One amazing day after another!
Boarded the plan for Rome on the morning of October 1st, having left my phone behind... so from the beginning this trip is very different: the first in years where I was simply experiencing, not constantly in touch and sharing with you wonderful folks.
The flight was typical: long and reasonably uncomfortable, with lots of movies to watch on the screen in the seat in front of me, my feet up on the bag I stashed under that same seat, and nice folks on either side.
Got to Rome 11 hours after leaving the coast, noonish their time, gathered my bags (one for cool eather and one for hot) and was helped through the process of buying the train ticket into Rome proper and on to Milan. So another few hours of transport later, I arrived at an amazing train station, gathered up my bags again, and got a taxi to where I was staying - only to find that I could have walked i
After unloading my bags I wandered out to explore - and find a meal. Ended up in a restaurant across the plaza from the magnificent building that is the Milan Central Station - and is almost identical to Union Station in D.C. :) The local specialty, braised shank on Risotto Al Milanese, was served on a covered patio with a delicious local wine - and, as usual, was far too much for me to eat (or drink!) My very kind water, looking like a young John Travolta, was disappointed that I didn't clean my plate and order dessert but grudgingly gave me my check as requested :)
I wandered back to my room in the early dusk, feeling totally safe on these well lit streets and broad sidewalks. It helped that I had read an article in the plane's magazine explaining the city's plan to become totally "green" - including an projected layout that conforms to my suggestions in the book HOME.
The train to Varenna left early the next morning, so I was out before dawn, again feeling totally safe. I checked my hot-weather bag so only had the one to get up and down various stairs to and from platforms and the agent insisted that I sit and have some tea and a croissant so I wouldn't have to wait so long at the station. Really nice people, everywhere!
The sun came up as the train made its way through the Lombardy countryside, and glowed on the mountains ahead. Felt like I was in northern New Mexico or Arizona - except that there were many more houses and apartment buildings and all the roofs were red tile and the walls were shades of tan.
Boarded the plan for Rome on the morning of October 1st, having left my phone behind... so from the beginning this trip is very different: the first in years where I was simply experiencing, not constantly in touch and sharing with you wonderful folks.
The flight was typical: long and reasonably uncomfortable, with lots of movies to watch on the screen in the seat in front of me, my feet up on the bag I stashed under that same seat, and nice folks on either side.
Got to Rome 11 hours after leaving the coast, noonish their time, gathered my bags (one for cool eather and one for hot) and was helped through the process of buying the train ticket into Rome proper and on to Milan. So another few hours of transport later, I arrived at an amazing train station, gathered up my bags again, and got a taxi to where I was staying - only to find that I could have walked i
After unloading my bags I wandered out to explore - and find a meal. Ended up in a restaurant across the plaza from the magnificent building that is the Milan Central Station - and is almost identical to Union Station in D.C. :) The local specialty, braised shank on Risotto Al Milanese, was served on a covered patio with a delicious local wine - and, as usual, was far too much for me to eat (or drink!) My very kind water, looking like a young John Travolta, was disappointed that I didn't clean my plate and order dessert but grudgingly gave me my check as requested :)
I wandered back to my room in the early dusk, feeling totally safe on these well lit streets and broad sidewalks. It helped that I had read an article in the plane's magazine explaining the city's plan to become totally "green" - including an projected layout that conforms to my suggestions in the book HOME.
The train to Varenna left early the next morning, so I was out before dawn, again feeling totally safe. I checked my hot-weather bag so only had the one to get up and down various stairs to and from platforms and the agent insisted that I sit and have some tea and a croissant so I wouldn't have to wait so long at the station. Really nice people, everywhere!
The sun came up as the train made its way through the Lombardy countryside, and glowed on the mountains ahead. Felt like I was in northern New Mexico or Arizona - except that there were many more houses and apartment buildings and all the roofs were red tile and the walls were shades of tan.
In Varenna...
So many lovely images! So much texture and life! Even in the quite cold and windy early morning wandering around pulling my bags it feels comfortably old and new at the same time. The paths are about 6ft wide, cobblestone with lots of stairs, with wonderful peaks of the lake in between buildings. Braving a shallow set of stairs, I go down to the beach, then up a rather steep set, lifting my bags up a step at a time, I end up almost where I will be staying for a couple nights.
I'm located in the Piazza St. Giorgio, in a lovely little Ikea-furnished apartment with a view of a tree, a bit of the Royal Victoria hotel, the grand old house next to is and - oh my!- An 11th century chapel dedicated to ST John the Baptist! Built by Templars! And, inside, among the last bits of frescos, a madonna with a very dark face, in exactly the same position as the Dark Madonna in the cathedral at Chartres. Wandering around town I see copies of this fresco along several archways. According to the label, she was probably 13th century and the church was already there in 1130, built on the site of an earlier Christian church, which, past experience suggests, was probably a goddess shrine before that - and I'm based not 75feet away! Wow. Simply Wow.
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I had no idea why it was so important that I start this journey in Varenna, but it was almost a compulsion. Later, traveling across the lake on a ferry, a lovely British expat who's lived here over 30 years, tells me that there has long been an annual conference of physicists in the villa just south of town... Enrico Fermi started it. And then, from deep inside, came the memory of listening to conversations about this conference as a youngster. Ah, the circle is complete: drawn by subconscious memories to the exact site contributing to current researches. I do love how this universe works!
After a couple lovely peaceful days in Varenna I went back to Milan for the Leaonardo Da Vinci Workshop - on the 500th anniversary of his passing - then caught the train to Venice, where I had a marvelous sunset hike through the old city and caught a boat taxi out to the airport to fly to Cairo....
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