From Murano to Lake Como, Darryl Marsch wraps up his Bond-inspired journey through Italy speedboats, seaplanes, and more spectacular locations.
The next morning, Lorenzo took us north by water taxi to the island of Murano. The island has been famous for its glassmaking for centuries, and it featured heavily in the 007 film Moonraker.
In that film, Bond visits famous glass manufacturer Venini at the flagship store at St. Mark’s Square, but the action bounces around to Murano and back to St. Mark’s culminating in the clocktower fight described above. In reality, all glassmaking occurs on the island of Murano because in 1291, the Venetian Republic decreed that all glassmaking furnaces be moved there as a precaution against the outbreak of fire. The Venetians also enacted strict secrecy rules concerning glassmaking to protect the city’s glass monopoly and trade secrets.
Murano – the Isle of Glass
For our first stop, we toured the Murano Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro), which was was founded in 1861 and showcases glassmaking from Roman times, through the centuries, and up to today. The evolution in Murano glass highlights different techniques and formulas for glass making. The colors are dazzling and most of the work is impossibly intricate and delicate. The most valuable piece in the museum was the dark blue wedding cup by Angelo Barovier, which you will remember from Bond’s fight with Chang in Moonraker. Though smashed in the film, the original cup remains on display at the museum. The dark blue glass is decorated in enamel and gold, and was made between 1470 and 1480 as a wedding gift for the persons depicted on the cup’s medallions.
Next, we visited a glass-blowing demonstration at the Franco Schiavon Gallery (Vetreria Franco Schiavon) at Palazzo del Vetro #15. The furnace and gallery were founded by Franco Schiavon in the 1950’s and remain famous for the craftsmanship and style of the glass art. Mr. Schiavon’s daughter, Annarita, took us on a tour of the gallery and the forge. At the forge, a glass-making maestro entertained us by pulling at a piece of two-thousand degree glass to make a prancing-horse figure worthy of Ferrari. Then, he casually lit a cigarette from the glowing glass as we admired his work.
Back inside the gallery, Annarita spoiled us with overstuffed shrimp salad sandwiches and Prosecco. We circled the gallery admiring the different vases and objects d’art.
Finally, we settled on a Chalcedony ray sculpture, which was ribboned with color and dimension. To our surprise and delight, Mr. Schiavon, who is in his 80s and retired from the forge, approached us to say that the ray was one of the pieces that he made. Of course, we had to take pictures with the artist. The entire experience could not have been more perfect.
Venice (reprise)
We returned to Venice for lunch at the Hotel Danielli, where Bond stayed with Dr. Goodhead in Moonraker.
To the right, we rode an uncomfortably small elevator to the top of the hotel. There, we ate lunch at the rooftop restaurant, which had an incredible view across the lagoon and exquisite food and drink. Cacio e Pepe with fava beans and black truffles was a highlight.
The next morning we breakfasted like Fleming under the blue and white striped umbrellas at the Cippriani. Alongside our scrambled eggs, we had berries and Italian pastries filled with pistachio cream. Our Man in Venice, Lorenzo, collected us, and we water taxied to St. Mark’s Square and visited more locations from Casino Royale, such as the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory of Music and the Sotoportego de le Colonne. We walked the paths where Vesper fled with the money after ditching 007. We also visited a few churches to see some famous artworks by Tintoretto.
That evening, we had our final dinner at the Cippriani, this time at the Cip’s Club, which floats on a dock looking north toward St. Mark’s, which is romantically lit at night. Light rain spattered against the clear plastic shades and reflected the candlelight all around. For a starter, we had mantis shrimp on polenta. Mantis shrimp are native to the Venetian lagoon. They do not look like ordinary shrimp, rather they have dangerous-looking raptorial appendages that they use to attack and kill prey either by spearing, stunning, or dismembering. Fishermen refer to them as “thumb splitters” for reasons that become obvious should you ever handle live mantis shrimp. But, they taste sweet and delicate, and more like a langoustine than a shrimp. I also had delicious branzino, and for desert, a tiramisu topped with a delicate chocolate gondola.
The Valpolicella Wine Region
The next morning, a water taxi took us to Piazalle Roma, where our driver, Angelo, was waiting in an imposing, gray Land Rover.
