From beer and sausage to wine, tomatoes, and pizza!!

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Ah, Italy! My favorite! Okay, my adventure began with the overnight train from Munich to Milan. Sleeping on a night train is not always the best. This time I slept a little bit better since I had earplugs I bought in Germany and used my eye mask. However comma it was still not the best sleep. In the morning, I was ready for coffee, breakfast, and a shower. I had no idea where Duong's hotel was so I went to a Vodaphone and FINALLY was able to charge the phone I had borrowed from Melissa when she was in Italy. I guess since it was an Italian number, I could only charge in italy. My "German" phone was out of credits. So, I recharged the phone and had credits to call Duong. I didn't talk to long to him, but managed to remember the Metra direction and stop to get to his hotel. Well, once I got off I had no idea where to go. I folled some signs on a hunch and there he was waiting! Yeah! So, now shower, get rid of the bag, and have breakfast. But, no! Wait! Once we got to his hotel, the lady would NOT let me go upstairs to his hotel room since I had not paid! Ridiculous! I was tired, hungry, carrying a heavy backpack, dirty, and PISSED OFF now! I started going off. Not such a good idea, probably. Of course it did not help or allow here to symphathize with my case of "just wanting to use the toilet"...so I was not granted entry past the lobby. "Not possible!" Ah, well! I waited while Duong went upstairs to gather his things so we could move on.

We went to a cafe in Milan before going back to the main train station to go to...ah, Como!! Now, atleast the food and coffee helped while my back took relief as my pack rested next to my chair.

We arrived in Como around noon and I had my first slice of Italian pizza in the train station. It was good. We went to search for the ferry sans a map. Duong was tempted to whip out the GPS, but we found it by using my digging out the memory from my last visit here two years ago. Before, our ferry time we had 45 minutes. We sat at a cafe that was busy, full of Americans, or STRANIERI (foreigners), and expensive. Eventually we made it and realized it was the tour of lake como train and where we were staying, Bellagio, was the fourth or fifth stop. Ah, well, it was a semi-summy day anyhow.

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