Arrivederci Italy
“I love the food. I love the people. I love the attitudes of Italians.” by Elton John
All things however do come to an end and it’s time to bid Italy Arrivederci and make tracks for home.
Our Italian sojourn ended as it started in Milan. A few days packed full of memories to last a while. Perhaps there will be more Italy in my future but for now it’s time to pack up my memories of an unforgettable time and make tracks for home.
As I watch this aircraft take off from the airport, John Denver’s famous lyrics sung by Peter Paul and Mary come to mind; “Leaving on a jet plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again……”
Within Italy so many of our journeys began and ended right here at Milano Centrale.
Milano Centrale is so much more than a train station, it’s a destination in itself, a place to wander, a place to absorb the color and noise.
Before this trip to Italy, I asked my nephew who is well traveled in Italy for his favorite destination in Italy and he said hands down Bergamo.
So of course, I had to visit and form my own impression of this beautiful medieval town. An hour’s train journey from Milan, and a bus ride from across the train station took us to these Venetian Walls that surround the upper city full of beautiful churches, towers and castles and a view to die for.
A funicular takes you from the Citta Alta still higher to San Vergilio with its quaint architecture, beautiful old church and more breathtaking views from the highest point here.
A walk through the walled city to take in the interesting shops, churches and piazzas takes you to the Piazza Vecchia and the civic tower, the "Campagnone" located in the heart of the Citta Alta. A fabulous lunch sets the right tone for a little more wandering before making tracks back to Milan.
Lights, camera action. One last look at the city of Milan as the hours fly by.
our time in Milan had mostly been spend in and around the Duomo or on day trips outside the city. As our time in the city came to an end, I decided to take on last lazy walk around the heart of the city, enjoying the street performers and people enjoying their coffee and lunch breaks.
My walk took me to the Castle Sforza where a safety demonstration of some sort was taking place, and these vests were floating in the fountain. After spending some time listening to the various languages and conversations around me, I headed back towards the Duomo.
As I window shopped my way, I decided to combine my two favorite foods espresso and gelato and treated myself to an Affogato. I think I can still taste the delight of the espresso with hazelnut gelato.
The first time I saw the notice that Starbucks was opening their doors in Milan, I wondered how they would fare but as you can see it’s pretty popular if the people milling about, here are any testament.
We had clearly saved the best for last. A wander through the terraces of the Duomo and a peek inside the church itself.
Definitely skip the line, elevator access is a must though keep in mind that the elevator access takes you only to the first level and there are still about 90 or so steps to take you to the send level and then a descent via the steps all the way down to the church.
Of course, I got to cheat, I was moving down the steps at snail’s pace, so the security guard took pity on my and escorted me to descend from level one to the church via elevator.
The beauty of the terraces and the views make this a must see destination.
The inside of the church is of course magnificent. It was just our luck that the nail from Christ's cross had been removed for cleaning and was to be replaced the next day.
A last Aperol Spritz that became my favorite cocktail in short order and a small dinner in the bustling city before heading out.
We were staying the night at the airport Sheraton in preparation for our early morning departure and so it was time to say goodbye and make tracks to our hotel to pick up our luggage and car for the hour or so ride to the airport.
As our plane took off, the snow-covered alps were beneath my wings. Arrivederci Italy, until we meet again.