Cinque Terre

Travel and Arrival - Saturday, May 27th Barolo is challenging to get to without a car and there's not much to do in the actual village but we are very glad we ended up here (we chose Barolo for convenience related to the balloon ride). If you did have a car it would be a great home-base for local wine tasting. Today we catch a train in Asti to get to the coast of Liguria and Cinque Terre. First we had to take a taxi from Barolo to Alba (25 euros and about a half hour). From Alba we caught a bus to Asti (11 euros and about an hour). The bus in particular was interesting for seeing different villages and the cities of Alba and Asti. Everything was very smooth (thank you to our host Daniella for figuring it all out and arranging the taxi). We transferred trains in Genoa and had time for a quick bite at the station. Our arrival around 3pm in Monterosso was a bit hectic. The train station was absolutely packed. People going every which way and many simply stopped. There was more than one large tour following someone with a tall stick in their hand. The sidewalks outside weren't much better. Apparently this is normal for the weekend. We were following directions okay and had just determined the proper uphill stairs to take when Jeff made contact with Lorenzo from Manuel's Guesthouse. He came down to assist carrying luggage up the 130 (+/- 2) stairs. They ask for arrival information specifically so they can help this way and thank goodness they do. Manuel's Guesthouse is a small family-run hotel (only six rooms) and it is really fantastic. Some rooms have balconies but all have a view over town and out to the Ligurian sea. There is a large patio that all guests have access to. They serve breakfast there and in the afternoon you can get drinks and snacks. They also offer laundry service which we will take advantage of. After relaxing for a bit we wandered downhill into town and had dinner at a restaurant recommended by our host. This area is known for pesto and lemons (we're not fans of Limoncello but we could buy it here from any shop on the street). Also being on the coast there is seafood offered everywhere. Sunday, May 28th Breakfast on the patio includes everything we've become accustomed to plus freshly made fruit smoothies. After breakfast we went directly to the train station to buy our trail/train tickets and started on the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza at 10:15 a.m.  It took us 2 hours to reach Vernazza which is exactly what the sign at the trail head said. The first 45 minutes were stairs uphill. There were more stairs after that but not so many in one stretch. There were two enterprising people along the way. One man had a house very close to the trail. He had run an extension cord down from his house and had a citrus juicer - 2 euros/glass for fresh orange juice. Only a little further on there was a man selling jewelry of the same kind we could buy in town. I'm guessing the juice man was doing better business than the jewelry guy. In Vernazza we wandered a little and had lunch. Vernazza is smaller than Monterosso and possibly more picturesque - maybe a little more crowded for both those reasons. But overall it's not much different so there's not a lot of reason for us to hang out here. We caught a train (split second decision to jump on) to the 5th Cinque Terre village - Riomaggiore. This is also a small village. Our plan was to catch a train back but Serena had been expressing interest in a boat ride so we decided to go back on the water. The boat was leaving immediately so the timing was great. The boat ride was pleasant and refreshing and it was fun to see all the villages and the coast from the water. The boat did cost us 12 euros each since boat rides are not included in our 3-day park/treno card. What is included in that card is unlimited train rides in the area, access to all the trails, free toilet access in the train stations (1 euro otherwise) and free wifi in the train stations. There are also some guided tours but we forgot they were a thing and never did one. Back in Monterosso Jeff took a dip in the sea before showering and we spent the afternoon relaxing and reviewing all the new maps we bought today so we can figure out where we hike tomorrow. Picked up take away at the bottom of our stairs and brought dinner up to the patio. It was an enjoyable evening reading and relaxing al fresco with a bottle of Barolo red wine that we brought with us. Monday, May 29th The "coastal" trails between each of the five villages are most famous around here and one of those is what we did yesterday. At present due to a landslide the easiest trails that are right on the water are closed. There are also a lot of trails up above the villages and we did one of those today. First we caught a train to Manarola and then we used the benefits of our park card to catch a bus uphill and avoided a very long climb. The beginning of the hike was among these amazing terraced vineyards and gardens. Eventually we entered some forest which was shady and pleasant. Then the long downhill into Corniglia which was rocky and reminded us of hiking on the Napali coast on Kauai. We wandered and looked around but couldn't find anyplace with shaded seating for lunch so we caught a train back to Monterosso. We have managed now to visit all five of the villages that comprise Cinque Terre.  