Montisola

Montisola is the large island that dominates Lake Iseo. With a total area of 12.8 square kilometres (4.9 sq mi), Montisola (sometimes Monte Isola) ranks as the largest lake island not only in Italy, but also in South and Central Europe. The peak of the island at 600 metres (1,969 feet) above sea level is 419 metres (1,375 feet) above the average surface elevation of Lake Iseo (181 m (594 ft), making it one of the highest lake islands in Europe.

We took the three minute boat ride from near our hotel across to the village of Carzano, which is on the northeastern tip of the island. Part of our group elected to walk the flat road along the lake, about a mile and a half, to another village called Peschiera Maraglio. Some rented bicycles and rode a loop of 9 km (less than 6 miles) around the circumference of the island.

But five of us, along with our tour leader, Luca, paid 2 Euros each to take the local bus (a small van just barely narrow enough to squeeze between buildings on the narrow roads) up to the village of Cure (KUR-ay). From the bus stop at Cure, we set out for Santuario Della Ceriola -- a little church at the highest point on the island.

The sign said 800 meters from Cure to the Santuario -- just less than half a mile. Easy, no? No! In that 800 meters of distance the elevation rose 140 meters, making for a rather steep grade.

We all reached the top. The chapel was very pretty, in 17th century Baroque style. The view was spectacular, and the restrooms were free! We spent a few minutes enjoying the spot before heading down.

We took the long way down. All the way down, no bus. It was less steep, but also not paved. It was a long walk, somewhat hard on the feet and knees, but at least we had gravity on our side going down. And we arrived in Peschiera Maraglio at about 1:45 p.m., where we almost immediately ran into the other group members who were enjoying lunch at an outdoor cafe.

Luca had made reservations for us at another restaurant that seemed a very long walk down the lake shore from the trail's end. But it only seemed that way. We sat and enjoyed an excellent meal. Some had wine, but after the long walk, I was ready for a beer. They had a good one -- a local red lager called "Goofy."

On the way back from the restaurant, Luca introduced us to two interesting friends. The first was a net maker, who ran a small shop on the lakefront. With Luca translating, the man explained that the island has had a tradition of net-making dating back hundreds of years. While fish nets were the origin, he now produces handbags, hammocks, decorative holders for hanging plants, etc. 

However, during the war, many men were exempt from military service because they were needed on the island to produce camouflage nets. In fact, he had recently completed and shipped several such nets to Ukraine.

A second friend was an 84 year old woman who ran a bakery, also along the lakeshore. The building was very poorly marked, so it would be easy to miss. We remarked that she could increase sales with some signage. But the bakery has been there since her father founded it more than 90 years ago, and it is well known to the locals. 

She gave us samples of a famous local cake called "spongada." Both of these visits gave us some unique insight into the local culture. The tourist industry has only taken off here in the last decade, but things are changing fast.

We rode another ferryboat from Peschiera Maraglio to Sulzano, a village on the mainland that is just a few miles south of our hotel. Luca had arranged a van to take us on the short ride back, where we enjoyed some rest.

Having already had a large lunch, we walked the short walk to Sale Marasino, the village just north of our hotel, in the evening to dine on a gelato.

Southbound

After three days near the Swiss border, there was only one way to go if we were to remain in Italy. This morning we got on the bus to head south, toward Lake Iseo.

We traveled through the Camonica Valley, which is not as wide, as long, or as prosperous as the Valtellina Valley in which Tirano is located. But it was still quite scenic, especially as we neared the lake and the region known as "Franciacorta."

Franciacorta is known as a region for sparkling wines, and we visited a vineyard and winery there. First we toured the vineyard, then the fermenting tanks, and finally the aging cellars. It was an interesting tour.

After the tour, we were taken to a dining room for a "blind" tasting. Three different sparkling wines were described, then we put on blindfolds, and samples were poured into three glasses in front of each person. Only two of our 15 group members were able to correctly identify all three wines. Budding sommeliers we are not.

Despite our failure, we were nevertheless served a very nice lunch before continuing on our way. We got a nice view of Montisola, the large island that dominates Lake Iseo. It's right outside our hotel room window.