About half-way from Venice to Lake Como in the Veneto region, we stopped in Negrar de Valpolicella, a small picturesque wine village that specializes in the Amarone varietal.
Amarone is a rich and dry red wine made with partially dried grapes that give the signature note to the wine. It’s the specialty of the Giuseppe Quintarelli family (Azienda Agricola Giuseppe Quintarelli). Giuseppe’s daughter now runs the winery, with her husband, and two sons, Francesco and Lorenzo.
Francesco gave us an excellent tour of the recently renovated operation that for all its sleekness and efficiency still honors the richness of the past and the influence of family. A large cask bears a carving of the family crest depicting imagery of faith and wine, displayed with nearly equal prominence. Heraldry expert Sir Hilary Bray (James Bond’s undercover alias in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) would have approved.
After sampling several wines and selecting a few to send home, we had a charming lunch at a family-owned trattoria in the village. This was one of the highlights of the trip because it felt so authentic and genuine. Our driver, Angelo, joined us and provided insights on the region.
He supported my companion’s decision to try the lardo, which she enjoyed over a slab of grilled polenta. The Veneto region is know for its tagliatelle with ragù, and we were fortunate enough to lunch on some, along with an amazing tortellini filled with walnuts, leeks, and asiago cheese. We ate at a wooden farmhouse table, and, of course, washed our food down with more of the local wine.
Lake Como
In the Range Rover’s sat-nav, Angelo plotted a course to Lake Como, where James Bond convalesced after being tortured by Le Chiffre and where 007 shot Mr. White at the end of Casino Royale.
We would get to those particular filming locations soon enough, but our first stop was our hotel, Passalacqua.
Passalacqua has 24 suites spread across three restored buildings on seven acres of landscaped gardens that descend to a private jetty. Passalacqua is premised on the idea of “la villeggiatura” the annual ritual for Italian families of moving from their city houses for a stay in the country. But, the hotel is more palatial than any ordinary country house. The main villa was built in the late 18th century, and part of the property was once owned by Pope Innocent XI. The hotel was opulent and looked like a carefully curated museum. But unlike a museum, guests are invited to step into the “exhibits” and get comfortable.
Down the hillside was the building with our suite at Casa al Largo nearest the lake.
Inside was a personal note from the manager, inviting us to have a martini at the bar as James Bond would.
Most mornings, we ate our breakfast on the outdoor terrace overlooking the lake where cypress and cedar covered mountains jutted up from the deep blue water.
Sometimes, we took the bright orange Fiat 500 Spiaggina up the hill and strolled the manicured gardens or visited the secret underground caves below the villa.
But as often as we could, we simply lounged outside by the lakeside sipping Aperol Spritzes through orange and white striped straws. If there were a regret on this trip, it would be that we did not do that often enough.
The next afternoon we had lunch al fresco under a round green and white canopy. I had cuttlefish and crunchy Samphire which is a wild, green sea bean, prepared tempura style.
The evening meals were extravagant, with multiple courses involving caviar, duck breast, langoustines, and the like. The breadsticks were adorned with flowers and there was even a delicious bread made with smoked wheat, so the bread took on a grayish color and a fire-pit flavor.
One morning after breakfast, we crunched pea-sized gravel beneath our feet as we walked through a cavern down to the jetty. There, we boarded a 1962 Riva Ariston, which we rented for the day along with the services of Captain Daniel.
The easiest way to describe a Riva motor yacht is to say that Riva are the Ferrari of boats. Neither manufacturer would shy away from the comparison. Sean Connery, Sophia Loren, and Brigitte Bardot had Riva yachts. Ours was sheathed in varnished mahogany and upholstered in classic light-blue and white. A white sunbathing pad covered the rear deck. The 4-seat, 21-foot boat made 177 hp, which was more than enough to exhilarate. We zoomed here and there and viewed Lake Como’s famous houses, like the Writer’s Nest, which was featured (and not actually blown up) in the 2024 series Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Next, we undertook a very James Bond adventure at Aero Club Como. Established in 1930, Aero Club Como is the oldest seaplane operation in the world and manages a fleet of seaplanes from a base at the southern end of the lake. We attended a briefing and then boarded a Cessna 172 “Skyhawk” (registration I-BISB), which was fitted with custom floats for enhanced stability and reliability. Our pilot was the lead instructor at Aero Club Como’s flight school, and he remarked that today was the finest day for flying over the lake that he had seen in months.
