The Start of a New Italian Escapade
“Italy is the only one that has it all for me. The culture, the cuisine, the people, the landscape, the history. Just everything to me comes together here”. - Frances Mayes
Italy has a special place in my heart. Michael Angelo painting the Sistine Chapel stands out in my memories of history from my school days, so it was no surprise that Italy was the first destination that I picked to vacation in without any family presence. Rome, Florence, Venice, Bellisimo! I was in love.
Then Dan Brown wrote Angels and Demons, and a host of other thrillers came out featuring Rome and so of course I had to come back and explore more of the country.
Italy according to wandering Veena is a country that needs to be savored one slice at a time. I have done several different slices enjoying and appreciating the diversity of food, wine, culture, people and history. I am now back to explore the food and wine in Northern Italy traveling through Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. Guiliana with Gate 1 is a wonderful host who wants us to get the most out of every place we visit.
But first a few days exploring in and around Milan.
All roads in Milan lead to the Piazza Del Duomo and so of course did mine.
It was still early, and the square was not bustling and full of people as it usually is after 9:00 AM plus the sky was ominous with thunderclouds and soon the rain would come pelting down. This was my first time in Milan since Covid and as I stood in front of the cathedral, I was reminded of that Easter morning when Andrea Bocelli sang Amazing Grace to an empty echoing square.
Goosebumps arose on my arms, as I quickly made my way inside the galleria to meet our guide who was going to escort us on trains and ferries to Lake Como, Bellagio and Varena.
The threatened rain showed up and we could only see wet and mist shrouded buildings and colorful umbrellas bobbing in our vision.
As you make your way down the steps from the train station in Como towards the center of the town you pass this interesting statue that is dedicated to service people disabled in the line of duty.
Sightseeing in the rain did not make for a good option so after a brisk walk through the streets of Como we made it to the Ferry. Fortunately, as we made our way along Lake Como the day began to brighten and the bright yellow, orange and cream so typical of the Italian lake and hillside towns began to brighten our bedraggled selves.
Fortunately, in Bellagio, the sun was shining, and the town was filled with tourists, sipping wine, exploring, shopping and in general having a good time. We too found our way to a restaurant with a view of the water and enjoyed an excellent lunch of Pasta accompanied by salad, followed by some shopping and general walking around the town.
By the time we made it to Varenna, the sun was shining, and it was time for a gelato by the water. I was starting to fade and more than ready to find a seat on the train and make my way to the hotel and take a load of my feet.
The next morning, Verona was on the agenda but on our way out of the city we passed the Bosco Verticale. Recognized as the most innovative skyscraper in the world in 2015 and the one of the fifty most iconic skyscrapers in the world in 2019.
The building consists of ninety plant species distributed on the facades, designed to increase biodiversity through vertical greening and reducing urban sprawl.
Soon we were in Verona and making our way along the city center with a local guide getting to appreciate that Verona is a beautiful city and so much more than the home of Romeo and Juliet.
But of course, we had to visit Casa da Julieta and see the famous balcony from whence Juliet is said to have cried "O Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?"
Our guide gently suggested that it was best for the ladies in a couple to go to the balcony and the gentlemen gaze from the bottom, but the courtyard was crowded, and it appears that you need a reserved time slot to brave the balcony. Of course, the other weird thing here is grown people rubbing Juliet's breast, which apparently causes the statue to need to be replaced every so many years.
From Verona, we made our way to Lake Garda where we got to sail around the lake and see the castle, and ruins and the bubbles from the hot springs that bubble from the bottom of the lake.
One of the most expensive brands of watches has their name on this ramshackle falling down farmhouse in the middle of a vineyard. A sight from the window of the bus that just struck me as an anomaly to be noted and shared.
And so ended our brief two-day sojourn exploring Milan and the areas around it where it began in Piazza Del Duomo.
Tomorrow is the train from Milan to Stresa where we are to meet up with the rest of our group and begin our long awaited and looked forward to food and wine tour starting on Lake Maggiore. Stay tuned.