After lunch and showering and recovery Serena went to town to shop. We've had and will continue to have very warm weather. A new tank top and some very lightweight colorful pants are just the thing to improve her wardrobe. Dinner tonight included slices of steak cooked on a hot stone that came sizzling to our table. We were sitting next to a couple from Australia and commented that Jeff's favorite Kangaroo preparation was this same style. They commented that they've never eaten roo and it is kind of a country thing. We don't know how they get the stone so hot but it is really neat and maybe we need to buy one or two. The steak was our second course. The first course for Serena was gnocchi with pesto and for Jeff pesto over the local pasta (trofie). After dinner we walked along the sidewalk above the beach observing the night life. It's pretty mild and mostly just people out at cafes. Tuesday, May 30th After two hikes in two days we could take a break but we didn't. We hiked up to a view point just outside of town. We told ourselves that if we got tired we might not go all the way, but being us, we kept going to the top. It's only 2/3 of a mile but most of it is uphill stairs. The online description said 30 minutes of stairs but we stopped a lot and it took us 45 minutes. It's not quite as warm today and some of the trail is shaded but still dripping sweat. The ancient chapel that was turned into an old military lookout at the top is totally vandalized but was comfortable for a rest while looking at the water before we headed back down.  Lunch afterwards at Emy's Way. Serena considered doing a video to help convey the experience but even video wouldn't do it justice. The food was wonderful and despite a tiny interior they have a pretty robust menu. Seating outside for 14 people (in an area about 9'x14') and busy for takeaway pizza and paper cones of fried things (mixed seafood, calamari, french fries, etc.). Best service we've had anywhere in Italy - fast, attentive and he checked-in as we were eating. Great soundtrack and pretty loud. The waiter (owner? Emy?) was moving fast to take care of all of the tables but still dancing to the beat when he was standing still. He was singing and laughing and joking. Jeff had seafood ravioli with three massive prawns and Serena a pesto pizza.  This afternoon is about resting, packing and doing photo/blogging/computer stuff. Very good bruschetta for a lite dinner. We spent very little time really in the other four villages but even so we would recommend Monterosso and Manuel's Guesthouse. All the rooms at Manuel's Guesthouse have this view. Monterosso is the Cinque Terre village with the biggest beach. On the weekends every single one of these umbrella & lounger combos is rented. Weekdays not so much. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon which is probably why the train station (right across from the beach) was a zoo. The train tracks are exceptionally close to the coast in most places. But it's not a picturesque ride between villages because the train is in tunnels most of the time. Photo of the train passing through Monterosso. Pedestrian access to town is through the arches under the tracks. View of Monterosso from our day 3 hike. The tongue of land sticking out is the parking lot for the village. In town the only vehicles are: taxis, emergency services, and very small delivery trucks (though many deliveries seem to be done using a dolly). View of Vernazza from along the trail. This is our destination for the hike on our first day. A view of Corniglia which was our destination on day 2. This gives you some idea about how far we have to walk downhill. The village of Corniglia is on the rocky outcrop and the train station is below. There are many many stairs in between the village and the station. A lot of stairs. Most of the villages have little or no beach but people manage to enjoy the water nonetheless. View of Riomaggiore from the shuttle boat. Terraced vineyard portion of our hike on day 2. Shady forested portion of our hike on day 2. The train station tunnel in Manarola was filled with mosaic art. Trailside orange juice entrepreneur.

