Corks’ Self Indulgent Drivel

Andrew, or Andrew as he is otherwise known, is a well known international blogger, publishing since May 2024.  Famous across the Kalahari, Antarctic plains, and the more remote parts of the Sahara, it has been opined that he may in fact be followed by more people without computers or internet access than any other blogger.  Andrew and his partner of 30 years, “Daniella the Long Suffering”, will be travelling through Italy and into Paris during the dying days of Spring.  They are believed to be the 100 millionth people to undertake this trek, but nonetheless are sufficiently self-deluded to believe that they can post something that is remotely interesting to seasoned international travellers.

  Tip 1: travelling to towns on Lake Como is hard (but worth it) Especially on weekends, but any sunny day really, the day-trippers from Milan clog all modes of transport.  On weekends, only travel early or late to Bellagio.  Before 9am or after 3pm.  The easiest way to get to Bellagio is either the C30 bus from Como (it’s actually a really pretty trip, and quicker than the ferry), or get the train from Milan to Varenna and then the ferry to Bellagio.  Ferry ticket waiting times from mid morning till 3pm are around 1.5 hours and you’re no certainty to get on a ferry once you have your ticket (you need to queue again).  The staff for the ferry service are not very helpful and have clearly had a gut-full of tourists. Oh, and don’t get sucked into doing a day trip to Bellagio.  You have to stay a few nights to have dinner as the sun goes down over the mountains and to see the town in the morning before the crowds. Tip 2: Get the smallest hire car you need...

As demanded by our faithful subscribers, I am back to provide a final instalment of our blog, covering the epilogue to our European sojourn in the beautiful South-East Asian country of Singapore, named, of course, after the famous drink the Singapore Sling . Sadly The Editor and I were hit by the dreaded lurgy as we departed Paris, but we can’t blame Singapore for that (separate enquires are underway as to the role Instagrammers, US tourists, and/or Italia Rail may have played in striking us down, in retaliation for certain posts by this blog that could be deemed less than complimentary).  While this did require more than the usual hours dedicated to rest, especially when combined with temperatures in the 30s with 90% humidity, we did however see the highlights of a stunning and vibrant city. Our travels included a river cruise, a short trot through the Botanic Gardens, some street food (still not entirely sure what), a bustling Saturday night in China town, and drinks atop the “Sh...