JUNE 21 - JULY 3, 2009
JUNE 21-22, 2009
NEW YORK-FRANKFURT-MILAN
Flew from JFK on Lufthansa 0401 at 4 pm, changing planes in Frankfurt, arriving in Milan the next day at 10 am to meet up with three friends from the Philippines for sightseeing and opera. Checked in at the Hotel De La Ville which is conveniently a stone's throw from Teatro alla Scala, the Duomo, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
Joel Joves who arrived the day before was waiting for me in the lobby and after I checked in we went walking around and had lunch. Then we went to the Duomo's roof for a spectacular view of the cathedral spires and city views. For virtual tours of the cathedral, please click on central nave and crypt. That evening we had cocktails at a nice bar adjacent to the opera house before attending Verdi's Aida at La Scala. For a virtual tour of La Scala, please click here.
JUNE 23, 2009
MILAN
Traditional "stepping at the bull's balls" at the Galeria. Trying on a leather jacket at one of Milan's boutiques.
Lunch at the restaurant of Milan's swank Bulgari Resort. Then a stroll to the Castello Sforzesco, a huge Renaissance castle which is adjacent to the Parco Sempione.
After a stroll through the Parco Sempione, we went to see Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper at the Santa Maria delle Grazie. For a virtual look at the Last Supper, please click here. Then on to another church which was being renovated but had beautiful murals.
Back at the hotel, Mel and Roland finally arrived so we had drinks at G-Lounge then aperitivos at the La Rinascente's rooftop Il Bar overlooking the spires and gargoyles of the Duomo. From there we dined at Trattoria Madonnina and people-watched till midnight.
JUNE 24, 2009
MILAN-VERONA
After an early breakfast, we packed and then walked around the Galeria before lunch at the casual yet elegantly attractive Il Café Trussardi at the Palazzo Trussardi in Piazza alla Scala. Starting with Campari e soda, I had Saffron Rice with Mussels and Zucchini, then tiramisu for dessert. Then off to the Milano Centrale train station for the 13:25 train to Verona, arriving at 15:20 at Verona Porta Nuova.
Took a cab to the quite modern Hotel Verona on the Corso Porta Nuova.
The hotel has bicycles for the residents so we rode around town which was a nice way to see Verona passing the Porta Nuova, the Torre dei Lamberti, Piazza Bra with the bronze statue of Italy's first king, Vittorio Emanuele II, and fountain, and the Arena di Verona.
Dinner was at Ristorante Greppia. I had Zuppa d’orzo e lenticchie con code di gamberi (barley and lentil soup with crayfish tails), followed by Scampi e gamberi al profumo di menta (Shrimps and prawns flavored with mint). We then proceeded to walk, passed through the Porta Borsari which bears an inscription to commemorate the restoration of the city walls in 265 AD by the emperor, Gallienus, and around the Arena di Verona which was nicely lit and got a peak at rehearsal of Turandot at the Arena.
JUNE 25, 2009
VERONA
Walked along Verona's most fashionable street, Via Mazzini to the Piazza delle Erbe which used to be the Roman Forum. On the center of the square is a fountain and a statue of the Madonna Verona, in front of the Torre di Gardello and the Palazzo Maffei. Lunch was fresh and delicious seafood at Ristorante Al Cristo on Piazzetta Pescheria, a restaurant we accidentally found.
Weather forecast was not favorable for the performance of Verdi's Aida at the open-air Arena di Verona tonight. With an umbrella and a raincoat, Mel and I went and sat through the performance which unfortunately was stopped after the first act. The set was just visually stunning and spectacular!
JUNE 26, 2009
VERONA
After breakfast we went around town again using the hotel bikes, stopping at different boutiques and antique shops before stopping at a small local restaurant, followed by more sightseeing near the Adige River.
Dinner tonight was at the Ristorante Locanda Castelvecchio which featured a tasting menu of roasted and boiled meats: beef, veal, pork, tongue, etc. with typical Veronese sauces. The door handle to the restaurant will tell you this place is not for vegans! We had a very nice table in the veranda.
Opera tonight is Puccini's Turandot and thank God it did not rain. What a stunning and, needless to say, spectacular presentation!
The opera ended a little after midnight and it was such a nice evening after all so we decided to go to a bar before calling it a day.
JUNE 27, 2009
VERONA-VENICE
After breakfast we walked around town before we checked out and took a cab to the Verona Porta Nuova where we bought sandwiches for our 13:18 trip to Venice. At the station I met Simone Marai, a student at Università di Bologna, on his way to his parent's home in Rimini for summer vacation. We're now friends on Facebook.
