Better be home soon.............

Our last couple of days were spent back in Milan after our Bellagio trip. 

We arrived back in the early evening but it was still very hot and we were very  grateful to Mary and Davide for their air conditioned apartment.  Our final days in Milan were spent visiting the La Scala Opera House, walking the streets checking out the shops for last minute shopping and repacking our cases to make sure that we could fit everything in for the trip back home.  

Funny, but this did not happen so it was a trip to the local shops to get another suitcase!!!  All good now.

Our last evening was spent with Anna, Mary's friend, who we met close to where she lives, only a couple of stations away.  Anna took us to her local bar where we had a spritz to start which allowed us to partake of the "happy hour" nibbles.  This is a big part of the Italian culture and this bar provided the most amazing spread, from the obligatory pizza, meat selections, cheese boards, sandwiches, all types of spaghetti to the biggest round of parmigiana, you just cut it off as you wish, all there free of charge.  Needless to say we didn't have dinner as we had planned.  There was however, still room for delicious ice cream some time later!!

Anna, Julie and Linda at 'happy hour'.

The Parmesan cheese - huge!!

Anna said that it is lucky this bar is still open, as Milan, like all of Italy, closes down in August, including restaurants, shops and even some supermarkets.  We noticed this in the city as the famous Campari restaurant in the Galleria and other high class restaurants also closed on the first of August for the whole month.   Reminder to self: don't go to Italy in August!!

We set off early by taxi to get to the Cadorna station, a short trip away, where we caught the express train to the Malpensa airport.  It was a half hour trip which arrives directly in the airport and cheap too.  The cost is €11 as opposed to the €90 flat rate charged by taxis!!

We are now ready to go home, our last leg from Hong Kong and leaving with wonderful memories of our European holiday 2013 and we hope that you have enjoyed following our travels via our blog as much as we have had living them.

Julie and Linda

16 June - 7 August 2013

Another day in Paradise..........

You know somewhere is special when you walk into the airline lounge and mention that you've been away for seven weeks and they ask where you been in all that time. So you rattle off Athens, Santorini, Northern Greece, Paris, Burgundy, Geneva, Venice, Milan and Bellagio. At the mention of Bellagio their faces come alive with knowing smiles.  Bellagio has just that sort of effect on people.

This small town situated on Lake Como and surrounded by mountains is for me - heaven. The fifty minute hydrofoil ride from Como takes you to a whole different world. Despite initial issues with our Internet booked accommodation, John and Joan found an alternative that was even better and less expensive. Seeing John and Joan standing on their balcony as we arrived bought back memories of our travels on the Italian Riviera in 2010 - it was reminiscent of Santa Margarita for all of us. The imposing pink Hotel Metropole was right on the waters edge and we had a two room suite with side  views over the water and front promenade for the first two nights. Our last night we had front room with full water views. You could spend hours just watching the never ending traffic of hydrofoils, car ferries, speed boats, passenger ferries, water taxis and row boats weaving their way across the lake.

Our days were spent exploring the town, with it's near vertical steps, quaint shops, touring on the little tourist train further afield and walking along the beautiful tree lined promenade by the lake. We also took a ferry ride around the 'centre lake' area to other small villages. Lunch at Lenno was a relaxing affair. There are some amazing villas on the lake with beautiful gardens. Villages almost hidden high up on the mountain sides. How the residents get there almost seems like a mystery with barely a road in sight. 

The little tourist train. Time to save the feet and see a lot more of the village of Bellagio.

A church high up in the cliff.

Villa Carlotta

The village of Varenna.

Dinners at night were preceded by our own happy hour on the rooftop terrace watching the sun go down behind the mountains on the other side of the lake.

Our balcony view.

Our return trip to Como to catch the train back to Milan, was via the local bus. Much cheaper than the speedy hydrofoil and it provided a ride not unlike a roller coaster with its hair raising drive through streets not wider than the bus. At one point the four of us sitting in the two front seats let out somewhat terrified screams due to the near miss of a reversing car and oncoming traffic. The driver's skill was evident so we were apologetic to him for our noisy disruption. There were several Mexican standoffs as garbage trucks and cars jostled for centimeters of room to try to pass each other and our bus. 

Just as the car was reversing back another came racing round the corner! No accident fortunately but some loud screams from the front passengers - us!!

We believe that George Clooney's house is somewhere on this waterfront??

We said 'Good bye' to John and Joan at the train station, left our bags in storage and went off to explore Como until our early evening train to Milan. Time to take a funicular to the top of the mountain to get the view across the bottom end of the lake - or so we thought! There was very limited views of the lake although there may have been some from the light house at the very top of the mountain. Unfortunately the shuttle bus to the lighthouse only runs on weekends and the 35 minute walk to the light house was not an option in 35degree heat and horrid humidity. The funicular was probably one of the longest and steepest I've encountered. 

Looking back down on Como.

A short half hour ride back to Milan and 'home' to Mary and Davide's and the comfort of air conditioning.

And then there were two!

Hot, hot, hot.........