Seaplanes feature heavily in the 007 films, including For Your Eyes Only, The Man with the Golden Gun, License To Kill, and No Time To Die. Now, we were set to see if a real-life seaplane experience lives up to the movies.
Take-off was exciting. Our 160 hp 4-seater, bounced along as lake water sprayed from the floats. Finally, with a growl from the engine, the seaplane lurched and veered skyward, and we were airborne.
From our little cockpit, we enjoyed a proverbial bird’s-eye view of the lake and its famous residences. We flew up to Villa del Balbianello in Lenno, and to Villa La Gaeta, just north of Menaggio, the two famous villas from Casino Royale. Sunshine abounded and sparkled on the wave crests below.
And, landing was equally thrilling. The approach in a seaplane instills ill-ease because there is no landing strip per se. Only the unmarked uncertainty of the deep-blue water. Lower we dived until the plane’s oversized pontoons bounced and skimmed along the lake’s surface. It was loud, and the seaplane shook from the resistance, but we were down safely. We slowed and finally docked back at base.
In the meantime, Captain Daniel picked up another tour guide, Francesca. We waved goodbye to the Aero Club and took off fast in the Riva. Soon, we approached the dock on the wooded promontory where Villa del Balbianello stands. The villa is surrounded by meticulously pruned trees and vines as depicted in Casino Royale. It would be a lovely place to just sit and relax.
Most of the visitors to the villa, however, were intent on being photographed in its uniquely beautiful surroundings. Several young women changed into different outfits to provide a series of different “looks” for their Instagram followers. They barely tolerated sheepish boyfriends who adoringly followed behind them constantly trying to get the perfect shot or reel. When they didn’t, they were made aware. It was a comical scene, but maybe not the strangest.
You see, Balbianello was also a film location for a Star Wars movie where a wedding took place. As a result, Balbianello often plays host to full Star Wars-themed wedding parties, though none occurred during our visit. Francesca told us of her encounter there with a tourist dressed in detailed Darth Vader cos-play, including a mask that electronically reproduced Vader’s raspy breathing sounds.
But, we were more interested in Guido Monzino, who was the last private owner of the Villa del Balbianello. Monzino was a genuine explorer who climbed Mount Everest and took a team of sled dogs to the North Pole.
As you would expect, the villa is in large part a museum of his travel exploits. In one room, we saw the actual dog sled that he took to the North Pole. Eschewing modern equipment, Monzino made the journey mostly using gear native to the Inuit people.
Every artifact, map, book, pick axe, sextant, and monocular is displayed, as is his kitchen knife collection, according to the dictates of Monzino’s will. Likewise, the trees, vines, and gardens are all meticulously pruned and maintained according to the dictates set out in Monzino’s last testament. The same is true of the furniture, all placed according to Monzino’s specific instruction. It’s hard not to marvel at that degree of precision.
Even cooler, Monzino installed a secret passage between the main bedroom and the downstairs guest room for clandestine trysts. It’s hard not to like a home with a secret passage.
We rejoined Captain Daniel on the Riva and after a picnic lunch on board, we set course for the home of Mr. White, Villa La Gaeta.
As we approached, our captain played the 007 theme on the Riva’s speakers. Though we did not disembark to tour the villa, we admired its uniquely eclectic architecture. After some more sightseeing on the boat, we returned to the dock at Passalacqua.
The next day, we ate breakfast at the main part of the hotel. The kitchens at Passalacqua are open for guests to mill about, but it’s rare to run into another guest except in passing or at meal time. It was early, so we had the kitchen to ourselves, and huge tables held a variety of cakes and pastries, as well as fresh fruit and cured meats. It was a grand send off.
Then, reluctantly, my companion and I took the Range Rover to Milan for our flight home with a cloud full of photographs and our heads full memories.
Words and pictures © 2025 Darryl Marsch. All rights reserved.
