Lake Como, Aston Martins & A Little Bit of F1 Magic
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Size & Fit: For reference, I’m 5ft 4in (163 cm) and typically wear the smallest size available from most brands.
There are some trips where you come home and genuinely think, did that actually happen? This was one of them. A few days in Lake Como with Aston Martin, staying at one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever seen, driving Aston Martins around the lake, eating very good Italian food, taking boats across the water and then finishing the trip at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Honestly, what is life?
We arrived in Italy and headed straight to Il Sereno, which I can only describe as an absolute dream. I had a corner suite, I don’t even know how I get to stay in places like this sometimes. I walked into the room and just stood there thinking, pinch me.
The closet, the bathtub looking straight out over Lake Como and those huge panoramic views over the water. It was one of those rooms where you almost don’t want to leave because the view is so beautiful. There was just one tiny problem. I had no luggage. My suitcase had been left at the airport thanks to a Heathrow mishap, so I arrived in Lake Como with absolutely nothing. No outfits, no toiletries, nothing. But we had a schedule to keep, so I just had to get over it. We headed out on a boat for dinner, crossing the lake to one of the little villages for gorgeous Italian food before heading back for an early night.
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The next morning we were up at the crack of dawn and ready to drive. And when I say drive, I mean drive. I don’t drive very often because I live in London, so getting into an Aston Martin and driving around Lake Como was already exciting enough.
I love this dress but unfortunately can't link as it's and oldie!
Then add in the fact that I was driving on the opposite side of the road, in a car with the steering wheel on the opposite side to what I’m used to, on some of the narrowest and windiest roads I have ever seen, with cars coming towards you constantly.
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I think I can officially call myself a professional driver now. I was in the orange Aston Martin Vantage S Roadster and it was one of the most adrenaline filled experiences I’ve ever had. You’re concentrating so hard on the road while simultaneously looking around at some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. It’s a pretty surreal combination.
We stopped at The Lake Como EDITION for lunch, before getting back into the cars and continuing up into the mountains. Then it was back to the lake for another gorgeous dinner before getting the boats across the water. It was one of those days where I kept thinking, surely this cannot actually be my life?
Bellagio & Villa Melzi
The following morning we were back at it, with a whole selection of Aston Martins waiting for us to choose from. This time I went for the maroon DB12, which felt like a pretty good way to start the day. There is something very satisfying about getting into an Aston Martin in the morning and casually choosing which one you fancy driving.
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Not a sentence I ever expected to be saying. We drove through to Bellagio and visited the Villa Melzi Gardens, which sit right on the lake and are surrounded by beautiful gardens, sculptures and the most incredible views. The setting was completely out of this world. Lake Como really does have that effect where you think you’ve just seen the most beautiful view and then you turn a corner and there’s another one. We finished the day with another beautiful dinner before heading back for an early night because tomorrow was F1 day.
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Formula 1 at Monza
And then came the part of the trip I had been so excited about. Monza. This was my second ever F1 experience and the more I go, the more I completely understand the obsession. There is something about being there in person that you just cannot get from watching it on television. This time I was experiencing it with Aston Martin, which meant getting a much more behind the scenes look at the team.
We got to see inside the Aston Martin garage, see the pit area and get a feel for everything that happens behind the scenes. The whole paddock is such a sensory overload. The noise, the cars, the people, the energy. It’s completely addictive. We had also had dinner with one of the up and coming drivers the night before, which was such a fun experience and made the whole weekend feel even more special.
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And then we did a hot lap. In an Aston Martin DBX 707. Very, very fast. Let’s just say there is a
significant difference between driving an Aston Martin around Lake Como and being driven around a racetrack at speed. I think I preferred the first one for my blood pressure. And then, because apparently the trip hadn’t already reached peak what is my life?, we got a helicopter to the airport. A helicopter. At this point I genuinely just had to laugh. Looking down at Lake Como and the mountains from above, thinking about everything we had packed into just a few days, it all felt completely surreal.
From arriving in Italy with no suitcase, to driving an Aston Martin around Lake Como, eating dinner on boats, exploring Bellagio, waking up to those views and then ending up inside an F1 garage at Monza, it really was the most phenomenal few days. I know saying I’m blessed and grateful can sound a little cheesy, but honestly, I am.
There are moments in this job where I stop and think, how is this actually my life? And this was definitely one of them. I feel so lucky to have experienced it and so grateful to Aston Martin for taking me along for the ride. I’m coming home with some very special memories, a slightly concerning new love of fast cars and, quite possibly, the confidence to call myself a professional driver. Although perhaps don’t tell my insurance company that last bit.
And of course, I couldn’t go on a trip like this without documenting the outfits, so I’ve included all of my looks from Lake Como below. Because if you’re going to drive an Aston Martin around Lake Como, you may as well make sure the outfit is doing its part too.
