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Published: September 16th 2008
We depart Zermatt on the 25th of August and board the train to our next destination. We say farewell to the magical mountains of the Swiss Alps.
Next stop on this journey is Northern Italy. We have absolutely no clue how we will proceed with this leg of the trip. After chatting with Travis recently, we realized that we could wing it a little bit more as we progress on our journey. We head towards Milan with no reservations for accommodations. This is a huge leap for us, but we are willing to give it a shot.
We arrive at the Milan train station and head right over to the Tourist Information Center. We chat with our friend at the TIC and ask about affordable accommodations near the train station. He gives us a few options and we decide on the Hotel Bernina. He makes a quick call and we head out the door for a one block walk to our new temporary home. The price was right and location worked well for our plans. We are relieved that showing up without a reservation worked out so well.
It’s late in the day, so we grab a pasta
dinner at a cozy restaurant across the street from the hotel. We get a street side table and enjoy the free entertainment of watching the locals pass by. For dessert we split a piece of real Tiramisu. Take note, Larry, it was delicious. After dinner, we head over to the square in front of the train station and get some free after dinner entertainment of watching people around the square. Lynne and I begin the process of analyzing the crowd and get some chuckles as we sit and watch this real life scene unfold before our eyes. As darkness settles in on the city, we make our way to the room for some rest.
On Tuesday, 26 August, we head out to explore Milano, the fashion capital of Europe. We had read the Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper was painted in a local chapel. The guidebook said that reservations were required, but we figured we would give it a shot and check it out. We arrive at the church and go up to the ticket counter. The young lady informs us that reservations are booked two weeks in advance for admission. Wow-two weeks. I don’t think we have planned
anything on this trip two weeks in advance. We were rejected and did not get the chance to see this historical masterpiece.
Next, we head over to the Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum. We head to the entrance and see a large sign at the door. The sign says that the museum is closed due to renovations and to please visit them on line. What the heck is this? They closed the entire museum. I was really looking forward to checking this museum out. Leonardo spent 22 years in Milan while he was in the service (enslaved) to the Duke of Milan in his later years. He had a huge influence in the early days of this city. Well, we struck out with this site and we were growing less impressed with this city.
After suffering the disappointment of being rejected twice, we set off on foot to Doumo Square with the Milan Cathedral as its centerpiece. This old building dates back to the 1700’s and is the second largest church in the world—second to Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and the second largest gothic cathedral in the world-second to the Cathedral of Seville in Spain.
Naturally we had to take a peek inside. We actually had our bag searched and passed through a metal detector to enter the building. Some women were are being denied access due to their lack of appropriate apparel. They would not allow legs or arms to be exposed. A smart businessman was standing outside the cathedral selling scarves and cover-ups. We sat and watched how many he sold. This guy was making a small fortune selling scarves to tourist. I found this cathedral much more impressive than the Notre Dame in Paris. Outside of the cathedral, there was some type of memorial with hundreds of water bottles. The signs were written in Italian so I couldn’t figure the purpose out. Take a peek at the attached photo.
Our next mission is to check out the Leonarno da Vinci Horse. This is a gigantic bronze horse originally commissioned by the Duke of Milan in 1482. Although Leonardo had made multiple sketches of the horse and even made a clay model, this work of art was never completed. His clay model was destroyed by the French military in 1499. In 1972, an American who studied Leonard extensively set up a foundation
to complete this remarkable work. It was painstakingly completed in 1994 and has been on display since.
The walk to check out the horse took us completely around the hippodrome. This is presently being used as a horse racing complex and is lined with stables. We walk around the entire perimeter and begin to feel the effects of the heat and humidity. After about a 6km trek, we opt to jump on the local bus to take us back to the Metro. We conclude the day with a nice Italian dinner across from the hotel.
On Wednesday, 27 August, we depart Milan and head up to Verona. Verona is known as “Little Rome”. It is an ancient walled city steeped in history and includes numerous Shakespearean references setting Verona as a backdrop for some of his notable works. Perhaps the most famous is the setting for Romeo and Juliet.
Our visit to Verona is much shorter than we could have spent in this splendid town. We arrive with no reservation and check in at the TIC for lodging recommendations. At first the young lady gives us a book of accommodations and tells us to find one that suits
our needs. She appears to be reluctant to make recommendations. After a little sweet talking, I convince her into giving us a recommendation. She calls the Hotel Piccolo but they are full. She says that the same family owns the Hotel Martini right next door and they have rooms available. We take the trek to the hotel and get checked in. They have internet available, but it is a small fortune for limited access.
We set out on foot to explore this jewel of a city. Come across one of the ancient gates to the city. Verona was once known for its fortified walls around the city. Access was gained through one of seven massive gates which controlled access. Remnants of the walls exist today in the form of earth berms which a scattering of actual brick and stone structures.
