Italy can best be described as an extremely busy European version of Disneyland on the day after Christmas or New Years’ Eve!!! And, traffic … oh, my goodness … there were bicycles, taxis (almost all were BMW’s), busses, trollies; and, it seems, at least one car for every one of the 1.2 million people who live here on the road at the same moment. Thankfully pedestrians have the right-of-way and most drivers – no matter their means of transportation - come to an abrupt stop (sometimes dangerously so) the instant someone steps off the curb.
Our itinerary – organized by our delightful traveling companions Bob and Katie Beecher – kicked off (after settling into our hotel in downtown Milan, across from the train station) with a trip on a ferry to Bellagio, along the shores of the world famous (and rightfully so) Lake Como in drenching rain, but, oh, what amazing scenery. I’ve always said if I ever ran away from home you could look for me in Skagway, Alaska, but since our time in Lake Como, I’ve changed my runaway place. It was too cold to be comfortable and certainly too wet, but it was an amazingly memorable day.
Our one full day in Milan included a tour of the city on a “hop on, hop off” bus, but when all was said and done, we ended up walking more than 6 miles, passing the world famous La Scala Theater and took pictures at San Marco Church (where both Mozart and Verdi attended as teenagers), until we finally found our destination – Leonardo da Vinci’s famed painting of the “Last Supper” (the real deal). It was an awe-inspiring moment to be face-to-face with one of the world’s most beloved art treasures! We also saw the Duomo (translated as “hell”), a spectacular kind of “crystal palace” church with an adjacent mall, including store fronts for Prada, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Armani-Menzoni, and Tiffany and Co. – with polizia on patrol and armed with semi-automatics in case anyone tried to make off with the very expensive goods. In the plaza, workers were busy setting up a stage and making ready for a concert by the Milano Philharmonic. And, did I say, “we walked, and walked and walked aaaaaannnnndddd walked” although unlike the pioneer children, we could not find it in our weary bodies to sing!
The next day, we traveled on two trains (Milan to Verona and Verona to Venice) and a ferry (which stopped 10-12 times before we got to our destination) to be among thousands touring San Marco Basilica, followed by a tour of the Doge Palace which, through the centuries, was considered Venezia d’Lucia’s seat of government. It was amazingly elaborate and there were many, many fascinating stories about some of the more interesting Doges. Venezia is a real tourist attraction, so it is extremely crowded, but it was exciting to be there.
Next, we spent two days in La Spezia during which time we explored Cinque Terre, the smallest of Italy’s national parks, which includes five villages, with narrow lanes, old architecture, trails and picturesque scenic overlooks of the “Italian Riviera." Officially known as Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, it is also on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Each village (Lavorna, Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Riomaggiore, and Corniglia) where we stopped along the railway is interesting and unique but all have one thing in common: lots and lots of tourists. We had lunch in Riomaggiore. The ristorante we selected had a stone wall and a wood ceiling, both believed to have been constructed before the year 1100!!!
Next, we spent two days in an AirBnB in Florence, Italy and where we had the chance to travel around this amazing city on another “hop on, hope off” city tour bus (which is in every city in Europe and is BIG business). While in Florence we hopped on a train to Tuscany where we visited in Sienne, San Gimignano, and Pisa, home of the famous leaning tower.
Wait ... there's more to come!
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