Posts Tagged ‘milan’

What The Duomo

May 10th, 2009

May 10th

We awoke around 6am, packed, ate breakfast, and then eventually made our way up and down the town stairs to the ferry.  Took the 30 minute ferry ride to Varenna and then the 10 minute walk to the train station.  We waited at the train station for about 45 minutes and then caught the hour train ride back to Milan.  In Milan we stayed about 20 minute walk from the station and about a 20 min walk to the city center.  We only did one of those walks, you guess which one?  Ok, it was the one when we didn’t have luggage to carry (and when we knew which direction to head).  Checked into The Best Western which was nicer than any USA Best Western.  Flat screen tv, wood floors, a nice bed, and our first bidet of the trip (that went unused).

After about an hour of getting in, utilizing the wifi internet, the reception still wasnt done with our passports  or had our game tickets (yep, got tickets to the soccer game!) so we decided to go walking towards the city center.  We didn’t exactly know where we were going, but I figured that eventually we would see a big duomo in the sky.  We did.  They had this long corridor of shops before you got to the duomo square.  I saw a sportings good store and went inside in search of an AC Milan jersey, and an Inter team t-shirt for a friend. We found both!  Hopefully my friend likes the shirt, or else I will keep looking.  I was excited to get the jersey before the game.  It was a little pricey as it was more of an authentic jersey, and not the cheap ones they sell from the generator powered push cart vendors.  In the shop, we talked to two sales people who were wondering if we lived in the O.C (“Don’t Call It That”) and wanted to exchange houses with us.

alduomomilan_smWe then continued on towards the Duomo where lisa gave a hello, a “how you doin” in italian.  We got accosted by street salesman selling their knickknacks, and by others who were selling bird seed.  When we wouldn’t buy the seed, they would throw some near us and then the birds would descend on us.

 

We made it to a street-side cafe, and had a lunch of pizza, and a panini.  Very delicious (channeling my inner Dr. Carlander).

duomocafe

Made the walk back to the hotel, and picked up our soccer tickets.  Face value of 43E, we paid 150E per ticket.  But it would be worth every euro to me.  I changed into my jersey, uploaded some pictures to the computer as backup, and then made our way to the game.

Earth To Italy

April 27th, 2009

So I have been planning a trip to Italy to travel around as well as to visit my parents.  Finding hotels has not been an easy process.  For instance, during my time in Rome, there will be a sporting event that could equate to our Super Bowl. Google Earth has this great feature where you can turn on icons to represent lodging.  But even with that great tool, almost every place I searched for in Rome ended up being unavailable.  Eventually I found a place through http://www.vrbo.com.  

I figured out general locations where I wanted to be situated in each city.  Then, when looking for a room, often the hotel would claim that they are near that location.  But Google Earth has been a great tool in this.  I would merely punch in the address of the hotel, and it would show me exactly where it was in relation to where I wanted to be.  You would be surprised at how many hotels claimed to be near the Duomo in Florence, only to be not so close.

At this point I have everywhere booked, except for 3 nights – 2 of those nights are in the Cinque Terre.  Here are the screenshots from Google Earth and websites where appropriate.

 
Here is my itinerary:

  • May 7th leave San Diego
  • 8th land in Milan
  • 8-9 Lake Como
  • 10th Milan (I am hoping to  get tickets to the soccer game or the opera as a fallback)
  • 11-12 Venice
  • 13-14 Cinque Terre
  • 15, 16, 17, 18 Florence
  • 19, 20, 21, 22 Montalcino
  • 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 Rome
  • May 28th Fly home

 

Lake Como
La Pergola

La Pergola, Hotel and Restaurant, drawn from a sixteenth century-building, lies by the lake, in a most typical fishermen’s hamlet called Pescallo, right on a shore of the promontory of Bellagio, turning south-east and facing the Lecco branch of Lake Como. The House was drawn from a building dating back to 1500, and assigned to a convent in the past centuries. The centre of Bellagio is but 10 minutes’ walk, among the luxuriant olive trees and mediterranean vegetation spread out on the Spartivento Point.

La Pergola

 

Milan
Best Western Cristoforo Colombo
About a 15 minute walk from the train station and about a 15 minute walk from the Duomo.  Im desperately hoping to get tickets to the Juve v. Milan soccer game, but am considering the opera as a backup plan.

milanhotel

Venice
Hotel Ai Do Mori
They have a crappy website.  They need Gorirra.  But it is only about 10 meters from St. Mark’s Square.  

Venice Hotel

 

Cinque Terre
Vernazza
Ivo Camere
The apartment which is also in the center of the town is accessible via a characteristic “carugio” (small side street) and is steps away from the piazza and the sea. 

vernazzahotel

 

Florence
Brunelleschi Hotel 
Hotel Brunelleschi is located in the middle, pedestrian area of the historical center of Florence, just steps away from the Cathedral and the Signoria Square, from a part overlooking the Via Calzaiuoli.

Florence Hotel

 

Montalcino
With My Parents
Next time I get the address from my parents, I’ll take a Google Earth pic.

montalcino

 

Rome
Private Apartment
its perfect location. From there the most important sights of the City can be reached with a short walk. You are just in the heart of the centre. 200 metres from Piazza Navona and Pantheon, 300 metres from Spanish Steps or Trevi Fountain and, in the opposite direction, just crossing the Tiber, you can reach Sant’Angelo Castel and St.Peter Cathedral (400 metres).

Rome Apartment

This Week I'm Thinking About: Jason Roth