PROLOGUE, September 2018
After months of planning, Tony and I were off to Europe to meet up with my sister Lisa, her hubby Bob (Dr. Bobby), our cousin Pat, and her husband Jeff (both podiatrists--very handy to have along when planning to do a lot of walking). Our overnight flight got us into London the next morning at 8:45, and the other four would arrive a couple hours later. We planned to converge at our hotel near the Tower of London to unload our junk and begin exploring. So exciting!!
This trip was initially thought up by Lisa when Tony mentioned off-handedly that he would someday enjoy visiting the WWII landing sites in Normandy, France. Since neither he nor I had ever been to London or Paris, this seemed the perfect time to incorporate those cities into the mix. Then Lisa mentioned how much we had all enjoyed the beautiful Alpine lakes region of northern Italy when we took an Alpine Countries tour in 2007, so we decided to find a trip that would allow us to visit all the areas in which we were interested. Lisa knew someone who had used European Destinations/Tripmasters in the past with good results, so we decided to book our trip through that company. This allowed us to select the cities, flights, hotels, excursions, and length of stay in each city in one package, and the cost was very reasonable.
Our itinerary would start in London when we arrived on the 14th, and we would spend the remainder of the day exploring on our own. Our hotel was the DoubleTree by Hilton Tower of London. Saturday we had tickets to take a Hop On/Hop Off bus tour around the city. We’d done these bus tours before and always enjoy taking them because the commentary is usually very good--even entertaining--and we can jump off anywhere we decide to spend some time, then get picked up again when we’re finished. We would spend 2 nights in London, then Sunday we would take the Eurostar train through the Chunnel to Paris.
The evening we arrived in Paris we would have a lovely dinner cruise on the River Seine, then home to the Augustin Astotel to get some necessary sleep in preparation for our bus tour to Normandy the following day. We were all very excited about finally seeing in person the places where American troops landed during the second World War, and the American Cemetery where so many of them are buried.
Tuesday we would have our Paris Hop On/Hop Off tour, taking in the iconic sites in that beautiful City of Lights.
Wednesday we would head to Milan, Italy, our home base for the duration of the trip. In Milan we would stay at the Crowne Plaza Milan City Hotel, and here we did not plan to take a Hop On/Hop Off because we wouldn’t be staying in Milan most of the time. We had 3 day excursions planned: The Bernina Express train trip to St. Moritz, Switzerland; a bus tour to Lake Como (including a boat trip along the lake) and Lake Lugano; and a train trip to our favorite of all the lakes, Maggiore, where we would take a ferry out to the gorgeous island of Isola Bella, home of the exquisite Borromeo Palace and gardens.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Well, well, well…...not even out of the country and already a glitch. Lisa’s and Bob’s flight to Heathrow was rerouted from JFK through Atlanta. Sadly we would miss each other by just a little more than an hour. Their new flight was scheduled to arrive pretty much on schedule, but they wouldn’t be flying with Pat and Jeff as expected. Hurricane Florence, a strong and huge Category 2, was heading straight for Wilmington, NC, and was already wreaking havoc on flights along the east coast. We were hoping to be able to fly above it and not be affected.
Bon voyage!!
Even though we were warned by some friends who travel to London frequently, we ended up taking a black taxi from the airport to our hotel because I was unfamiliar at that point with the Uber app and was nervous about using it. Unfortunately, the one-way trip cost us nearly $100. Following that shock we used Uber every time we needed transportation with our luggage. Lisa, Bob, Pat, and Jeff used Uber from Heathrow to the hotel and split the cost that totaled less than half of what Tony and I paid. It was our only faux pas, albeit a costly one.
After we left our luggage at the hotel (DoubleTree by Hilton Tower of London--very nice!), Tony and I went to find a Starbucks, him for a latte and me for a London Starbucks mug to add to our collection. We aren’t necessarily Starbucks fans, but we have a collection of Starbucks coffee cups from every country we visit. Then we walked around a bit while waiting for our room to be readied. Once we got to the room, Tony immediately conked out on the bed while I got the lay of the land. By then the other 4 had arrived, so I went down to the lobby to meet them. After a short time while they got settled in their rooms, we went out to explore the area around the hotel.
