Lucky Strikes 🇮🇹

It’s the usual recipe for disaster: a couple hours of sleep after a gig plus an early flight to Milan from London.

Of course, the one screaming baby on the plane is in the aisle seat opposite. I attempt to jam my foam earplugs, deep into the murky depths of my brain, in the vain hope it will somehow create an anti baby noise vacuum. As if by some sheer miracle, I drop off to sleep and wake up, just as the baby starts screaming again, as the plane comes into land.

The aisle is backed up with passengers, jammed in like sardines in a can - despite this, the woman in the seat next to me has been impatiently jabbing her cheap looking bag into me for the past five minutes, as if to send a ‘subtle’ signal to move.

As the masses move, clearing a space the aisle, bag woman attempts to force her way into my aisle seat. In a slick, somewhat military style manoeuvre, with a killer strike,I hoist my backpack onto my shoulders, feeling bag woman ricochet back into her seat. Goodness me, I’m so clumsy sometimes...

It's two trains from Milan Airport to Lake Como station, plus an hour or so bus ride to Menaggio, where I’m staying. I cross the road to the bus station and attempt to purchase a bus ticket in my finest Italianglish. The gentleman in the kiosk, replying in English, ‘sorry the buses are on strike and the one road out of Como is closed – there is a ferry that way’.

When you have travelled for as many years as I have, you learn to simply go with the flow.. when life gives you lemons, make lemoncello!

I sprint over to the one ferry I see at the dock. The boarding security woman informs me that this one is leaving and there isn’t another for 3 hours, and if I want to hop on I better ‘hurry the f* up' (more eloquently put, but I'm sure you get the jist).

Somehow, in the nick of time, I manage to throw my Euros to the clerk at the kiosk, grab the ticket and run back, with seconds to spare, as the ferry casts off into beautiful Lake Como, just as the heavens open.

All of the tables on the lower ferry deck are occupied, with presumably every other b*stard in Como who couldn’t take the bus. One of the tables has some friendly looking American girls and I charm my way into the empty seat next to them.

After getting chatting for a while, bonding over our love of travel (and certain reality TV shows.. mainly Real Hosewives and Vanderpump Rules and no I'm not sorry). We order several aperols and drink in the glorious views of the lake, as the ferry winds its way through the blue waters.

As if somehow our merriment has influenced the weather, the clouds part and the sun is beaming across the landscape as I wave farewell to my new besties – we make plans to rendezvous for food and drink, later in the week.

Has the roads out of Como been open, I'd have been stuck on a bus for an hour and half and not had the amazing views from the ferry, nor met my new pals from the US.

I make my way up to the top deck, attempting to take some pictures, whilst being thrown around and blown away (don't threaten me with a good time Lake Como).

The fog horn blares out into the harbour - next stop Mennagio and adventure awaits..

📸 'My new buddies from the US - Natasha, Olivia & Claud'