Into Switzerland and Around Milan

Window shopping has been fun, but upon hearing of a big factory outlet just over the border in Switzerland, with apparently great prices, the bus trip sounded appealing.  The journey up there was very beautiful, especially around the Lake Como area.  The shopping? Well, even at half price, those big name designers are out of our league.  We each found a couple of attractive shirts, though, and we had a really nice day.

                                 The FLat Stanleys visited yet another country - Switzerland

                                                                 Lake Como as seen from the bus

Today the weather was great once again, so off we went to further explore Milan.  One place I had researched, and had to find, was the Centro Della Lana.  This may not be listed in the top sights of Milan, but it was a real highlight, as this is a huge yarn store full of exquisite Italian wool at bargain prices.  YEAH!!!

From there we walked and walked until we were once again in the centre of the hustle and bustle.  Heather had researched places to eat (not yarn shops), and  one of the recommendations was a place called Peck’s.  This was more than a restaurant; it was more like a mini Harrod’s, with all kinds of fabulous foods, beautifully displayed.  The upstairs restaurant was delightful, and easily one of the best lunches we have had.  (great washrooms too).

                                                             Lovely lunch at Peck's

It was a great day to continue walking, so off we went in the direction of the castle which we had only glimpsed the day before, from the bus window.  It actually houses a number of museums, but we were happy to just look at the building and then go to the lovely park beyond.  There we found beautiful walking paths and lots of photo opportunities.  There was even an imposing arch that took us by surprise. According to the plaque, it was built at the behest of Napoleon to celebrate his triumphant victory.  Construction started in 1806 was only two-thirds completed when Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. The arch was not completed until 1826 when Franz I of Austria ordered it to be finished, with some alternations, because he wanted to dedicate the Arch to the European Peace reached in 1815.

Although today was Remembrance Day, and we did indeed remember, there was no evidence of anything special related to the day here in Italy.

The park was truly beautiful on this November day.

Milan is, like most large cities, full of contrasts.  The beautiful historic buildings are juxtaposed with a great deal of graffiti that seems to spread like an ugly virus throughout the city.  There are modern apartment buildings everywhere, such as the one in which we are staying, but right outside the bedroom window is a pottery that makes garden decorations.  The landlord told us that it has been there for over 200 years!  Everywhere you look, there are surprises.

Tomorrow we will be packing up to head to Venice, and Heather will be going to Paris.

Milano – Here we are!

It was a rainy day, but not too bad for us, as the train made its way through the countryside toward the big city of Milan.  It was quite a contrast to the serene Tuscan views around Florence.  Having hauled our luggage, which gets heavier with each stop, out to the taxi area, we gave the address and were delivered to the street.  Alas, the guy who was  to meet us was not there.  Thank goodness we now have cell phones that work in Europe, as John was able to contact him, and it turns out we were a block away from the correct building.  Phew!  There were some tense moments while we wondered what to do in a big strange city where we don’t speak the language.  Eventually all was well and the place is very modern, comfortable, and has a fabulous Jacuzzi shower. So, the adventures in Milan could begin.

The centre of the city houses the most interesting buildings and activities.  It is easily accessed by subway from where we are staying.  Heather and I went exploring while John rested his swollen knee, but he joined us later.  We first encountered the Duomo.  This word has been mentioned several times before.  It seems like every city in Italy tries to outdo the others with the cathedral.  Here is Milan’s contribution.  It`s the fourth largest cathedral in the world and can house 40,000 people!

                                           Magnificant stained window inside the Duomo

Shopping is, of course, one of the main activities in Milan.  Heather and I had great fun “window shopping” as most items were just a little beyond our budgets.  Many times today Heather said “Zoe would love this!”  It’s a good thing daughter Zoe isn’t here, with all the fashion eye candy to be had.  The Shopping mall, or Galleria as it is known here, is worth a visit itself, even without any shopping.  It is amazing how many beautifully dressed people are walking around.  It really makes tourists like ourselves stand out.