The hotel was actually in a great location, about a block from the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, and the convenient HoHo (Hop on/Hop off) tour bus stop. After walking around for awhile, we got a recommendation from the concierge for a good fish and chips place. We didn’t think it was going to be a very long walk, but it turned out to be much further than expected. By the time we got there about an hour later, we were pretty hungry and thirsty, and the folks at Poppie’s took good care of us. The walk back wasn’t quite as long because we found a more expeditious route, and by then Tony and I were pretty much ready for bed. The others wanted to go up to the rooftop bar for a drink since they had had a later flight and they were able to sleep a bit on theirs. We showered and hit the sheets for a lovely 10-hour nap.
Tower of London
Poppie's
First London dinner--fish and chips!!
The iconic phone booths were everywhere!
Pat, Lisa, and me
Tower Bridge from the hotel's rooftop bar
Today (Bob’s 70th birthday) we took the HoHo around London, seeing the popular sights from the top of a double-decker, open-air bus, and getting off whenever we wanted to be more up close and personal at the various locations. London is a very busy city, and the architecture is an unusual mix of centuries-old and modern buildings. The historical aspects of the city are staggering. I found myself humming “Tower Warders, Under Orders” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Yeomen of the Guard every time we were near the Tower of London, and “P-a-r-liament” as we passed the gorgeous Parliament buildings. Big Ben is undergoing massive restorations, so we weren’t able to see much of it or hear the bell. We walked around Buckingham Palace but didn’t see the changing of the guard because the Queen was vacationing at her country home in Balmoral, so the infamous guards were not on duty. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and some drafts at a cute pub, Bag O’ Nails. The guys and Lisa had fish and chips again, and Pat and I had a delicious beef and ale pie with mashed potatoes and veggies. After lunch we jumped back on the tour bus to see some more sights, ending up at the River Thames. Our HoHo tickets allowed us to take a short river cruise, which handily let us off at the stop closest to our hotel. It was a really nice, full day, and the weather couldn’t have been more cooperative.
**Note: Unbeknownst to us, we arrived during Fashion Week in London. This major event involves street closures, crazy traffic, and some of the most bizarre-looking human mannequins on the planet. Not only this, but Fashion Week somehow seemed to follow us to both Paris and Milan. The excess traffic caused several diversions on all the HoHo routes, so we didn’t get to see everything promised on each tour. If anyone is planning a trip to Europe in the fall, I strongly advise checking the Fashion Week schedule and avoiding it if at all possible.
Big Ben, undergoing restoration
Pride of Paddington
London welcomed our NFL
Piccadilly Circus
Parliament
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Bag O' Nails for lunch
After lunch stroll in St. James Park
St. James Park
Duck Island Cottage in St. James Park
Duck Island Cottage
Burberry Car for Fashion Week
Burberry Bear for Fashion Week
Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral
𝅘𝅥𝅯"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag..."𝅘𝅥𝅮
Londonistan
Will bagpipe for food
3 Musketeers: Bob, Tony, and Jeff
The London Eye
Ubiquitous IBM from our Thames River cruise
Approaching the Tower Bridge from our cruise boat
Happy Thames River cruisers
Tony made friends with a local pigeon
After resting and cleaning up a bit, we went up to the rooftop lounge at our hotel to see the view at sunset and have a drink before dinner. It was really spectacular to see our section of London bathed in the colors of sunset and then watching the twinkle of evening lights coming on. Following that little interlude, we walked across the Tower Bridge to a nice riverfront Italian restaurant, Cantina del Ponte, where Lisa and Bob treated everyone to a celebratory dinner for Bob’s birthday. It was lovely--good food, good wine, good company. We had some nice conversations with 4 guys from The Netherlands at the next table over who were in town to watch a soccer match. Everyone is so friendly in London!
