Sadly our 68 nights of cruising has come to an end and we still suck at Trivia! Now it’s time for the Italian component! We have 2 weeks of our own adventuring, mostly by train and 2 weeks on an organised bus tour.

La Spezia

From the port of Civitavecchia we caught a train to La Spezia. From the train and in the distance we could see what looked like snow capped mountains. It was actually marble just outside the city of Carrara hence the name Carrara Marble. The Romans have been mining and building with this since the 1st century due to it’s white grade and high tensile strength.

La Spezia is a junction point to get to Cinque Terre so that station was very crowded but our hotel was very close to the station and we had no trouble finding it.

Our host’s made us feel very comfortable in their boutique hotel. Off we went for an afternoon walk down the lanes and streets of town and found the harbour waterfront.

The city did not feel busy and on our way back to the hotel, we enjoyed our first Italian aperitivo. Delicious it was. If you don’t like crowds, La Spezia is a great city to explore and I may be back one day.

Milan

Another train and this time to Milan. It passed through the 5 towns that make up Cinque Terra. Getting a glimpse of this spectacular coastline has made us excited for when we return to this area later in our trip.

What a beautiful railway station Milan has. It is built with an ancient looking facade with a soaring glass and metal domed roof over its 24 tracks. There are a lot of announcements to be wary of pickpockets yet there are so many police covering the station. Maybe it’s a game of cat and mouse?

Once settled in we walked to the famous Duomo Cathedral. The cathedral is one of the greatest displays of gothic art. There was a lot of repair work going on but we got the picture.

Beside the cathedral was a huge shopping mall set in a glass topped barrel vaulted tunnel with all the big brand names. In fact not just any shopping mall but the first one ever!

It was stunning and a big draw card for the tourists from the Duomo, partly because of the long held tradition of spinning on your heel on the Turin bull’s testicle, made from mosaic’s on the floor. It is a tradition in Milan that says if you place your heel on the bull’s testicle and spin three times you will have good luck. Before I knew it Ruthie was lined up to partake in this ritual. There is actually a deep hole there caused by all the spinning over the years.

On our return journey we enjoyed some of their popular street food, panini, washed down with a beer of course.

Last night there was a huge thunderstorm and it rained during the night. This served to freshen up the morning and remove all the humidity. We had a date with Leonardo Da Vinci and the Last Supper. Our guided tour was great and I learnt so much. The guide brought the painting to life for us. There were photos of the WW2 bombing that destroyed a huge part of the church and convent but the wall with this famous art work was spared. At the other end of the refectory, depicting the crucifixion was Giovanni Donato’s work painted in 1495.

Of course, Ruthie wanted to visit another castle and then she found a canal we had to visit. She didn’t tell me it was the far canal. Anyway, we made it there even after walking through some shady neighbourhoods. Sitting beside the canal sipping coffee, I was thinking how nice a tourist venue this could be. Unfortunately, a lot of non artistic graffiti spoiled the place.

Milan is the centre of commerce and fashion and has such a rich history. It mainly felt very expensive but worth a visit. For something different and less costly, Ruthie shopped at a local delicatessen and created a delicious Cha”Ruth”erie.

Stresa

My first impression of Stresa on the shores of Lake Maggiore was picture postcard perfect, stunning.

The weather was beautiful, the views amazing, the hotels wow! The colourful and green gardens expertly maintained and great panoramic walks.

In the evening we found a ristorante right on the lakes edge and enjoyed our apertivo along with an aperol spritz. It was magical. We think we’re getting right into the Italian spirit.

The following day Ruthie shopped at the Stresa street market while I sat with all the Italian men sipping coffee. I could get used to this.

We then caught a speedboat to the picturesque Borromean Islands that are within Lake Maggiore. It was all very chilled and relaxed as we wandered around the islands.

The day was finished with another aperitivo whilst overlooking the lake.