Diary Entry
Milan, Milano Centrale Train Station
August 30, 2022
I returned my seat to its upright position in the air somewhere over Milan. Excitement overtook my exhaustion as I was about to touch-down in Italy for the first time!
Courtney and I had a breezy journey from JFK to MXP. Not even a fussy baby on a 7.5 hour flight could dampen our moods. We had safely arrived, and were about to embark on a 2.5 week journey through Italy.
We collected our luggage from the baggage carousel before boarding the train from the airport to Milano Centrale, where we caught the Metro to the Duomo stop. We drug our bags past the Duomo Piazza filled with tourists and swooping kamikaze pigeons. Dodging both, we rolled down the street to our hotel, Sina de la Ville.
We showered and took a nap before our afternoon in Milan.
We booked a tour of Da Vinci's “Last Supper.” I was shocked by how big the fresco was, and that it and that the adjacent fresco of the crucifixion, were the only things that survived a devastating bombing of the church during World War II.
After the “Last Supper,” we walked to Sforzesco Castle and admired the tall brick walls and frescoed ceilings. The castle is a medieval fortification built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. In it's heyday, it was one of the largest citadels in Europe.
The walking tour concluded at the Duomo Piazza, where we grabbed a quick bite to eat and people watched, like the Italians do! Milan was as fashionable as I expected. Despite the heat and cobblestones, men and women were dressed very well in suits, heels and dresses.
We got a good night of sleep, enjoyed breakfast at the hotel (where I ordered coffee in flawless Italian) before hopping on the Metro to Milano Centrale. We boarded the train to Verenna, Lake Como. The ride was about 1.5 hours north from Milan with great mountain and lake views.
It was a short walk from the Verenna train station down to the ferry pier. We bought round-trip tickets to Bellagio and boarded the next arriving ferry. The views from the ferry were really majestic. There are mountains on all sides of the “Y” shaped lake, with little houses tucked away along the mountain sides. The buildings were yellow, orange, tangerine, and peach colored with green shutters, fabric awnings, and draped with overgrown vines. We strolled up and down the meandering streets, ducking into small shops to cool off.
Most of the stores sold scarves, leather goods and other small trinkets. While in Bellagio, we enjoyed lunch at La Fontana, where I had some of the best pasta I've ever had in my life.
After lunch, we walked down to the water and watch the boats and swimmers enjoying the sunshine. Next, we walked to the other side of town to tour the Gardens of the Villa Melzi. The gardens were lovely, and a great place to sit in the shade and look out at the lake.
From the gardens, we walked back to the ferry and returned to Verenna.
We strolled along the narrow walkway and up the stairs to Villa Monastero. We didn't tour the villa, but enjoyed magnificent views of the lake framed by columned archways and large potted plants. The lake sparkled below.
It was a lovely day in beautiful Lake Como. The photos and videos I've seen don't do it justice. Flowers, colorful buildings, and sparkling blue water are visible from every corner. It was starting to feel like we were in Italy.
We returned to Milano Centrale from Verenna. From there we took the Metro back to the Duomo, and enjoyed dinner inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Galleria is a large, open air arcade with a glass domed roof and mosaic floor. One of the mosaics is of a bull. The floor is cratered under the bull, because tourists (myself included) spin on his testicles three times for good luck. From our table we could enjoy the spectacle and people watch as tourists and Milanese walked through the gallery.
Courtney and I went on to short passagiata after dinner before returning to our hotel. As we were winding down for bed the power suddenly went out. Our neighbor at the hotel plugged in an adapter and blew a fuse. Courtney and I had a good laugh about this, and were so glad it wasn't our fault. When the night manager arrived to fix the issue he commented that our room was very cold. Us Texans love our air conditioning!
We woke up early for breakfast at the hotel. I slugged back at coffee and we checked out, before heading back to Milano Centrale. Here we caught the train to Venice, where we're in route currently.
We have one night in Venice before heading to the Cinque Terre for a few days. Tomorrow's train journey will be fairly difficult as we cut across the country with 3 to 4 connections! But we're up for the challenge.
Buon Viaggio,
AB
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