Nighttime view from our hotel rooftop bar
Tower of London from our rooftop
River Thames from our rooftop
Shards Building at night
Cantina del Ponte, right on the river
Bob, Jeff, and Tony at Bob's birthday dinner
Me, Pat, and Lisa at dinner
After walking back to the hotel we went to our rooms to repack and try to get a decent night’s sleep for the train trip to Paris in the morning after breakfast.
Part of the festivities Lisa arranged for Bob was the receiving of a lot of birthday gifts and greetings from strangers, thanks to stickers she had prepared ahead of time and brought with her that we secretly placed on his back. They said things like “Hi, my name is Bob and today is my 70th birthday”. Folks would see the tags and wish him happy birthday, buy him drinks, bring special desserts, etc. We toyed with the idea of keeping the birthday thing going the entire trip, but it kind of fizzled out after the one day. Still, it was lots of fun watching a startled Bob wonder how people knew it was his birthday.
Happy Bob on his 70th birthday
My sister is a hoot!!
Birthday Bob, none the wiser
Sunday, September 16, 2018
We got down to breakfast early, checked out of the hotel, and made our way to St. Pancras station to catch our Eurostar train to Paris. It was pretty hectic at the station, really crowded. We were squashed like sardines in our seats in the station waiting area with our luggage. Fortunately, we were seated next to a fun American couple who entertained us with their stories and experiences. Our train was finally called for loading, and we boarded with all the other sardines. Oddly, our 3 couples were booked in separate cars, so we weren’t able to sit together on the 3+ hours to Paris, but the journey was pleasant through the French countryside (which looked a whole lot like your average American countryside). I had been a little apprehensive about riding the train under the English Channel, but it was really quite a short portion of the entire train ride and not frightening at all.
The train station where we arrived in Paris.
Augustin Astotel
Lisa and Pat from their rooms
**Interesting fact: Although Starbucks can be found in abundance in just about every major city in Europe, Italy has never allowed Starbucks to plant stores in any of its cities, probably because it doesn’t need the franchise. Italian coffee stands on its own merit. But in the last year one Starbucks has been allowed to open in Italy, and to our delight and good fortune, it opened in Milan. So I was hoping to get a Starbucks Italy mug to add to our collection.
Since it was Sunday, the pace of our area was very relaxed and pleasant, unlike the frenzy of weekdays. There were families on bicycles, couples strolling, kids playing in the park and the weather was glorious. We had really been blessed in the weather department thus far, although it had actually been a little warmer than the outfits I packed, so I had been uncomfortable more than a few times. This is after checking, double checking, and triple checking the weather forecasts for each city many times while packing.
**Interesting fact: meteorology is the only profession in which its practitioners can be wrong 100% of the time and still command 6-figure salaries. LOL
Our Paris neighborhood
Pretty church, Eglise Saint-Augustin, just steps from our hotel
Inside Eglise Saint-Augustin
Cafes on every corner.....
....within walking distance of our hotel
First glimpse
Just one of about a thousand Eiffel photos we all took
Another one. Sorry.
Again, sorry. Couldn't help it.
We could hardly believe we were here!
Cute carousel on our way down to the Seine
Carousel from below
We walked down to the wharf and found our boat. It was a pretty bateau mouche with a glass roof so we could look up and see the buildings and bridges as we rode slowly by. Once we were seated, we were greeted by our waiter who brought little puff pastry appetizers and champagne. We ordered our dinners and relaxed as the boat pulled away from the dock. There was no commentary during the cruise, but we had been given little maps which pointed out all the major buildings as we passed by, including the Musee d’Orsay, Notre Dame cathedral, the beautifully lit Eiffel Tower, and many other famous attractions. It was so lovely and tranquil.Our dinners were surprisingly very good, with acceptable red and white wines. While we were eating, the gentleman next to us suddenly got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. It was the sweetest thing ever! They’re from Vancouver and had been dating 12 years. They both have grown children, so I guess they felt in no hurry to get married, but it was still very emotional for both of them. We all enjoyed witnessing such a tender moment, and everyone on the boat celebrated with them.
