Orticolario and good intentions

In Monza parking tariffs were awful as usual and train information was obscure. in fact we mysteriously paid a different price to go from the one we paid to come back.

The journey is always a pleasure, but we arrived in Como, not Como lake or Como San Giovanni which we had asked for at the ticket office so we sat for some time wondering why quite a lot of of people had already alighted! Please notice Como is Como is Como! So we finally got off, walked through the town, had Italian breakfast and wended our way to the lakeside; it was nice, photogenic , relaxed, friendly. What was not friendly was the long queue! I asked a tall guy in front of me if I was in the right one and he admonished me to “speak English” (What a useful language!). Unfortunately, I guess we were talking at cross purposes (or he was one of those people who just HAVE to give directions even when they don’t know) because when we eventually DID get to the window and after seeing ,to our horror that the next ferry AND the next were fully booked we were finally told that we had been standing in the wrong queue. The miracles of Italian signposting! Where are all those young graduates in communication for heaven’s sake?

So I believe it was pier 5, but don’t take my word for it!The trip across is “free” or rather , it is included in the price of the ticket for the show. Anyhow ,it feels free! Orticolario just gets better each year. Bigger with more exhibitors including a lot of nurserypeople from abroad and above all with the paths laid out in sisal matting so it was easier to find your way about.

Inside there are a lot of interesting floral and garden-related stands. One which interested me was a local school doing agricultural projects so I bought some worms from them. I think my next project might be a wormery. Watch this space!