Blogs from Lombardy, Italy, Europe - page 15

So we came to the end of our stay in the Aosta Valley, we paid our bill and said a fond farewell to our great hosts and it was time to head back to Milan for our return flight in 2 days. We booked a hotel outside of Milan, near the Expo, handy for the airport. We didn’t intend to go into Milan. We had been there 30 years ago and it still looked the same – probably looked the same 500 years ago too. Not really interested in fashion and we had already eaten our fill of good Italian food. There is a really big antique and vintage market on the last Sunday of the month, along the canal in Milan. Would have liked that. Unfortunately, it was the day after we left. Maybe next ... read more

Our last full day here; it's an early start tomorrow as we go on our 3 train journeys to get to Prato. We took the funicular nice and early (9ish am - not crowded) to get to the town of Brunate. After a morning coffee and croissant, we walked up to the lookout via wooded and off the beaten track paths. The view was well worth it as it was a gloriously sunny mornng and we also climbed the lookout (another 143steps). After a quick dash back to the hotel we decided to take the fast boat to Menaggio. As it is now Septenber 4 (the tourist hoards have magically thinned) and because the town is really not as popular as Bellaggio across the water, it was very peaceful and pleasant. We followed up a tip ... read more

Geo: 46.0252, 9.05328The ride from Cortina to Lake Lugano was eight hours of bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go, for most of the trip down to Milano. Throw in some high temps and even higher humidity - plus Europeans ending their August summer holiday - and you have the “perfect storm” for a miserable ride. If it wasn't for some lane splitting and following other bikes along the shoulder we might still be on the road. We finally arrived in San Mamete, Italy to discover that our accommodations felt like a wonderful, small “villa” overlooking Lake Lugano. After a totally exhausting travel day, we took the next day for kicking back, lounging around our wonderful grapevine-covered terrace, and catching up on our reading. Long naps were also the order of the day. On Monday, we headed about 20 minutes east ... read more

Easy day today in between two day tours. Not really wanting to do the Duomo church, Michelle talks me around. Each church has been magnificent in their own way and the Duomo did hold a few surprises. It seemed less of a church and more for the tourists as this has been the first church allowing photos inside. It also has its own App which I find amusing. Upon entering there is no denying these structures are amazing, with the marble columns, lead lighting, statues and high ceilings all from another time. We lit a candle for mum, as we have done in all the churches, as we think of her everyday. Downstairs there is a room with above ground crypts, blocked off for viewing only. In 1961 they also did an archaeologist dig underneath and ... read more

New place so we start out on foot with map as usual. We weave our way down the streets to the visitor centre as that is our meeting point for day tours later in the week. Walking around the Stoza Castle at one end of town, we follow the crowd down to the church and museum. The Duomo de Milano church is another magnificent gothic Italian designed structure and follows the theme from the previous countries where it is a main tourist hub. The building itself has a lot of scaffolding and repairs to it, as it is deteriorating over time. Not that keen to stand in line for tickets, we leave it for later in the week. Having know pre conceived ideas about these places brings us many surprises. Knowing Milan is the shopping capital, ... read more