We were given maps of the route the cruise would follow, complete with landmarks.
The big moment
Bob's unimpressed.
So sweet!
A roving photographer took pictures of cruise guests then tried to extort ridiculous prices for them, so we took our own pictures of the pictures.
After about 2½ hours we were returned to the dock, but not before we stepped outside to view the spectacular Eiffel Tower light show. What seemed like millions of white lights sparkled and flashed for several minutes while everyone oohed and aahed. Paris certainly isn’t shy about showing its beauty to its best advantage. What a glorious evening!!
Even more gorgeous from the river
I never got tired of gazing at and photographing the tower.....
.....from every angle.
I don't know what we were laughing at, but we had tons of fun the entire trip.
Monday, September 17, 2018
We rose very early to be picked up at our hotel for our Normandy D-Day Beaches and American Cemetery excursion. The van dropped us off at the central office of the tour company where we and about a thousand of our closest friends stood in line to be checked in for the day’s various tours. We then boarded a nice touring bus and settled in for the several hours’ ride to the Caen/Bayeux area for our first stop, the WWII museum. We strolled along the various exhibits and watched a very good film recapping the events of WWII in this area of Normandy. I wish every American child could view this film because it accurately presented the true (not rewritten) history of this period in time.
Inside the WWII museum
In front of the museum
After that we spent some time visiting Utah and Omaha beaches, which are both breathtakingly beautiful. We were actually able to go into one of the German bunkers at Pointe du Hoc and see where the German soldiers waited for the American troops to land. The enormity of standing in the exact place where the enemy slaughtered our young men was very sobering.
The first 24 photos were taken at Pointe du Hoc, Utah Beach. The weather was perfect!
Apparently we aren't supposed to step off the cliff and drop to our deaths.
Pat and Jeff selfie at Pointe du Hoc
This is one of Pat's artistic shots, one of many at various locations.
These next 15 photos were taken at Omaha Beach, where we actually dipped our toes in the English Channel.
The last stop on the tour was the American Cemetery. Pictures do not do this place justice. I’m tearing up right now just thinking about it--row after row of gleaming white crosses and Stars of David marking the graves of our brave young men who gave their lives to ensure our country’s freedom. The cemetery sits on a bluff overlooking the clear deep blue water of the English Channel, and it is meticulously maintained. None of the 6 of us had any known relative or friend buried there, so we never had a Private Ryan moment, but it was a very moving experience nonetheless.
Outside the memorial chapel at the cemetery
Inside the chapel
The incredibly beautiful mosaic dome inside the chapel
And the crosses! Acres and acres of pure white crosses and Stars of David honoring our fallen heroes.
As we all paused a moment, looking up at the majestic American flag above us, Pat, Lisa, and I were moved to softly sing a trio of our National Anthem. I’m just sad we didn’t think to record it, but it’s probably a good idea that we didn’t because we all got so choked up we could hardly finish. We are all so glad we were able to spend some time in this meaningful historical site, and I’m happy our brave young heroes have such a beautiful place to be recognized and remembered.
After a relaxing bus ride back to Paris and van ride back to our hotel, we found a cute cafe nearby and had a nice dinner (with some surprising elements--like my huge plate of tuna tartare when I was expecting something completely different--since our French wasn’t the greatest). Our waiter was so cute, though, a Noah Wyle clone! Then we went home to shower and crash to rest up for the next day.
Not a lot of elbow room at the cafes, but they're very charming.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Today we did our Paris Hop On/Hop Off tour to see all the sights and take the requisite photos. It was a great way to see the entire city in a day, especially since we didn’t have the luxury of many days to visit every landmark individually. We did get off at the Arc de Triomphe and were going to go up to the top to get a better view of that part of the city but it started raining--the only rain we had the entire trip, and it didn’t last long--so we found our bus and moved on to the next stops.