On John’s “bucket list” was to go to an opera at La Scala.  We went to the ticket office to see if this would be possible, only to discover that the only opera this week was sold out.  A kind gentleman did suggest that if you wait in line at the side door, there are some gallery tickets available.  It meant lining up twice in a crowd and being very persistent, but we did it!  John and I went to see La Donna Del Largo (The Lady of the Lake) by Rossini.  It was a brilliant production which we thoroughly enjoyed, even though our sight lines were very much obstructed.  They even had small screens to provide the translation.  It was an evening to remember.

They asked us so kindly, so we did.

Here are some other views from our day out and about in Old Milano:

Arrivederci Firenze (Goodbye Florence)

Today is the last day for us to wander the magnificent city of Florence.  We have been going out for at least four hours of walking every day, usually more.  I did have to take a break to rest a blistered foot for a day, while John and Heather went to the Galleria dell’Accademia   (founded in 1784 to teach techniques of painting, drawing and sculpture) where the famous statue of David is housed.  I stayed in the apartment and did some laundry.  There is a washing machine, but this is the dryer:

Strolling along the Arno River toward the Ponte Vecchio was one of our favourite activities in Florence.  Each day the lovely buildings looked different, depending on the light, and sometimes there were wonderful reflections in the water.  John has taken way too many pictures of these views to ever include in a blog.

A special licence is required to take a car into old Florence. Many of  those who don't walk around Florence travel this way:

The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge that is covered with houses and shops.  It is the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed in WWII.  The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345 and has been a place of commerce since before that time, but in 1593 Medici Duke Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewellers be allowed on the bridge, and that is pretty much how it still is today.

Yesterday we went to the Uffizi Museum, which is not to be missed when in Florence.  There is a replica of David there, so I really didn’t miss too much the day before. This is one of the statues at the Uffizi:

It was breathtaking to be able to view the most wonderful works of art from the beginning of the Renaissance in the 13^th century up to works by Carravaggio, Rembrandt and others.  Many of the paintings are those we have seen in art history books.  It is not permitted to do any photography within the galleries, but John is a bit of a rebel.  He especially liked  this Botticelli:

                                                    A view from a window of the  Uffizi

This week has flown by, and now we have to pack our bags to continue the adventure.  There is much more of Florence that we did not see, so I hope there will be an opportunity to return here.  Ciao for now.

Siena - Overview and Details

The first thing that impresses in Siena is the colours.  Everything has a warm glow of the bricks and coloured stones, so different from buildings in other medieval towns that tend to be mostly grey.  The flat Stanleys were along for the ride today, and they joined us in viewing many unique sights, some of them up close to get the intricate details of the amazing buildings.  (The Flat Stanleys are characters that were done by our two oldest grandsons, Graham and Everett, so they could go where we are going.  Thanks to Miriam Silvert, who used to do this with her class.  There is a web site all about it where the characters can be downloaded)

                                                       The ceiling above the well

We walked up and down the winding streets, glancing through all kinds of archways and alleys, each one with another intriguing view.  Heather had read about a highly recommended restaurant in a 700 year old building, which we actually found.  Lunch was fabulous, and the washroom was one of the nicest and cleanest we have encountered in Italy (Yes, this is worth noting).  John felt right at home in the wine storage room, which was right beside where we were seated.

After lunch, Heather decided she would climb the tower known as the Torre del Mangia which is in the Plaza Pubblico.  This is a lovely spot that also has a nice gelato bar, which was much more appealing to John and Gail.  Heather was able to get some beautiful overview pictures from the tower, and someone took a picture of her too.

The view from the top was a spectacular overview of this city, which is a working and living place with shops, services and lots of good places to eat,  as well as an historic site.

There are fascinating details everywhere on the magnificant buildings, such as the Duomo (Cathedral)

                                            Gail ogling the beautiful leather purses

The bus ride back through the tranquil Tuscan countryside was once again most relaxing and enjoyable.  Back in the apartment we went through the hundreds of pictures to determine which ones to share today.  It was not easy to decide.