Barolo

Travel & Arrival - Wednesday, May 24th

Thank you Laura for taking a day off work and driving us to Barolo. It's a lovely very small village with no train station, so getting here without a car is not straightforward. We left our luggage at our B&B then took Laura to lunch here in the village. After lunch we settled in for a bit then took a nap.

Serena chose Barolo because of its proximity to the departure point for our hot air balloon ride. Our hostess - Daniella - was helpful calling the balloon company to verify details regarding timing and pick up. Daniella also did some research about the best ways to get from Barolo to our train from Asti on Saturday (taxi to Alba and a bus from there to Asti).

For whatever reason, Wednesday is the day of the week that most restaurants in Barolo are closed for dinner. Lunch was filling so we decided to buy some bread/cheese/salami and snack for dinner. There are a few tasting rooms still open so we chose the one that is free. The young man there explained a lot about this wine region and it was a pleasant experience. We bought a bottle of Nebbiolo which is the local grape whose wine is famously known as Barolo or Barbaresco. But to be called thusly there are many rules to follow and the vines should be a certain age. When the vines are too young or the winemaker decides for some reason to follow a different process then the wine is called Nebbiolo. 

We have seen signs for a tasting room that offers snacks and they are open late so we went there next. At Le Vite Turchese (the turquoise vines) you can design your own tasting. They have an large selection of local and other wines. We described our tastes to the owner - Stefano - and he made the selections. Jeff tasted 3 Barbaresco and Serena had two glasses of sparkling wine. The snacks were quite tasty too and though they weren't a lot we didn't need to eat the items we bought when we went back to our room. Stefano explained about the wines we were drinking and it was a great experience. It was also only 30 euros!

Back at the B&B we hung out in the common space drinking the Nebbiolo we bought, journaling, blogging and doing photos. Went to bed late but it was before midnight and we did nap this afternoon.

Thursday, May 25th

Great night's sleep. The village is super small and our street is for residential traffic only which means basically no traffic. We slept with the window open and it was very comfortable and quiet.

Lovely breakfast with eggs prepared to order, cafe americano and fresh cobbler among all the usual things. Afterwards we wandered around town a bit (you could easily walk the circumference in 15 minutes) then went to the wine museum in the Barolo castle. 8 euro entrance each and for entertainment value that was okay. For educational value this is not a good museum; there were only 2 rooms that had historical information about wine. The rest of the museum was a bit surreal and made us think that either the designer was high or we should have been. Poetic hyperbolic descriptions and "artistic" rooms to match. Lots of multimedia; some of which was fun (watching scenes from movies that featured wine) and some weird (cutout people with small screens on their mouths that spoke periodically). Apparently we missed the talking dinner plates in the dining room (bummer). The whole experience ends not in the gift store but in a wine tasting room. But this tasting room has no person-to-person interaction. It's like Pour in downtown Santa Cruz but each 25 ml taste costs 2-4 euros. We thought that was too much so after a snack for lunch and a rest in the heat of the day (it's in the high 80s again) we went back to Le Vite Turchese.

It was nice that they recognized us. Serena asked for a white wine because it is so hot and Stefano brought a glass of an un-oaked Chardonnay. This is exactly what she would have chosen for herself so Stefano already understands her tastes. Jeff had a Barolo. We also had a piece of Apple cake and some cheese/salami/breadsticks and turnip green crackers (a specialty in Puglia called Taralli). And we bought a bottle of the white wine for enjoying in Cinque Terra. The wine alone was 24 euros but still we only paid 40 euros total!

Our early evening balloon ride was wonderful. The countryside is beautiful and even at elevation it was warm. We were only 5 passengers (one was the photographer) + the pilot so we had plenty of space to move around. It seemed like a long flight. We took off from a disused soccer field outside of town and landed in a random field. Afterwards back in Barolo we were taken for a glass of wine and some of the typical cheese/salami/breadsticks. We also got our flight certificates. It was already 9pm so not a lot of choices but we knew the small place closest to our AirBNB would still be open so we went there for dinner.

Friday, May 26th

It is more overcast today and therefore cooler. Nice breakfast again and then we were ready to be picked up for our wine tour. Robert & Leslie are from Minnesota but have lived in Italy for 10 years now. Leslie was involved in wine importing and distribution but now they lead private tours. Robert is with us today and we met Leslie and the couple she has at the first winery (Pira). This is a small family farm which is common in this area. Most producers make only 20,000-60,000 bottles each year. Typically each one has their own production facility also. The wines of Pira were tasty and we bought a bottle which we will save for 5-8 years. 

After Pira we had lunch - with wine of course - followed by coffee (espresso is what people drink here about every other minute). And, BTW, don't order a cappuccino after 11am and NEVER coffee with milk at the end of a meal. Our 2nd winery stop was literally in the middle of a vineyard at a little hilltop ciabot (a small brick building where the oxen could be kept in poor weather or in later years where the vineyard workers could take a break out of the sun). The six of us tasted several wines in the shade of the ciabot and then Leslie went elsewhere with her people and Robert took us to another winery in the actual village of Barbaresco; we bought two bottles there.