One of the double-decker buses all over the city
But of course!
l'Arc de Triomphe
The bas reliefs are incredible.
Looking up inside the arc
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI with eternal flame
It was very moving.
Americans in Paris
The rain finally cleared up.
The Louvre
I didn't write down the name of this plaza. My bad. Anyone???
Place de la Concorde with Cleopatra's Needle
The tranquil Seine, next 4 pics
I couldn't visit Paris without including the Opera House.
So much beautiful architecture
Parisistan
Disclaimer: I have a bunch of church interior photos, but I'm not exactly sure which ones go with which church. Still, they're very beautiful. Use your imagination!
I'm pretty sure this bunch is Notre Dame.
The exterior ones are definitely Notre Dame.
Pat's and Jeff's selfie outside Notre Dame
Party of 6 selfie
Last on our day’s list was a stop at Montmartre where the beautiful Sacre Coeur church rises above the city on an unexpectedly tall hill. We had lunch at a cafe across the street from the steps leading up to the church to fortify ourselves for the climb ahead. As we were finishing eating, Tony and Lisa revived their old running rivalry and challenged each other to a race up the 120 or so steps to get to the top. Bob, Pat, Jeff, and I laughed ourselves silly watching them huff and puff and pant and stagger up those concrete steps to try to beat each other. In the end, they tied and realized their racing days were probably best left in the past. The rest of us climbed at a normal pace and met them at the top. The church is stunning, both inside and out. It is much more impressive and beautiful than Notre Dame, I think. We spent a good bit of time strolling around the interior of the church and taking photos, then we left to wander around the souvenir and artisan shops of the Montmartre area. It’s probably the coolest area of Paris, full of life and art and vitality.
Strolling the streets of Montmartre
We enjoyed the shopping here more than anywhere else in Paris.
Macaron patisserie-I didn't even go inside because I'm not a fan of macarons.
Just a few of the steps one has to climb to get up to the cathedral.
"Yay, I did it!"
Sacre Coeur from below
The church is heart stoppingly gorgeous.
View of lower Montmartre from Sacre Coeur
Overlooking Paris from Montmartre.
Young French soldiers
Sacre Coeur up close
The inside of Sacre Coeur
Breathtakingly beautiful dome
After this we walked back down all those steps and caught our HoHo back to the stop closest to our hotel, where we repacked and readied ourselves for the next day’s flight to Milan.
Just a moment of levity from our day of touring....during the brief rain the bus personnel handed out flimsy little rain ponchos. They were a little tricky, and Tony got stuck trying to get out of his once the rain stopped. We laughed til we cried!
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Today we were able to sleep in a bit and then walk the couple of blocks to Starbucks and a local bakery for breakfast, which we ate at little cafe tables outside the bakery. Afterward we went back to the hotel to collect our things and took an Uber to Charles de Gaulle Airport to catch our Air France flight to Milan. We arrived late in the afternoon, and of course transportation is hard to get during rush hour, but we finally got a van and made it to our hotel before dark. The Crowne Plaza Milan City was the best of our 3 hotels, very nice and accommodating. The front desk attendants were extremely helpful and never got frustrated by our endless questions and needs. And the metro was right outside the front door of the hotel!
Our hotel
The sweet courtyard where we met every evening for drinks and relaxation
Just across the street from our hotel was this gorgeous church, Basilica di Sant'Agostino.
We asked for and were directed to a nice restaurant just a few doors down from the hotel for a delicious meal of pizza. And wine, of course. It’s going to be a chore to detox from all the carbs and wine when we get home, but I’m determined to get back to no sugar/no grains/no alcohol/no caffeine ASAP.
**NOTE: Best laid plans, etc. I never did get back “on the wagon” regarding sugar, grains, and all, so was counting on my 2019 New Year’s resolution to get back on and stay on. I do feel so much better when I eliminate these toxins from my body. Not there yet, but hopeful.
