Our Travel Journal

This is a place where we put our journal entries from trips we have made.  We try to be true to our experiences, and provide links and information that will help others wishing to travel to the same places.  Please let us know if you find that any of our information is out dated!

Happy Browsing!

from Lake Como to Milan

Leaving Varenna through the tunnel (the train just before ours).

The Dominican Monastery in Milan which is home to Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper.

No pictures of the actual painting on the wall of the former refectory are permitted. This is a much smaller print reproduction hanging on a wall of an adjacent room at the exit.

We visited the Duomo in the center of Milan. The 4th largest church in Europe...and solid marble. St. Augustine and St. Ambrose were baptized (near) here in Milan.

While we had thoroughly enjoyed out six weeks of wonder, we were all ready to sleep in our own beds and see our sweet dog, Morgan.  And,so it was, with conflicting emotions, we bid farewell to the trip of a lifetime!

Visit to Villa Balbianello

Now owned and preserved by an Italian Foundation for the Arts, the previous owner who bequeathed it to the foundation was Guido Monzino. He was a department store owner who sold the business he inherited from his father, and invested it into expeditions all over the world--including the North Pole, Mt. Everest, and Patagonia. He also made improvements to this villa, and added on rooms, and even secret passageways, to house his collectibles from all over the world. It is a beautiful villa and gardens in the middle of Lake Como.

The Loggio Durini--map room on the left, study on the right.

View from center of Loggio, looking north at Lake Como (matching view to south is just as incredible).

Group shot.

garden and patio at the base of the villa where visitors arrive. (James Bond recuperated here near the end of the movie, Casino Royale and I think Princess Lea appeared here in a scene from Star Wars(.

The chapel first used by the Cardinal who came here in the 1800's to write, and the villa that was subsequently built up and around it.

Varenna and Bellagio at Lake Como

Last night. The moon shining on the water from a cloudy sky. Amber horizon and the glowing lights of Varenna.

A ferry ride from Varenna to Bellagio.



Varenna from the lake

Ferry ride!

Celestial light show streaming down through the clouds...

Celestial light show with rain added in, and a breeze to 'curve' the drops as they near the lake.

Walking to dinner along the riverfront gardens in Varenna.

The mountains to the north help block the cold winds and make possible palms and other surprising subtropical trees and flowers just 30 km from Switzerland!!!

From Firenze (Florence) through Milan to Lake Como

Most of the train options from Firenze to Milan were high speed. For a small upcharge from our Eurail Passes, we hopped on board   It's ironic that this was the one and only time that no train official checked our ticket during the journey!

According to the fancy screen at the top of the car, the train reportedly achieved a speed of 290 km/hour. If my math is correct (which is always in doubt) this would be roughly 170 or 180 m.p.h. This seems impossible, but engineering is not the 'long suit' for any of our party!

We had a quick connection to a much slower, local train. There was just enough time for two of us to run to the nearest place for food in the Milan station (which turned out to be a Burger King) and grab some burgers to take on board. As we chugged along, the weather changed from partly cloudy, to more cloudy, to mostly cloudy, to fog and rain. We arrived at the train station in Varenna, and hailed a taxi to take us uphill to our apartment which is about a 15 minute, steep drive above the town. We were not going to haul our bags up this steep hill (remember the baggage adventures from and earlier blog post from the ferry to Naxos?).

Moving from Florence to Lake Como is a shift from 'created beauty' to 'creation beauty.' Florence has a dazzling amount of divinely inspired, human creativity on display in every imaginable form--painting, sculpture, opera, writing, architecture, etc. Lake Como is simply a divinely inspired creation of earth and sky and water.

During the first hour, the mountains and lake unwrapped themselves like a present. The photographic sequence follows:


First view from the balcony of our apartment...



Varenna, a few minutes later...



Varenna, a few minutes after that...



Varenna and surrounding hills, a few minutes later...



Small village above Varenna, including castle, about an hour later as we trekked uphill to the market!

Pictures from Florence

Unfortunately, one member of our team contracted a 24 virus, so Mom and Lamar stayed put in the apartment, while the other three lived it up!

Man does not live by bread alone. In Italy, gelato is essential. At 3 p.m. it is a great way to cool down and 'sugar up' for the final stretch of the day!

The duomo (cathedral) in the center of Florence.

The ceiling mosaic in the baptistery (a separate building near the cathedral). Notice the subject is the final judgment, with one thumb up, and one down.

Standing in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, on the patio of the Uffizi Art Museum.

Finley and Katherine loved the fashions on display in the Palazzo Pitti!

Arrival in Florence

David stands 17 feet tall, calm and confident.

Goliath was no match for his strength and focus.

John the Baptist's reproach of King Herod--Giuseppe Fattori, 19th cent.

We took the morning train from Cortona to Florence, and arrived just before noon to check in to our apartment on the city's northeast perimeter. In the afternoon we set out for the Galleria del Accademia to view Michelangelo's David, as well as other sculptures, paintings and instruments.










Violin by Antonio Stradivari, 1716.

The nave of St. Mark's, decorated for the opera.

We completed our visit and returned to our apartment to freshen up for the evening. Several months ago, we reserved tickets for our first opera performance as a family. Opera in Italy is not cheap. This reasonably priced production of Gaetano Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore was hosted by St. Mark's Anglican Church.

We were seated in the second row of the nave, and the performers were outstanding! WOW! The lead performers each have distinguished academic and performance credentials, having been trained in Europe's finest academies and having sung all around the world. The singing was absolutely spectacular. 


Seats in the 2nd row!!!

After a long day (and night) we began trekking toward our apartment on the opposite end of the city, and eventually found a vacant taxi to aid us on our way.

Lights reflecting in the Arno River on our walk back toward the apartment.