As we proceed through town, we head to the Piazza Bra located right next to the Arena. The arena is the third largest coliseum in Italy and is very well preserved. In the summer, the Arena hosts nightly operas. The Arena is much more impressive to both of us that the Coliseum in Rome. On the road leading
from the piazza to the Arena, we marvel at the street side cafes and we stop for bite to eat. We luck out and get a table right next to the street. This gives us front row seats to check out the herds of tourist as they pass by.
As darkest begins to settle in, we notice the people in proper evening attire making their way to the opera. Wow—now we had front row seats to a free fashion show. As the crowd slows, the opera is about to begin. This gives me an opportunity to take some night photos of the Arena. After a full day, we walked back to the room for a little rest and recuperation.
On Thursday, 28 August, we venture out to explore more of this city. I really like the feel of this city. In lieu of setting out on foot, we decide to use the local bus system. We find the bus maps and routes to be the most confusing during our travels. We final figure it out and take the bus back to Piazza Bra. We sit around the piazza for a while and enjoy watching people in action. The
city is generally a clean city and has a very appealing flavor to it.
We stop the Arena to take a quick tour. We pick up a Verona Card which gives us free entry to many tourist sites in the city and gives us use of local transportation. Once inside the Arena, we marvel at the preservation of this place. Stagehands are constructing the set for tonight’s opera. The sets are huge and elaborate. We had checked out prices for the opera, but they were well outside of our budget. Even the peasant seats would have busted our budget. Besides, we certainly did not pack suitable evening attire for such an event. Naturally I take a few happy snaps in the Area and we head off down the road.
We head off through Verona’s high fashion shopping area, Via Mazzini. This narrow street is blocked off to traffic, but is crawling with people. We notice multiple tour groups walking through this ritzy road. We could almost smell the money as we pass through this top dollar section of town. So, just what the heck are two budget travelers doing walking down this high-society road? The answer is simple;
we were on a mission to Juliet’s house. As we reach the end of the road, we turn to the right and head down another street lined with tourist shops. Shortly down the road, we find our destination. Juliet’s home is one of the most popular tourist sites in Verona. Groups of tourist gather around the entrance to the courtyard. As we make our way through the entrance tunnel, the walls as decorated in romantic love notes and graffiti. The local preservation society is attempting to restore damage from previous visitors and has cleaned the traces of graffiti from the actual courtyard.
Once inside the courtyard, we spot the famous balcony made notorious by Shakespeare. Inside the courtyard is a bronze statue of Juliet. Legend has it that if you rub Juliet’s right breast, you will find a new lover in the near future. Hey, I’m not making this stuff up—like I said it’s a legend. Lynne refuses to let me get anywhere close to the statue and I get a pretty good chuckle out of it. It is really amazing just how many people stop to rub the statue. This is the only part of the statue that
is polished to a shiny appearance. Our Verona Card gives us free admission to Juliet’s home which has been turned into a museum. We actually stand on the very balcony and embrace in a short hug before other tourist move us along.
We then head back down the road and head to Piazza delle Erbe in the heart of the old Roman Forum. Besides the historical significance of this piazza, it also hosts an open air market. Vendors sell a variety of souvenirs, produce and beads and trinkets. The market takes away from the beauty of this piazza, but serves its purpose.
When I set out for the day, I left my hat in the room. I stopped by a hat vendor and picked up a new hat. Lynne took a while to recover from shock. Yes, Stefanie, this is the same hat you tried your best to retire while we were at KNB together—you know, the sweaty blue one I wore every chance I got. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the hat in question, this is a hat I have had for about 8 years. Lynne has mended it numerous times and it has
been featured in many photos of me over the last 8 years. With a tear in my eye, I now felt like I was being unfaithful to my trusty hat. Lynne’s sheer look of excitement made me realize I was making a wise decision. I will now need to figure out how to retire my trusty sidekick without traumatizing myself too much. I just don’t know where I could find a good therapist on the road. If I traumatized myself too much, I would need to go back to Germany and book a session with my good friend Marianne. Lynne really liked my new hat and said it reminded her of my DCU cap.
OK, now that I have my new hat, we set off for Piazza Signori with a statue of the famous Italian poet Dante as a centerpiece. We set our sights on the Torre dei Lamberti (Lamberti Tower). Our Verona Card gives us free admission to this attraction as well. As luck would have it, the lift (elevator) to the top was broken. We would have to make the climb up 264 spiraling stairs to the top. The tower is the tallest in the city and
stand at 276 feet. While making the climb, Lynne and I discuss climbing the St. Augustine lighthouse on our first rendezvous. We enjoyed the little trip down memory lane and proceeded to the top of the tower. From the top we were treated to a really awesome view of the old city. After making the decent, we made our way back to Piazza Bra for yet another dinner on the street side.
Well, our adventures in Verona come to a close as we make our way to Venice. Stayed tuned for the next update from the city of canals.
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Alan and Denise Carroll
non-member comment
Where's the Hat?
After such a detailed description of the hat purchase surely you asked Lynne to take at least one picture of the new, improved, infamous hat. ;) Take care of each other and keep having a blast!