After dinner we walked back to the hotel to shower and get a good night’s sleep. Since our pickup for tomorrow’s excursion was before the hotel opened for breakfast, we asked the front desk folks to arrange a take-along meal for the bus/train ride to St. Moritz, and they were more than accommodating.
Big plus: our room’s air conditioner was the best of the entire trip. The weather was unseasonably hot in all 3 cities, and we definitely appreciated the coolness at the Crowne Plaza after our sweaty days outdoors.
Thursday, September 20, 2019
We snagged our bag breakfasts at the desk and were picked up very early in the morning by van to meet our tour bus at the Zani Viaggi tour company main office. It was an absolute zoo, which did not bode well for this excursion, and we were right. When we booked the excursion, it was called the Bernina Express to St. Moritz, a little red train which we understood would take us up into the Italian and Swiss Alps for a nice day in the beautiful mountain lake town Lisa, Bob, Tony, and I had fallen in love with in 2007. We couldn’t wait to get back to stroll the town, relax by the lake, and maybe enjoy a delicious fondue lunch. Boy, were we wrong!
When we arrived at the Viaggi office we were joined by myriad people of various nationalities, a crush of more than a hundred warm bodies all vying for position to get on the bus as quickly as possible to snag the best seats. Most times on tour buses and trains it’s a free-for-all to get seats, with every man for himself. Fortunately in this case the tour guide had a list of names, and we were near the top of the list because Lisa’s and Bob’s last name begins with D and the list was alphabetical. (We all were able to get in under their name in most cases since we were traveling together, thank goodness.)
**Note: In our travels, especially internationally, it’s been our experience everywhere that tourists from certain ethnic groups, one in particular, have no regard for age (i.e., us old folks are not offered seats), sex (females are not offered seats if males, even young boys, are already sitting in them), and propriety. They push and shove to get to the front of the line so they can get the best window seats on buses and trains, never caring about couples wanting to sit together, and they stand up at the windows while taking pictures, blocking the view of everyone else. I don’t like profiling a certain culture, but it really got old having the same struggle on every excursion or HoHo. We pay a lot of money for these international trips, and it’s just not right to have to constantly jockey for position. I always thought this culture trained its children to be polite and deferential.
**Note: In our travels, especially internationally, it’s been our experience everywhere that tourists from certain ethnic groups, one in particular, have no regard for age (i.e., us old folks are not offered seats), sex (females are not offered seats if males, even young boys, are already sitting in them), and propriety. They push and shove to get to the front of the line so they can get the best window seats on buses and trains, never caring about couples wanting to sit together, and they stand up at the windows while taking pictures, blocking the view of everyone else. I don’t like profiling a certain culture, but it really got old having the same struggle on every excursion or HoHo. We pay a lot of money for these international trips, and it’s just not right to have to constantly jockey for position. I always thought this culture trained its children to be polite and deferential.
So we boarded the bus and got seats with a little table, which was great since we had those nice bag breakfasts from the hotel. We started spreading out the seemingly endless items from our bags to enjoy our breakfasts but were quickly stopped by the surly bus driver, telling us there was no eating on the bus. Hmmmph. At first I thought it was to keep the bus clean (already a fail, since it wasn’t that clean to begin with), but we soon found out what I think was the real reason.
On previous trips to Europe we’ve found that tour companies often schedule stops at the most off-the-wall locations at times when stops aren’t really necessary. We think these places have arrangements with the tour companies in which the tour companies get some sort of kick back from the businesses. There is no other logical explanation for some of the ridiculous stops we’ve made on various tours.
Anyway, midway through the bus ride to Tirano, where we were to pick up the Bernina Express train, the bus stopped at a restaurant so passengers could use the restrooms and purchase snacks. It was very nice, kind of a glorified truckstop. We found a table on the patio where we were finally able to eat our bag breakfasts, and we bought nothing. But all the other tourists on board more than made up for the Euros we did not spend.