 After our long train journey from Geneva we finally arrived in a very hot Venice. Arrival at the train station was greeted by thousands (or so it seemed) fellow tourists.  Our instructions to get to our accommodation was to catch the vaporatto to St Toma station and wait for our contact to take us to our apartment, a short forty metres from where we embarked.........wrong! 

We had to haul our luggage over the cobblestone lane ways in the heat of the day over many bridges which crossed the canals which meant up and down before we reached our apartment in a back lane of Venice.  

Upon arrival we found out that we were on the first floor, but it was the top floor via forty nine steps!!!  There was however, a tiny lift but our contact put the fear of god in us with his insistent instructions not to touch the sides or it would jam!  We managed to get the large cases up and lugged the smaller ones up to the top ourselves. 

The apartment was as it appeared in the photos on the Internet but the third bedroom was up in the attic via a very tall and narrow staircase.  The roof was low and you had to bend to move around, BUT, it did have an air conditioner.  The main room had a table, chairs, kitchenette, fold out sofa and an air conditioner.  There were two additional bedrooms, one with and one without an air conditioner and two well appointed bathrooms.

Outside our apartment ready for exploring!

We set of for a walk to get our bearings and ended up close to the Rialto bridge and decided to have a well earned beer/wine and dinner.  The waiters here are like the ones in Lygon Street touting for business.  If you even look at the menu they almost have you sitting at their table with a glass of wine in your hand before you can blink!

Dinner first night in Venice.

As usual Julie was taking the photo!

Our days in Venice were spent exploring the lanes, shops, churches, piazzas and trying to keep cool.  The temperature, as in most parts of Europe was in the thirties with little relief either day or night.  The air conditioners in the apartment were working overtime and each time we put on an appliance they would break the circuit.....sounds familiar doesn't it!

Exploring the lanes.

Getting goods from the boats to the shops and avoiding the tourists!!!

Tony shopping! And boy did he do some shopping!!

Queuing in the midday sun to visit St Mark's.

Yes, 12 noon!

We came across the markets and could not believe the fabulous produce which was available.  Everything was bigger, brighter and fresher than we thought possible.  We decided that as it was so hot that we would not do any cooking, so took lots of photos instead!

The amazing fish - Venice market

Octopus - mouth watering!

Fresh fruit and berries looking for a platter!

Our best surprise was just a couple for lanes away from our apartment where we had one of the best meals, at a local restaurant and pizzeria.  Unfortunately we found it on our last night in Venice and had not made a booking.  We managed to get a table in this very funky but stylish restaurant but had to be out by 9:30 which was not a problem as we we're leaving early the next morning.  Certainly a recommendation to share with fellow travellers.

Dinner at our favourite - Muro Venezia Frari, in San Polo, Venice.

In other food news Tony found his own Grande pizza!!! 

No visit is complete without an iconic Goldola ride - but unfortunately no serenading!

With Julie....

And Joan and John.

Beautiful architecture with the bridge of Sighs over the canal at the Doge's Palace.

Leaving our apartment........

After the boys did a "recki" it was decided that it would be easier to walk to the station to catch our next train.  "It's only four bridges, two large and two small" it will be fine!  We contacted a porter who offered to take all our baggage for €80 which we thought was reasonable but unfortunately he turned up after we left!!!

Luckily we set off early in the morning but our walk saw us all perspiring just after the first bridge, only three to go!!!!  By the time we got to the station and more steps we were totally exhausted and we're grateful to just sit down and rest for the next couple of hours until our train journey to Milan.

Tony the quick change artist, putting on some fresher clothes at Venice railway station.

We said goodbye to Carmel and Frank who headed for the bus going to the airport and their flight to the UK.

And then there were five....

Walking on Sunshine...........

Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper is in Milan. 

Several friends had recommended this as a must see and that the best way to see it was to book it well in advance on-line as it has a very restricted viewing timetable. A maximum of thirty people at any one time, each group being allotted a specified 15 minute time frame. So I got on-line and found that the easiest way to guarantee our viewing was in conjunction with a walking tour. As Tony was going to leave us in Milan on Tuesday and the museum is not open on a Monday, that only left us the Sunday afternoon of our arrival! Done and booked in Melbourne sometime in early May!

So here we are in Milan on its hottest day in ten years. Around 36 degrees and steaming. Our lovely guide made sure we had plenty of shady stops while she gave us the history of the most stunning church I think I have ever seen.  The Duomo is without doubt an imposing and awe-inspiring piece of architecture with its hundreds of spires and over 4000 statues inside and out. It is a never ending cycle of maintenance and cleaning. 

The mosaic floors and stained glass windows are so beautiful. Luckily many of the windows were taken down during WWII for their protection so we are able to view them today.

Our guide walked us through the amazing Galleria Vittorio Emanuele with its calidiscope of colourful mosaic floors and impressive glass dome roofs. Then along the tram lined streets past La Scala, the most bland of facades belying the stunning opera theatre inside (Linda and I were able to visit and go into the boxes on our visit later in the week), past more churches, and into the Castello Sforzesco. It was a little cooler in here while we killed some time out of the burning sun waiting for the allotted 5.15 slot to view the Last Supper. 

