Italian coda

Italian Lake District, July 21-24

From Burgundy we crossed the Jura, skirted Geneva, and picnicked at an autoroute rest stop with a wonderful view of Mont Blanc before entering Italy via the tunnel.


Mont Blanc

We had made reservations at a small hotel outside Verbania, one of the principal towns along the shore of Lake Maggiore. Michelin had recommended this hostelry as “good value,” and indeed it was, with a surprisingly sophisticated décor; large, clean room; and good food--all provided by a woman of north African extraction with three children. The reliability of the hot water left something to be desired, but with temperatures in the high 30’s, who cared? Like most hotels, our place was not air conditioned, but we were swift enough to buy an electric fan—the last one Verbania’s appliance store had in stock. It will travel with us all the way to Munich.


Verbania harbor

Our first full day was spent on a cruise up Lake Maggiore to Locarno, Switzerland, and back, with 2-1/2 hours of forced relaxation in each direction. It was heavenly.


Lago Maggiore village

That evening we happened into “Vecchia Intra,” a small restaurant off the quay in Verbania. Impressed by the food, service and prices, we returned the next evening and became acquainted with the owners (chef and waitress) and their 8-year-old son. Communicating in a combination of Italian, Spanish, and English, we learned that they had left Milan in search of a “better quality of life” (his phrase in English) and lived in a house in the woods outside of town. However, it was tough to make the restaurant pay, they said, for the introduction of the euro had put an end to the cheap lira that had attracted many tourists.


With Lucca, Sonia and Jacobo at Vecchia Intra

On Sunday thousands of Milanese head for the Lake District (as the queues on the autostrada demonstrated) so we decided to visit the city that day. Tickets for Leonardo’s “Last Supper” were sold out until the End of Time so we cannot offer a personal opinion as to whether s/he is really Mary Magdalene. The Duomo was open, but when Georgia tried to enter, she was rebuffed by the guards because of her scandalously sleeveless top. Quickly, Todd went into his Sir Walter Raleigh mode, whipped off his shirt and gave it to Georgia as a wrap. It later occurred to both of us that Todd might be arrested for indecent exposure as he stood topless on the piazza, but apparently the Milanese don’t care what guys wear—or don’t. As the following photo shows, sleeveless hussies without caring male companions were regularly denied entrance.


Rejected visitors to Milan Cathedral

The Duomo was indeed worth the hassle, for its vast interior and extraordinary facades impressed us mightily. (Exterior photography was effectively precluded, unfortunately, by a large construction shroud.) We went on from there through the Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, a 19th Century high-end mall, to the gloriously air-conditioned Brera art gallery and the Sforza Castle before returning to Verbania.


Milan Cathedral interior


Galeria Vittorio Emanuele II


Sforza Castle, Milan

After bargain accommodations and food, we decided to go upscale--make that WAY upscale--for lunch on Monday at the fabled Villa d’Este on Lake Como. It would be hard to imagine a lovelier setting for a fine meal.


Villa d'Este from Cernobbio


Villa d'Este