We arrived in Venice at Venezia Mestre/Santa Lucia station where we took a water taxi to Venice, passed the Rialto Bridge and ended up near Piazza San Marco.
Checked in at Hotel Saturnia & International. I shared a room with JJ and it had a balcony with a view of Venice's rooftops and the Campanile di San Marco. It had a huge bathroom, and two beds with inlaid headboards, nice Murano crystal chandelier and sconces. Couldn't ask for a better room!
Walked to St. Mark's Square which is dominated by the Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and the Campanile. One can see replicas of the Horses of Saint Mark on the terrace of the façade of St Mark's Basilica. On the Piazzetta are two columns, one with the Lion of St. Mark and the other with a statue of St. Teodoro of Amasea.
From there we crossed so many bridges just sightseeing all over Venice and then we had a nice dinner. Back at the hotel we went to the rooftop and enjoyed the evening with a nice bottle of wine.
JUNE 28, 2009
VENICE
After a wonderful breakfast at the hotel restaurant we were picked up by a water taxi which took us for a complimentary ride to the Mazzega Glass Factory in Murano. They showed us how the glass pieces were made and then to the showrooms where we saw beautiful pieces, some were tributes to Picasso.
Back at San Marco we walked around and found a very nice little café where I had Insalata Caprese (mozzarella, tomato, and basil) and a glass of Aperol Spritz, Venice's signature drink. Shopping followed and then went back to the hotel to get ready for Wagner's Götterdämerung at the La Fenice. Thoroughly enjoyed Wagner's music, conducted by maestro Jeffrey Tate, but not the modernized sets and costumes. Though it started at 15:30 and and did not end until 20:30, I was thoroughly engrossed with the music being seated overlooking the orchestra pit.
After the opera, JJ and I went to dinner at a local restaurant in the Piazza San Marco area and went back to the hotel for a nightcap.
JUNE 29, 2009
VENICE
Once again the breakfast spread at this hotel was terrific which gave us a lot of energy for walking all over Venice. We passed by the opera house on our way to see the Fortuny Exhibit.
Then on to the famous Rialto Bridge, which crosses the Grand Canal, and checked out the Market.
We went back for lunch at that small café with the delicious Insalata Caprese and Aperol Spritz before we ventured to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. Stopped at a few art shops and boutiques along the way.
Had an aperitif at Hotel Danieli with JJ before I went by myself to a concert at a church. From there I went to one of the outdoor cafés in Saint Mark's Square and had a Negroni cocktail and listened to the musicians. On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at the Hotel Cipriani's Harry's Bar for their famous Bellini cocktail.
JUNE 30, 2009
VENICE-BELLAGIO
After another wonderful breakfast, we finished packing and boarded a water taxi to take us to the train station to go to Milan Centrale where we changed trains to go to Varenna. From Varenna we took the ferry to Bellagio.
We checked in, up 38 steps with our suitcases, at the Hotel Bellagio. The room has a full view of the beautiful Lago di Como.
Walked by the lake and went to the shops before we went to dinner at Hotel Du Lac Ristorante on the arcades.
JULY 01, 2009
BELLAGIO
JJ and Roland decided to take the ferry to go to Como while Mel and I stayed behind and explored Bellagio. I've been to Como in 2007 and I really just wanted to familiarize myself with beautiful Bellagio. We sauntered to the south side of Bellagio, entering the gardens of Villa Melzi with its rare exotic plants: lilies, lotuses, camellias, giant rhododendrons, azalias, hydrangeas. We passed by a Venetian gondola, statues, a gazebo, the chapel, and the glass house.
Started with my usual aperitivo, campari e soda, we had a nice late seafood lunch at a lakeside restaurant. Then headed back to the hotel for siesta.
JULY 02, 2009
BELLAGIO - MILAN
Spent the morning walking around and taking more pictures then met with the guys for lunch at a lakeside restaurant with a lot of shade trees. Then we took the ferry to Varenna where we rode on a train bound for Milan. Mel and Roland stayed in Milan for two more nights so they stayed in town while JJ and I stayed at the airport Holiday Inn.
JULY 03, 2009
MILAN-NEW YORK
Time to go home! JJ picked up his flight at Milano Malpensa to go home to the Philippines while I went to Milano Linate to take the 12:55pm Lufthansa #3955 to Frankfurt and Lufthansa #0404 to JFK arriving at 7:35 pm. Great trip!