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

Mosaics in the Galleria

La Scala Opera House

Taking in the view on the tour of the opera house which is currently undergoing some maintenance.

Castello Sforzesco

Then finally we are at our premier destination of the tour. The Last Supper is in the Church of St Mary of the Graces, a nondescript church in an ordinary street in Milan.  There are no crowds around because all visits are strictly controlled.

When you first enter from thermasticatically controlled double doors into the large room the first impression is wow!  The fresco is very large and approx nine meters wide and nearly five metres high, very impressive indeed and well worth the wait. Although the colour was quite subdued, the painting appeared to be much larger covering the whole width of the room.  Another special experience.

No photos can be taken of the Last Supper so our entrance ticket is as close as you will get! 

After our cultural afternoon walk, we dropped John and Joan back at their hotel and headed out into the burbs where Linda, Tony and I were fortunate enough to be staying in the apartment of my friends Mary and Davide. They are currently holidaying in Canada and very generously offered me their large one bedroom apartment while we were in Milan. It's air conditioning was much appreciated after three hours of walking in the blazing heat.

Our lovely place to call home whilst in Milan - thank you Mary and Davide.

Milan by its own admission is not renowned as a tourist destination (although this is apparently changing), but it certainly gives Geneva a run for its money as far as shopping in the the BIG name stores is concerned. Here it's about fashion rather than watches and jewellery. Via Montenapoleone is a very non descript street which houses Georgio Armani, Dior, Versace, Prada, Chanel, but nearing the end of our seven week trip there isn't that much spare cash!!

Milan has a great underground which had a station close by so we took full advantage of their cheap and varied travel tickets which suit visitors and locals alike.  Melbourne is so far behind with the disastrous Myki system!!!  You only buy what you need here in Milan!!

The heat is very sapping and we only stayed out for the most about six hours by which time our feet and bodies especially were craving rest and air conditioning.  This didn't however, stop us from enjoying this beautiful city.

Our stay in Milan was broken up into two parts with a three day side journey to Bellagio, but that another story.......

Tony left us to return to Melbourne before our side trip to Bellagio with Joan and John.

And then there were four.....

Money, money, money........

Three nights in a four star hotel  - $1600

Small bottle of Pellegrino water - $7

One chicken sandwich and bottle of coke - $17

Swiss Army knife - $56

Diamond watches and sparkling jewellery - $35000.00 ( I wish!!)

Leaving Geneva - Priceless

It's an interesting little city, picturesquely set on the lake front with mountains in the distance, but boy does it drain the credit card balance. Well that is unless you have one of those hidden Swiss bank accounts to draw on!

Lots of walking and quite a bit of window shopping was done in a hectic 2 days in Geneva. Oh and some purchasing. Climbing the hundreds of steps of St Pierre Cathedral gave us a fabulous view of the lake and Mont Blanc in the distance. The water jet fountain in the middle of the lake was fabulous. Much higher than the Captain Cook jet in Lake Burley Griffin.

One afternoon we walked to the United Nations only to find that the tours had closed for the day.  The International Committee for the Red Cross was just up the road so we headed on up.  We were able to do the tour but unfortunately ran out of time as it is a very absorbing place.  Lots of "moving photos" of refugees and committee members telling their stories of how the Red Cross had saved them from war, poverty, natural disasters, etc.  

One of the Red Cross witnesses, a talking hologram.  When you place your hand on his, his commentary commences.  Amazing!

The next morning we headed back to the UN to do a tour. Again another fascinating insight into the workings of a major international organisation. Geneva is where it all began. The buildings and the works of art from around the world that line the walls were incredible. Unfortunately unlike the New York UN building where we could wander through the main areas on our own, we had to stay with the guided tour which didn't allow for time to stop and view more than a couple of highlighted pieces.

Inside the main chamber with the roof art looking like stalegtites.  It was painted this way so that no one country could identify with the painting and can claim favouritism over another, a very unique piece indeed.  In fact you cannot see the whole painting from any point in the chamber.

One of the tapestries on display - works of art!

Jules and Tony ready for work!

This tapestry donated by China has a similar effect to paintings that have eyes that follow you. No matter where you stood the path would appear to be angled towards you.

Outside the UN in the Nations Plaza there is a sculpture raising awareness of the damage caused by landlines and the campaign to rid the world of these maiming and killing devices.

The irony of children running through the water fountains to cool off was not lost on us. 

Sandy and Chris left us in Geneva on the third day heading for more sun Langkowi and then there were seven!

After two weeks of fabulous french food, we branched out a bit in our eating in Geneva with a Chinese dinner, Italian dinner and for some the tradition of a Swiss cheese fondue.

Our final day in Geneva was hitting the shops for some bargains???  Plenty of "salde" signs but not much left.  Some shopping was done though, as we had to make sure that we had Swiss timing........

There are many luxury brands in Geneva and some stores like Cartier are actually renovating into larger premises.  In fact Geneva had more cranes working than anywhere we had been in Europe, a very sharp contrast to Greece.  

Next stop, Venice, about six and a half hours away!