Robert drove us back to Barolo and along the way we talked about Le Vite Turchese. Robert knows and likes it so we ended up there together for a glass of wine (Are you keeping count? This was our third visit in three days). Robert helped Jeff pick three more wines and then Jeff made plans with Stefano to ship them home. They will ship them at the end of June so we'll be home when they arrive. 

We had plans with Leonardo & Laura for dinner tonight. We had a little bit of time after we parted from Robert to drop off some items at our B&B then we went out to wait for 

them. When they arrived can you guess where was our first stop? Yes, of course we took them to Le Vite Turchese. We got a bottle of sparkling wine and toasted to each other and Santa Cruz (Leonardo & Laura visited us for one night in 2008) and Torino. The total for the three glasses with Robert and the bottle with Leonardo & Laura was only 40 euros!

Rosso Barolo was the restaurant recommended by Stefano & Elisabetta and was very nice. Serena finally tried snails. This area is supposedly a bit famous for them but we really haven't been eating out that much so we hadn't seen them on a menu until now. They tasted fine and the texture was okay too. After dinner we said goodbye to Leonardo & Laura and went home to do a bit of packing in preparation for tomorrow's departure.

Jeff at Le Vite Turchese on the red sofa that we occupied every time we visited.

Sample of the poetic jibberish at the wine museum in Barolo.

And, here are the winged metronomes (that bit didn't photograph well) and the comet.

It was a bit random whether one of the screen mouths would talk to you or move or do nothing at all. This is the room where the dinner plates on the dining table also had screens. But all we saw were pork chops. Apparently the plates sometimes speak as well. We're sorry to have missed that.

WTF? We can't even remember the point they were trying to make here. 

The music room. All the songs included mention of wine. There was also a movie room showing film clips featuring wine/

They use a large fan to fill the balloon with air. Then the blower heats the air and they tip it all right-side up.

Our pilot walking around inside the balloon as it was filling. They took a photo of us in there too but we haven't gotten a copy of it yet.

The village of Barolo where we were staying.

Hello! We're flying!

Castle in the nearby village of Novello as we were floating by.

Our shadow in a field.

The winemaker in his cellar at Pira winery.

It was interesting to find out that the wines get different labels depending on what country they will be distributed in. So, until their destination is determined the full bottles of wine look like this.

Wine tasting in the vineyard in the shade of the ciabot. That's the name our guide gave this little building. He said we would have a hard time finding a direct translation for it and he's right.

Grape flowers on the vine.

The snack from Puglia that Serena fell in love with. We were told they were made with turnip greens but initial research on the internet does not include any recipe with that ingredient. Serena was also told that the internet would not be able to provide the proper recipe.

The sparkling wine we enjoyed with Leonardo & Laura.

Turin

Travel and arrival

On our way today to meet friends in Torino (Turin). We met Leonardo & Laura in Australia 10 years ago when we were on a dive boat on the Great Barrier Reef. Possibly the reason we connected so much is because they also follow the MotoGP races so we had things in common to talk about.

Less than an hour train ride and we arrived in Torino and Laura met us on the platform. They drove us to their apartment to drop off luggage and we immediately headed for the Langhe (hills) and the wine region. This is where we'll be staying for a few nights after Torino. 

Our first stop was the village of La Morra. It is on the top of a hill with an absolutely gorgeous view of the rolling hills, agricultural fields and other villages. It is a warm sunny day but not oppressively hot. We got warmer though because we took a walk before lunch. There was a small abandoned chapel downhill from town that a local patron paid to paint in bright colors. The chapel was pretty and there was a musician playing guitar inside. The walk was a bit further than we expected (probably at least 1 mile) and a fair bit of elevation loss so the return walk uphill in the sun got very warm.

Leonardo & Laura had made a lunch reservation for a restaurant in town and it was delicious. We tried the local raw meat specialty; it was super tender and is a favorite dish of Laura's.

