Sat 4 Oct- I giardini di Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni Park

Sat 4 Oct- it's a clear but windy and cool (13-14 C) day, and the view from our room is great. We can see snow-covered peaks in the north across the lake (Switzerland), and a very clear view of the opposite side.
After a nice included breakfast buffet, we decided to walk around town and view the gardens, since the weather is so nice. We went first to 'I giardini di Villa Melzi' designed by Giocondo Albertolli and built 1808-1810. It is a beautiful garden park, with a large number of different kinds of shrubs and trees, including four huge 'gin-mokusei' (osmanthus fragrans) and many other Japanese and Chinese plants. The pond had very clear reflections of the surrounding plants, almost like a mirror. Kiyomi was reminded of Japanese gardens as we wandered the many paths leading from one beautiful view to the next. We took many photos and video to remind us of this beautiful place; it was well worth the price of admission.
We spent the early afternoon in our room, which gets the sun this time of day; between frequent looking out the windows, we spent the time Kiyomi writing postcards and Stan reading the newspaper and writing the blog.
At 3:15 pm we left for a guided tour of the Villa Serbelloni Park. It is really a park, not a garden; we didn't see any real garden areas. Apparently the park has been run since 1959 by the Rockefeller Foundation as a place where scholars and scientists come to study and write. The site is known to have been occupied since Roman times (by Pliny the Younger), and since then subsequent conquerors and occupiers have built and rebuilt castles and watchtowers to control Lake Como; or perhaps just for the magnificent views of the three arms of the lake and surrounding mountains: the Goths in 475, the Longobard in the 8th Century, rebuilt in the Middle Ages, demolished in 1375, rebuilt 1489-1500, and so on until 1788 when the Serbelloni family got it, but it still changed hands several more times.
At the park's highest point of 325 meters, it has a commanding view of the three arms of the lake, and Switzerland is visible in the distance. It was a nice walk. We really enjoyed the fragrance of the many gin-mokusei along the path and the spectacular views, especially from the higher viewpoints; but Kiyomi was disappointed it was not more of a garden, and we felt it's not worth the E8/person ($12) price of admission.
Dinner was again above expectations: we each had a draft beer, and tonight was a proscuitto, lettuce and artichoke salad. Following our strategy, we split the pennette pasta (like macaroni & cheese, but a creamy delicious sauce with ham or bacon for flavor) and Panzerotto of the Lake (a ham, cheese and fish concoction that was delicious); then split the Milanese veal chop (breaded and fried veal) and Hake Livornese style (in a sauce of tomato and olives); then wild berry cake and apple tart for dessert.