We visited the famous Duomo and walked the rooftop terraces, took in some history of invention and art at the Leonardo da Vinci Science Museum, visited Sforzesco Castle, Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II, Teatro della Scala Museum, more art at Pinacoteca di Brera and wandered the Navigli Grand Canal district.
Along the way and in between, food, wine and a few beers were taken, as is customary if not obligatory, while enjoying another good catch up with Hugh & Tammy before they continued on their travels!
Duomo Milan
(Oops - Black & White, my bad - unaware of a setting change!)
and a stop for lunch
Magnificently large cold beer coming up!
Notable helmets on patrol nearby!
Sforzesco Castle
Pinacoteca di Brera
Resting, or absorbed in the art?
Milan night sky, while we dined al fresco
Leonardo da Vinci Museum - one of the Last Supper(s)
Earliest commercial fax machine
The Pantelegraph ~1861
(Huge) suspended hi tech racing yacht
The canal and (more) refreshing Aperol Spritz
Ugo's restaurant nearby
All in all a very good few days together.
Then we parted as Hugh & Tammy headed for Lake Garda and we headed for Lake Como, where we had an apartment near the centre and in easy walking distance to points of interest, the ferries on the Lake and, importantly, places of sustenance and indulgence.
Firstly, it was a walk around the town, a visit to the Basilica and then a ride up the funicular to the village of Brenate, known as the balcony of the pre-alps.
Como below
500m down in a 1km ride
Jean walked down (3.3km) and I took the funicular!
Ice creams had to follow!
Paddle steamer- tour boat
Dessert pleases!
The weather once again defied a forecast of rain and thunder and we had an enjoyable ferry ride to Bellagio in bright sunshine, taking in views of the shoreside and the villas of the great and good.
Hydrofoil
Grand Hotel Royal, Bellagio
Al Pacino, Robert de Niro and Richard Branson
have stayed here, to name but a few,
but we weren't even allowed in for a peek!
Some heavy drops of rain moved in just as we were walking back to the apartment.
Our last full day once again served up fine weather for a walkabout of the Como Lake waterfront.
WW I Memorial
Our last dinner started out al fresco but, before we could even sip our Aperols or nibble the appetisers, we had to move inside.
But the Aperols were barely interrupted and seafood was very good, so it was a fine finale to our visit to Como.