Leonardo & Laura wanted to take us wine tasting but here in Italy you generally need a  reservation and many places are closed on the weekends. Wine tasting here is not like in California but there was a place in town that was doing a communal tasting for 10 euros each. We did that and it was very like California - crowded and noisy. Mostly 2012 and 2013 Barolos which is what this area is known for; 2012 & 2013 is young for this varietal but still it was tasty. We could have tasted at least 20 different wines from the 6-8 producers present but that is too much and the crowd was a bit overwhelming. 

From La Morra we continued driving in the hills. We stopped in Monforte and had gelato and saw the outside of the house where Laura's grandfather lived. Then we drove to Grinzane and to the top of the hill where there was a lovely view and a museum in a castle at the top of the hill (we basically just took in the view). 

It does get dark a little bit earlier here in the north of Italy compared to the south of Spain but it's still quite difficult to judge the time of day. So it was surprising that it was already 7pm when we started to head back to Torino. We took brief showers at home and then it was time to go out for a Jazz show and dinner at 10pm. This was not part of the original plan but Leonardo asked when we arrived if we wanted to go and we said yes. So, his friend Eugenio reserved us a table at a club that Leonardo frequented when he was young. It was very popular and crowded - there were 8 people at the 4-person table next to us so they spilled over a bit to our 4-person table where we were five. The Jazz was very good and it was a special show with a somewhat famous American saxophone player (Scott Hamilton).

Home and to bed late.

Sunday, May 21st

Today we visited Venezia Reale which was a royal castle for the Savoy family a very long time ago. Since then it had been used for military offices, parade and marching grounds. It was  subsequently abandoned and became derelict. It was declared a UNESCO heritage site and the Italian government found money to support a complete refurbishment. Now it is a museum (about the Savoy kings) and an art museum. There are also extensive gardens. All of it has been fixed up beautifully and the before and after pictures show clearly that it was a big job. It's about a 30-minute drive from the apartment and we should have left a little earlier than we did because we have to be back this afternoon for the opera. Still, we did have time to wander in the gardens a bit and see all the rooms of the castle. The part we had to rush through was the Savoy history.

We got back to the apartment with just enough time for a quick pasta lunch and then we had to go to the opera. We were going to get a ride but then the communication got mixed up and Leonardo had taken the car elsewhere. Laura ended up guiding us on the subway and a bus and we were lucky in our connections and got to the opera just in time.

We hadn't thought to read up in advance to know the basic plot of The Magic Flute so we were a bit lost. But this was a nice chance to see the inside of another opera house. Unlike the other two, Teatro Regio was rebuilt in a modern style. Initially not popular with the long time afficianados. There were supertitles in Italian and German. Serena initially found it a little challenging to hear German singing and be reading Italian supertitles. Jeff was reading both the Italian and German supertitles but he has less familiarity with German and Italian than Serena. Overall we still don't know all the details of the story but it was clear that all the characters ended up happy at the end and we had a good time too.

Leonardo & Laura are fantastic tour guides. They are very proud of their city and they are taking a lot of care to show us around. After we walked home from the opera we had about a hour until we went out again. They took us to the highest point in Torino which is the Superga. We took in the view and visited the memorial in back for a plane crash which killed the Grande Torino soccer team in 1949. After dinner we came back to the apartment and used Jeff's subscription to watch the MotoGP race which happened today in LeMans France. Bedtime at 12:30 a.m.

Monday, May 22nd

Leonardo & Laura went to work today and we slept in. After breakfast and coffee at the apartment we went to the Egyptian Museum which closes on Monday at 2pm. By the time we walked there we had a bit less than 3 hours and it wasn't enough. They have a massive collection of objects. Plenty of English-language descriptions but only a few have audio guide. However, the audio guide is essentially the same as what you can read so Serena gave up and just read.

We found lunch nearby and a museum that wasn't on our list but is now. More about Museo Risorgimento later. We are meeting Laura at 5pm but we had just enough time after lunch to stop for coffee and take the lift to the top of the Mole Antonelliana for a panoramic view of the city. With Laura we went for an afternoon aperitif - Jeff had an Aperol spritz which he enjoyed much more than the Campari spritz he tried in Venice. Leonardo is working late tonight so we are having dinner at home. As we walked home we stopped at a fruit/veggie market and a bakery and a small supermarket. Dinner around 9pm and sat around talking. We also had generous portions of grappa as a digestiv. We are discovering that good grappa is smooth and tasty.

