After checking out of our hotel in
Chamonix, our next destination was Milano (Milan). First part of the journey was through
to Vallorcine for a change from a French train to a Swiss one. We enjoyed the spectacular
mountain scenery and then the descent into Martigny which took one’s breathe
away. A stop at Brig allowed a couple of hours to explore, and buy a cable so
that I could charge the batteries on my camera. The 1444 hrs train to Milan
left Brig on time and headed into the Simplon Tunnel to emerge in Italy about
25 minutes later.
The scenery in this part of Italy along
Lake Maggiore makes one want get off the train and stay.
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| Lake Maggiore - internet photo |
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More photos can be found here.
No wonder this part of Italy has been a
popular holiday destination for well over two thousand years.
Milano ( Milan)
Milano ( Milan)
Checking into our hotel, a two hundred
metres from the railway station there was time left to get the metro around to the
Piazza del Duomo. After the cool
mountain air of Chamonix, Milano was decidedly warm and sunny.
Next day was a scramble to do a tour of the
Duomo, the excavations underneath the Piazza and the Castella Gardens before
coming back to La Scalla and then Museo Poldi-Pezzoli.
No visit to Milano is complete without some
window shopping in Galleria Vittoria Emanuelle II (constructed 1865- 1867) one of
the most exclusive shopping arcades anywhere. Here you will find all the most
expensive brands of designer gear, Prada and Louis Vuitton to name only two.
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| Galleria Vittoria Emanuelle II |
This shopping galleria links the Piazza del
Duomo with Piazza della Scalla.
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| Duomo della Santa Maria Nascente |
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| Teatro della Scalla |
La Scalla is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. This is where Verdi, Paganini and Toscanini's opera were made famous. Every budding opera star must pass the test of "the chicken coop". This is an area upstairs where there is limited visibility but the acoustics are marvellous. Applause from the critics in the so called chicken coop means you've "arrived" on the opera scene. Maria Callas is still regarded as the best diva ever to have sung at La Scalla and performances are often measured against hers.
Not far away we came across this parked on
the footpath amongst the scooters the Italians love.
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| 2 seater 4 wheeler - a scooter on steroids? |
This was on the way to Castella Sforesco
built in 1450. Unfortunately photo opportunities inside were a little limited as there
was extensive restoration going on.
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| The fountain outside the main entrance. |
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| The filled in moat and main gate of Castello Sforesco |
Walking through the castle grounds and to the other end of the park there is this magnificient gate across a rather busy road. I was lucky to get a break in the traffic for this shot.
I must comment here about the lovely deep blue sky. Coming from the Middle East and now wrtiting this from China, Europe has benefited from EU regulations in terms of air quality standards. Everywhere we have been in Europe over the last 5 years has been noticeable in the lack of any form of atmospheric pollution.
I must comment here about the lovely deep blue sky. Coming from the Middle East and now wrtiting this from China, Europe has benefited from EU regulations in terms of air quality standards. Everywhere we have been in Europe over the last 5 years has been noticeable in the lack of any form of atmospheric pollution.
Only two nights existed in our itinerary
for Milan – a good day trip from here would down to Cremona where Antonio
Stradivari made his 1100 violins. Next stop Firenze (Florence)
Firenze (Florence)
Firenze needs no introduction. One of the cultural and scientific treasures of Italy.
This photo is one of my best shots of the trip. It was taken early in the morning before the breeze got up to ruffle up the water. The reflections are quite nice.
The next two photos are late in the afternoon when the low sun provides a wonderful golden glow along the Arno.
Michelangelo's David originally stood in the Palazzo Vecchio for several hundred years before being shifted inside to the Acadamia. This magnificient statue, carved over 500 years ago, is now showing signs of deterioration. This replica stands in the original position.
Our next stop was to be the small hillside village of Caprile in the Liri Valey south of Rome. We decided that we would only spend a short time in Rome as we had been there previously and seen the major attractions in 1975. The plan was to leave our cases at the station and spend 5 or 6 hours before heading on. In the end we arrived in Rome around 3 hours later than originally planned.
Leaving Florence by train turned into a mission. There was a strike by the the ticket sellers and lots of trains cancelled. We eventually got on a train, after an hour and a half in a queue to get a ticket, and then took ages to get to Rome as there were delays over the network. Part of the problem was a major industrial fire next to the tracks a kilometer from Rome Central which sent dense clouds of smoke over the tracks. It was still burning when we finally pulled in.
Roma (Rome)
As a result of the delays, plans were changed and a quick trip on the metro the see the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain was all we could manage. No photos of the Spanish Steps as I didn't consider any of the angles suitable.
This is one of the sights that people go to see in Rome. One had to be patient and get to the front to get the shot.
Firenze (Florence)
Firenze needs no introduction. One of the cultural and scientific treasures of Italy.
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| Ponte Vecchio |
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| The River Arno from the Ponte Vecchio. |
The next two photos are late in the afternoon when the low sun provides a wonderful golden glow along the Arno.
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| A hidden bell tower in Florence |
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| Campanile from our hotel roof top bar. |
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| Another view from the hotel roof top |
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| Another view from gardens of Palazzo Pitti |
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| Cropped shot of above photo. |
Michelangelo's David originally stood in the Palazzo Vecchio for several hundred years before being shifted inside to the Acadamia. This magnificient statue, carved over 500 years ago, is now showing signs of deterioration. This replica stands in the original position.
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| David replica |
Leaving Florence by train turned into a mission. There was a strike by the the ticket sellers and lots of trains cancelled. We eventually got on a train, after an hour and a half in a queue to get a ticket, and then took ages to get to Rome as there were delays over the network. Part of the problem was a major industrial fire next to the tracks a kilometer from Rome Central which sent dense clouds of smoke over the tracks. It was still burning when we finally pulled in.
Roma (Rome)
As a result of the delays, plans were changed and a quick trip on the metro the see the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain was all we could manage. No photos of the Spanish Steps as I didn't consider any of the angles suitable.
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| Trevi Fountain |
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| The crowd at the Trevi |
This is the crowd that have come to see the Trevi Fountain!
Our next stop was Roccacessa to be met by Kay who was to show us around the WW2 battlefileds at Cassino and to stay with her in Caprile.
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