served lunch, he whispered, ‘No wine means no life!’

As the ferry ride home neared the Nesso wharf I could see the Ponte della Civera again. Instead of returning to my AirBnB and answering a call to sleep, I turned south and was among the narrow alleys once more. When I reached the bridge and the postcard scene in the afternoon sun, it was my turn. I threw myself into the warm waters of Lake Como.