Gayle and I stayed at the La Ca'Noeva for 2 nights during our recent visit to the Lake Como area…read more It's owned by Chef Moreno and his wife Rossella, who also operate their Ristorante Il Caminetto across the street. The Gittana (Perledo) location is a little off the beaten track, but that was no problem as they had a Taxi pick us up at the moment we arrived at the Varenna Train Station.
These are good hard working people and we felt most welcome in their "extra" family home. It was also a wonderful value at 30 Euros per person/night (including breakfast). For the first evening, we had the whole place to ourselves, which included a comfortable living room, a kitchen (with coffee, water, fruit, and full equipment provided), a nice place to sit outside, and a pleasant little village beyond. We stayed in the Bedroom Love, which was on the 2nd Floor and with a killer view of Lake Como. The room was spacious, the atmosphere was warm, sunny, and romantic, the King size bed was comfy, and a nice bathroom was just upstairs. We would stay here again in a heartbeat.
This "New" House is ~200 years old, complete with classic exterior, traditional terracotta tiled floors, granite staircases, ancient doors, and comforting creaking floors here and there. Gayle and I also spent a lot of time outside, either on the front patio, or closer to the road to catch the Wi-Fi signal. After all, electrons have a harder time traveling through thick stone buildings.
What we enjoyed most was just hanging out, meeting friendly citizens, fussing over their children, petting a few dogs, and watching a few unique cats do their thing. It was great to put the tour book away, let life slow down, and just relax. There was also a nice selection of wine was available across the street at the Restaurante to add to this most pleasant ambiance.
Gayle and I also enjoyed exploring around the Village Gittana, which included walking up to the Church and wandering the narrow streets and paths that would eventually wind further up or down the hillside to other places. And if we wanted to go down to Varenna, either the Taxi or Chef Moreno himself would give us a ride.
Finally, let me provide a huge recommendation for Ristorante Il Caminetto across the street (and the subject of a separate review). Taken together, the hospitality provided by Moreno and Rossella at both La Ca'Noeva and Ristorante Il Caminetto was easily a 6 Star experience. There's also a Cajun word for how Gayle and I were treated - Lagniappe or something extra.