We're heading to bed again after midnight. This is typical for Leonardo & Laura but not as much for us. Still it's okay since we are the ones who don't have to go to work tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 23rd

We didn't rush out of the house because we only plan to go to one museum. However, before the museum we sought out the neighborhood wine shop to buy a gift bottle of Grappa for Leonardo & Laura (we've consumed 3/4 of the one they opened two nights ago). After bringing our purchase home we walked to the Museo Risorgimento. This is a history museum about the unification of Italy into one kingdom and then from a kingdom to a republic. It also talked about various causes and revolutions throughout Europe that led to the formation/unifying of other countries. The thought was to have lunch after the museum and meet Laura at 5pm. However, it was a very information-dense museum. When we were done, Serena was estimating it was 3:30. WRONG! It was 4:36 and time to go meet Laura. We had been snacking on trail mix and dried apricots but hadn't really eaten since breakfast so we were hungry. Luckily the place Laura took us tonight for happy hour had a generous snack and beverage option.

From there we walked home looking at some unique architecture. We drank a bottle of Prosecco before going because Serena forgot and didn't celebrate one month of retirement at the right time. Dinner tonight is pizza at Cammafa (a southern Italy phrase that is somewhat fatalist such as 'what can I do'). It's very warm today - 90 degrees - so we ate outside. The pizza was delicious. Back at the apartment we had small portions of the gift grappa. 

Wednesday, May 24th

Slept in which was lovely. Pizza for breakfast and Italian-style coffee. Showers and packing. A bit of time for typing and photos before Laura drives us to Barolo (she took a vacation day special to do this for us). Leonardo & Laura have been amazing hosts in every way. Our appreciation and understanding of Torino would be much less without them. Even without their insights Torino would be more engaging than Milano. We have been here longer than we were in Milano and yet we haven't seen and done all that we would like.

Milan

travel and arrival

Traffic from Capo di Ponte to Brescia a little heavier today than when we came in but no problem dropping off the car on time and catching our train. Only a 45 minute train ride to Milan.

Milan is our first large city in Italy with vehicle traffic and there is A LOT of it. Cars, scooters, taxis, bicycles, busses, and street cars. Scooters are parked everywhere both on the sidewalks and lined up side-by-side on the street. We took a taxi from the train station to our AirBNB so we didn't have to deal with it, just marvel and be slightly overwhelmed.

After settling in we took a walk to check the route and timing for getting to DaVinci's last supper; we have a reservation for early tomorrow. Stopped for dinner and did a little grocery shopping on our way back.

It's very warm in Milan today (and the next couple of days). It's comfortable with the windows open and ceiling fans running. We have A/C too which is helpful in the night so we can close the windows and not hear the traffic.

Wednesday, May 17th

Up early for our appointment to see Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Every 15 minutes they allow a new group of 30 people in to see it. Leonardo da Vinci did not do a fresco but rather something less durable so the painting started to degrade almost immediately and has needed a lot of refurbishment. The most recent work which removed previous "fixes" took 22 years! Access to the painting sells out and despite our advance planning Serena missed the first opportunity to buy tickets. So we ended up having to buy a more expensive guided tour and not a lot of choice on the timing which is why we're here at 7:45 a.m. The history of the painting is interesting and the theories of why DaVinci chose this subject and did it the way he did are interesting. 

The painting is in what was at the time the dining hall for a monastery. That somewhat explains his choice of topic and the perspective he used which does give the impression of the people and the table being in the room. Why he chose the moment of Christ's announcement that one of the apostles would betray him is less known. However, it did allow him to paint the apostles with more expressive faces and hand gestures. Because of how it was painted, the age and the numerous repairs the painting itself is a little underwhelming but we appreciate knowing more about it.

After coffee and a croissant we walked to the Duomo plaza (more about the Duomo later). The high end Vittorio Emmanuele II mall fronts the Duomo plaza. On the far side of the mall is a museum which is currently housing a multimedia exhibit about Leonardo DaVinci's "inventions". They have built some and explain many and there are some that you can play with a bit. It was interesting enough but would have been better if the wall displays were in English. Luckily all the multimedia bits had an English option.