We finally made it to Tirano, a nothing little village on the Italy/Switzerland border. Instead of boarding the train right away and heading for St. Moritz, we were informed that we would have a good bit of time in Tirano. Our guide escorted us to a historic church which did have one cool feature: a huge, magnificent pipe organ made of ornately carved ebony. Pictures don’t do it justice. We didn’t get to hear the organ, but just looking at the detail of that gorgeous wood was enough. Apparently someone at this church had once seen a vision of the Virgin Mary, so it’s considered a spiritual landmark. We could easily have skipped it. Following a few minutes of oohing and aahing over the organ, we left the church and explored the rest of Tirano, which took about 3 minutes.
Pretty carved doors
Gorgeous carved ebony organ
Mo and Pat selfie
Probably the only highlight of Tirano, but we were too full to indulge. I can't believe we had gelato only once the entire trip!
We thought we might board the train and finally be on our way to St. Moritz. We thought wrong. Our tour guide announced that we had at least an hour and a half until the train, so it would be a good idea to find a place for lunch. Well, since we had eaten our breakfasts not long before, and since we were still hoping for fondue in St. Moritz, we really had no desire or appetite for lunch at that particular time. But she was adamant that we have lunch, so we gave in and found a cafe. The food was okay; we just wanted to hurry and get out of there and get to our primary destination. After what seemed like hours out in the hot sun, our tour guide finally handed us our train tickets and escorted us to the little red train.
Naturally, by the time we got to our car, all the choice seats had been taken and there were only single seats on the aisle left, meaning any good photo opportunities were pretty much nil (see note above). But we did enjoy the gorgeous scenery of mountains, forests, waterfalls, and glaciers, plus the definite drop in temperature.
Lovely Swiss countryside
Gondola up to a mountain peak
The front of our train on a circular trestle
This is how I imagine Heidi's house.
Stunning mountain and river views
The train went past several huge glaciers.
Little mountain lake nestled in a valley
After several hours on the train, we reached picturesque St. Moritz. Then our tour guide dropped the bomb. We were only allowed ONE HOUR in this glorious Swiss mountain village before we had to board a bus back to Milan. We were shocked, dismayed, disappointed, and frustrated over this turn of events. The information we’d received when we booked the tour was very vague about how much time we would have in Tirano and St. Moritz, and I’m sure this was the reason. I doubt there would be so many people taking the tour if they discovered beforehand that they would have three times as much time in Tirano as in St. Moritz. We love this beautiful town so much, but sadly we only had time to take a few photos and use the restrooms.
After another really long bus ride back to Milan (with once again a stop at a roadside truck stop/restaurant), we were discharged at the original meeting place and told we had to find our own way back to our hotel. I guess we didn’t read the fine print, because we assumed we’d have return transportation to our hotel as we had with our other excursions.
That evening we took the metro to the Piazza del Duomo to explore the area, wander the lively streets as we looked for a place to have dinner, and discovered the brand new Milan Starbucks!
Shopping area adjacent to the Piazza del Duomo
Starbucks Milano!! It's a brand-new building designed to fit into the old architecture of the area.
The nightlife is very active in Milan, with streets lined with al fresco cafes.
Gelato? Yes, please!!
Duomo Milano by night
More of the plaza
Duomo Milano selfie
Friday, September 21, 2018
After the very long and tiring day traveling to and from St. Moritz, we 6 had a pow-wow and unanimously decided to skip the day trip to Stresa, Lake Maggiore, and Isola Bella. It would have been a lovely day together, and we would have been in control of the itinerary. But we were pretty much done in by the previous day’s experience, and we really hadn’t seen any of Milan. So we decided to stay in Milan and see the beautiful city. After another delightful breakfast at the hotel, we headed off by Metro to the center of the action, the Piazza del Duomo, anchored by the exquisite Milan Cathedral. Since it was our cousin Cheryl’s birthday, Pat, Lisa, and I did a little video for her in front of the beautiful cathedral, singing a trio of “Many Years” in Russian. We considered touring the cathedral but the line was hours long and it was already getting hot, so we opted to look for a HoHo bus.
