Milan

We arrived in Milan yesterday which is the end of the tour.  We did a walking tour around the city visiting La Scala, Milan's famous Opera House, magnificent on the inside but plain on the outside.   The Milan Duomo (cathedral) is huge with about 3000 statues.  On the sunday people were worshiping the other gods (sport basketball & football)  - hence the large crowds.
It would be great to see these huge cathedrals filled with real worship rather than just tourists.

We also went through a shopping building with all the famous stores.  In the centre square of the building on the four corners were  Louis Vuitton, Prada, Brenasoon & McDonalds.  Sort of spoils the effect.


Last night we said goodbye to most of the tour group.

 Today we did the city tour hop-on hop-off bus, and stopped at a museum of Science & Technolgy.  Exhibits from Leonardo Da Vinci to modern machines, trains, planes etc.   A large section with classrooms for school groups to learn practical science.   Found a great cafe to just sit and relax after lots of walking.

Found a nice place for dinner as there is not much around our hotel.  Walked a bit further and found a shopping street with all the major store - open on sunday night.

We fly home tomorrow.

Lugano & Como

Adventurous drive along narrow winding roads through picturesque villages to Lake Lugano which is in Switzerland so across the border and a different currency (Swiss Francs)


Stopped in Lugano, another church with historic paintings on the walls, otherwise a big town with lots of shops.

Then to Como a huge industrial town at the bottom of Lake Como.  Went up a mountain in funicular railway, a bit cloudy but on a good day you can see Milan one way and Turin the other way.
Back to our hotel on the lake stopping to take a photo of George Clooney's house.  Wish we had more time to just walk along the lake and enjoy the scenery.

George's house is the one closest to the lake.

Verona & Lake Como

We left Venice and headed off to Verona.   Plenty of Roman ruins including an almost complete Roman ampitheatre.  It is still used for Operas and concerts.   And of course the Juliet balcony.



  It has been made for tourists.  The building is a few hundred years old but the balcony was added in the 1930s.



Then off to beautiful Lake Como  George Clooney has a place here somewhere so maybe we will see him.

Venice

Today we had a full day in Venice.   Walking tour with a local guide to show us the main places,  St Mark's square, Bridge of Sighs, Rialto bridge, and all the narrow alley ways.





Easy to get lost especially when the tour guide uses unmarked short cuts.  We came back to the hotel for a rest as the middle of the day is hot and full of day tourist from the mainland.  We went back out after 3 and did a tour of the Doge's Palace, no large crowds.  Fascinating,  apartments, armoury & prison.  We actually walked across the Bridge of Sighs both ways.  This bridge is the link from the courts to the prison, after sentencing most people only went one way.  Can't take photos inside the palace but here is one of the outside.

Walked around St Mark's square at dusk when most of the day tourists had gone.  Even found our way back to the hotel.

Lucca to Venice

We left Lucca and travelled over the Apennine mountains to Venice.  Over a very high pass which often closed in the winter.

On the way we stopped at a small village called  "Portico di Romagna"

on the old border betweenTuscany and Romagna.  

We had a beautiful lunch at a hotel  "Al Vecchio Conventa"  which has a cooking school and Italian classes.  Rain has gone and we have a beautiful fine day again.
Stopped at Ravenne which has a church with fantastic mosaics on the ceiling dome, then on to Venice.   We didn't arrive until about 7:30pm,  dinner at 9pm and then a walk around Venice at 11pm.  We are staying on the island in a lovely old hotel right on a canal.   Venice is lovely but the commercial area on the nearby mainland is huge and unsightly.

Chinque Terre & Lucca

Today we went to the Chinque Terre  a coastal part of Italy where there are 5 historic villages on some very steep cliff.  There is a walking track but it is closed due to a rock fall which injured some Australian last week.
 The best way to see then is from the water but the boats don't always run due to weather. 
We were lucky and the boats were running in the morning.   We  spent about 90 minutes walking around the last village.  The weather closed in later and there was heavy rain as we caught the train back.

We then came back to Lucca and the weather cleared and we were able to walk around the old city and find Pucini's birthplace and walk on the city wall.

Pisa & Lucca

Today we visited Pisa, looked at the leaning tower and church.  We then walked around the old city and learnt more of the history of the Medici family.  We had lunch in the old city.   There were lots of black africans selling fake stuff and junk.  The Italians are trying to stop the fakes by making it illegal to purchase from street sellers.  Fine of 500euro.

On to Lucca a wonderful walled city with a complete wall 40 feet thick.  The birthplace of Puccini.  They have a concert every night of his works.