From there we went to see LaScala opera house. The opera house is not as highly decorated as La Fenice and the museum only so-so. But they had a temporary exhibit about the director Toscanini and that was very good. There was also a ballet rehearsal in progress which was beautiful. Even when there isn't a rehearsal in progress the tour doesn't go into the hall; you only get to view it from the boxes.

We were tired but its not far so we walked to Castello Sforzesco. The castle looks to be in very good shape and is large but all attractions are the museums that now occupy the castle. Serena would have preferred historical information about the castle itself. We took a gelato break in the shade then walked through Parco Sempione to Torre Branca. Torre Branca is 356 feet tall. It was built in 1933 but has been upgraded since then. It was 5 euros each to ride the elevator to the top and hang out for six minutes. That's a little steep but there's no other view of Milan like it. Milan has more people than San Francisco but their skyscraper neighborhood is very small. They don't really have a skyline to speak of but it was still cool to see it all spread out below us.

Walked home stopping at the grocery and also bought a French press so we can make coffee. Our AirBNB has a tiny stove top percolator that can make one half cup at a time. 

Thursday, May 18th

Coffee was grand this a.m. Jeff also made us omelets with prosciutto and cheese. And we had bread and jam. A lovely breakfast. We didn't rush out to be first in line at 9:30 but the line at the Duomo wasn't crazy long when we got there about 10:30 a.m. It was very entertaining to watch people's strategies for altering their clothing to match the duomo's modest dress code. You're not even allowed in the line unless the nice man in a suit approves your clothes. 

A lot of the dress code seemed to be a judgement call by the man in the suit. They say they don't want bare knees so shorts are theoretically a no-no but men were getting in with their longer cargo shorts (knees still showing). No mini skirts obviously but there were many women with skirts above their knees which were passing. No bare shoulders so tank tops are out for both men and women. No bare midriff. Skin tight anything is okay as long as the skin is covered. 

We have visited several cathedrals now and it's interesting how each one can still be different. It's hard to describe the ways but we weren't disappointed in our visit to the Duomo. We were a bit disappointed in the audio guide though. The numbers jumped all over the place and the map of where the things were that they were talking about didn't entirely match. They also had an archaeological exhibit below ground which was a bit interesting.

After seeing the inside we took an elevator to the roof (+4 euro each for the elevator vs. the stair route). It's pretty amazing to be able to walk on the actual roof. We were only allowed on one half since there is a large maintenance project. Apparently there is always a large maintenance project since they have a saying about if a job never ends it's like working on the Duomo. The audio guide talked a lot about the Veneranda Fabbrica which is the agency that is in charge of maintenance and refurbishment of the entire Duomo. They've been in existence since the 1300s and own the marble quarry that provides all the marble for the Duomo. The Duomo is not made of brick as was most common at the time of its construction. Rather it was decided to make it out of marble. It's a somewhat local marble and quite pretty - white with peach and grey streaking. But apparently also rather fragile. Over time it turns grey then black then starts to disintegrate. There was no information about how long this takes. It's very easy to see where the new pieces are. Jeff did read something about a twice a year complete examination of the exterior of the Duomo.

At the Duomo museum we were hoping for info and explanation about Veneranda Fabbrica and the process for the ongoing maintenance and maybe some info about how often things need replacement. Instead we got to see MANY pieces (mostly statues) up close that previously were part of the Duomo but have been replaced as they aged.

There aren't a lot of dinner restaurants in our immediate vicinity but it's only a 10-minute walk to the canal district of Milan and LOTS of restaurants there. It's really about a 10-minute walk to all the places of interest from our apartment and it's quiet and comfortable so other than having to buy a french press so we could make a more significant volume of coffee it's a good AirBNB.

The canals at least somewhat had their origins in the decision to make the Duomo out of marble. They needed a water route to get the marble from the quarry to Milan. The canals connect to some rivers. There was a scheme at some point to expand them and really give Milan a significant water trade route but instead some of the canals were covered over in the 1930s.

We could have chosen an expensive restaurant but ended up at a Greek "fastaurant". They brought menus and food to the table but we ordered and paid inside at the counter. A fancy restaurant wasn't really the point; it was more about the ambiance of the canals.

Friday, May 19th

One month ago we arrived in Madrid. I guess that means we're 40% done with our trip.