Duomo Milano is exquisite day or night.
Plaza pigeons
More Duomo
Incredible carved Duomo doors
Outside Starbucks Milano
The line to get in, wrapped around the building
Welcome to Starbucks Milano!
I had to take a picture of the incredible ladies bathroom.
Starbucks Milano has a lot of separate gathering areas for enjoying coffee and pastries.
Beautiful marble staircase leading up to the mezzanine
The Roastery
Beverage ordering bar
This gentleman, one of the hosts/bouncers controlling the lines, was so cute and funny. Security was extremely tight and obvious at this Starbucks, probably because it was so new and novel.
Suave security guard
The world-famous La Scala opera house in Milan. If an opera singer is fortunate enough to perform at La Scala, his/her career is pretty much guaranteed.
La Scala
La Scala entrance
Marquee at La Scala
Al fresco dinner at Cafe de Ville
Incredible "Vertical Forest" residential tower in Milan. Here is a link describing the project. It's amazing!
My honey riding the metro in Milan
Saturday, September 22, 2018
This was a truly delightful day! We took a bus to Lugano, Switzerland and had a really good tour guide this time, Katerina. She was very engaging and informative, with lots of fun facts and suggestions for our time in Lugano. This is where we bought most of our chocolate to bring home to friends and family. We strolled around town and along the lake, taking in the beautiful scenery. We didn’t buy anything else because 4 of us had been to Switzerland before and had all the souvenirs we needed. Some others on the tour detoured to purchase watches, Swiss Army knives, etc.
Lovely fountain near Lake Lugano
It's a small world after all!
Strolling toward the shops
There's always a profusion of plants and flowers in European cities.
We really wanted some, but it wasn't open for business yet. (sad face)
So we bought chocolate to bring home instead!
Beautiful Lake Lugano
One of the most beautiful lakeside strolls ever
Lugano from the walking path
And from further down the path
Lake Como waterfront
The uphill climb to the restaurant
The restaurant where we had lunch
More al fresco dining
My lunch--local walnut ravioli with walnut cream sauce--was one of the most delicious meals I've ever eaten.
The next 16 photos are from the thoroughly enjoyable ferry ride along Lake Como. A couple of the homes belong to George and Amal Clooney, but I can't remember which ones.
Heading back to Milan
Sunday, September 23, 2018
At Malpensa Airport, standing in line for the second time to have our passports checked to exit Italy, we were several people behind a sweet African family: a husband, wife, and little boy about 12-15 months old in his mother’s arms. Since it was a back-and-forth snaking queue like the ones at theme parks, we got to see them quite a few times. The mother was a tall, statuesque beauty in the most gorgeous long dress of red decorated with jewels and flowers. It had a low elastic neckline which the little boy would pull down to gain access to her breast to nurse whenever he felt the urge. For a moment I did a double take seeing the woman’s breast completely exposed while he nursed and then pulled away, but my culture shock soon gave way to pure delight as the little guy nourished and comforted himself in the most natural way possible. His parents were completely oblivious of anything out of the ordinary.
The flight home was pretty uneventful, just really long. Neither Tony nor I could sleep a wink, so we watched 3 or 4 movies each on our personal seatback screens. I wish we could figure out the secret to sleeping on planes. Certainly if we ever go transatlantic again, we will upgrade to at least coach plus. It’s worth the extra money to be comfortable on such long flights.
The lovely Italian Alps from the plane
What a glorious end to a fabulous trip!
Would we do this again in the future? Me, most assuredly. Tony, maybe not so much. He can’t understand why we always want to go abroad when we have such a beautiful country right here to explore. I agree, but my sister’s and my thinking is that we only have so many travel years left, and we still have exotic places to visit. Later on, when we’re older, we can stay in the USA. Sounds good on paper. We’ll just have to wait and see. But we will definitely plan more trips with our travel posse of 6. We had too much fun together!
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