Thunderstorms have been in the weather forecast for today for over a week and it is overcast and lightly raining. We've really done all the major tourist sites we wanted to so today is a mellow day. We wandered in the rain over to the expensive mall and from there to the outrageously expensive high fashion district. You can see some of what we saw in the photos below.

Spent the afternoon getting packed, reading, writing and organizing photos.

For dinner we went to the restaurant downstairs and behind our apartment. It was lovely. It's obvious we're tourists but Serena does manage to convey info in Italian and a lot of people speak fairly good English (though they always apologize for it not being perfect). Tonight's waiter  spoke some English and definitely understood from both of us how much we enjoyed the meal. That's possibly why he brought us a free digestiv with some biscotti and chocolate. 

Ciao Milano!

More re: traffic and transportation

Despite the heavy traffic, life as a pedestrian is not a problem. The stop lights have an indicator when you should cross and at any cross walk pedestrians have the right of way AND GET IT! Step into the street and traffic will stop. Maybe a motorcycle will swerve around you but all the rest stop. We were in a crosswalk with several other people when a car didn't stop and it was clear from the reaction of the locals that it was severely rude.

Given the size of the streets and the limited parking we were surprised in Spain to not see Smart cars. We're seeing a lot of them here and a model of Renault that is even smaller. Scooters and motorcycles are everywhere (they park on the sidewalks but don't drive there). They are driven by pretty much anyone including men in business suits and women picking up kids from school. The bicycles ride on the sidewalk or the street. It's quite crowded and chaotic but seems to work. 

We've seen some cars advertising something like zip car (cars2go) and there are numerous well-stocked bike-share stations also. We have seen some tiny little vans and pick up trucks too though they are few. There is also a subway system which we never used.

It's interesting that both in Spain and Italy the stop signs say "stop" rather than the equivalent in the local language.

Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. FYI for non-Italian speakers: da Vinci means 'from Vinci'. The town of Vinci is where Leonardo was born.

Duomo of Milano

Lego store version of the Duomo

Duomo interior

We can't recall why they have a duplicate of the Madonna. A statue just like this one tops the tallest spire. The Duomo is 356 feet tall (this includes the height of this statue which is more than 12 feet tall).

Some of the windows are traditional leaded stained glass and some are enameled and baked. But all are subject to being replaced when necessary.

Us on the roof (literally) of the Duomo.

Up close view of some of the roof decorations. There are 135 spires and 2300 statues on the outside of the Duomo.

 People lounging on the roof. They don't have the same dress and deportment rules up here.

Up close it's easy to see which parts have been replaced more recently.

One of the more interesting gargoyles. This is a dolphin with wings, lion's paws and a snake tail. With 150 gargoyles total they needed to be creative to avoid repetition.

Archaeological area under the Duomo was vaguely interesting.

Across the way at the Duomo museum you can see up close many of the items that have been replaced.

Duomo museum also has the rusted iron interior framework from a previous golden Madonna statue. The framework inside the current statue is stainless steel.

View of the Duomo from the top of the Torre Branca.

Clock tower entrance to Sforzesco Castle. Behind the castle is a lovely large park.

Jeff and inside the castle grounds. The castle is mostly occupied by various museums which we did not visit.

Beautiful shopping mall. There are some high-end stores but since this is right on the plaza in front of the Duomo and therefore gets a lot of tourist traffic they are more "affordable" high-end stores.

This store - yes this was the name - is in a less affordable shopping area. I can't recall what they were selling but they are clear about who their customers are.

There was more than one store where you could order your yacht. Base starting prices were NOT shown.

There were a few street-side pavilions with very expensive cars on display (for example a V10 Audi RS8 Spyder). This gold Range Rover was simply parked so it may belong to someone shopping.

People here like sparkly shoes. Probably most of the people we've seen wearing them did not buy them at this store. It's hard to see but the colorful pair are 998 euros. The silver ones are only 875 euros.

If you can afford 998 euros for sparkly tennis shoes maybe you can afford this skirt which was nearly 7000 euros. All those shiny bits are just cheap plastic sequins.

A bicycle, an electric 2-seater, and a car-share Smart car.

Serena posing for size-context next to a scooter (front) and a Renault Twizy (look it up online for better pictures).

Bike-share rack in the morning when the racks are still full.

Scooters

Navigli (canal) Grande where we had dinner.