After walking along the lake, we returned to the hotel for dinner with the group.

The Red Train

The Bernini Red Train is the only railway in the world to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We met a local guide, Roberto, just outside the station, about 20 yards from our hotel. We had a reserved car (actually half a car, but separated by a wall) on the 9 a.m. train heading to St. Moritz.

The narrow gauge train is operated by a Swiss railway, out of a separate station next to the main (standard gauge) Italian railway passenger station. Since we are just over a mile from the Swiss border, and since one needs their passport to get on the train, one is essentially in Switzerland as soon as one steps into the station.

The train climbs a mountain called Diavolezza, which roughly translates as "She-Devil." Around countless switchbacks and at least one loop-de-loop over a bridge that crosses its own tracks, the train climbs from an altitude of 429 meters (about 1,400 feet) at Tirano to 2253 meters (about 7,400 feet) above sea level.

We got off the train at the next station after the continental divide, so actually slightly below peak elevation. At the Bernina Diavolezza ski area station we disembarked the train.

We could see St. Moritz in the valley ahead of us, but as Roberto told us, it's an overpriced tourist trap. Instead, we walked a short distance to the base of the Diavolezza ski slope gondola.

Each gondola car holds more than 100 people, most of them with skis and associated gear. And we crammed in next to at least that many skiers for the ride up to the top at 2,978 meters (9,770 feet). It's a long ride, more than 2 miles horizontally, in addition to the climb.

The views along the train ride, and from the top of the gondola, were too spectacular for words. Even the dozens and dozens of photos we took (far too many to publish here) don't do justice to the actual scenery. We were fortunate to have ideal weather, as well.

Even the local guide was taking photos, despite the fact that he makes this trip five days a week, because he said he seldom has such clear, blue skies.

After a nice lunch, we retraced our route back down the mountain. The views were no less spectacular. With typical Swiss precision, the train pulled into the Tirano station right on schedule at exactly 3 p.m. and we said "ciao" to Roberto.

Luca, our tour leader, took us all to a gelateria to enjoy some local ice cream. Then we were free for the rest of the afternoon. We opted for a walk around town, following a tourist map for walks in some of the old, narrow streets. 

We popped into a couple neighborhood churches -- nothing special, just 400-year-old buildings full of beautiful art. Typical Italy. It was very pleasant, but I managed to get us lost and it took longer than anticipated to get back to the hotel.

In the evening, it was time for this trip's "home-hosted dinner." We and one other couple were assigned to the home of Salvio and Lea. Their home, on the side of the mountain just outside of town, had wonderful views of the town, surrounding vineyards, and distant, snow-capped Alps. Lea was raised sometimes in Milan and sometimes in Reno, Nevada, so her American English was equal to ours. She was also a very good cook. We enjoyed a most pleasant evening with them.

Alpine Decorah

Tirano reminds me a lot of Decorah. I don't believe there is a college here, but the population is about the same. Both towns are in rural areas, rely to a certain degree on tourism for their economic stability, and seem to attract free thinkers and those with alternative lifestyles.

We met some of those people today on this trip's "Day in the Life" segment. Technically, this family lives in Castello Dell'acqua, a collection of tiny hamlets just southwest of town. But that's like saying someone lives on a farm with a rural address of Spillville.

The land has been in the family for five generations, but the current owners had abandoned it for professions in urban areas. Then they came back, took over from Dad or Grandpa, and turned a subsistence farm into a unique business.

The business is goat cheese and agri-tourism. There are about 60 goats, milked with modern equipment twice a day. There is a cheese production factory. And there is the kitchen and dining room where groups like ours are hosted 2-3 times each week, nine months of the year.

After a tour, we helped place temporary fencing around a new pasture area. Then watch a goat stampede as the herd was allowed into the new area with fresh grass. 

Then we went into the dining room to try our hands at making some goat cheese of our own. It wasn't terrible, but the five varieties of professionally made cheese we enjoyed with lunch (along with salad, bread, pasta, and local wine) were much better.

Because April 25 is celebrated as a national holiday in Italy, commemorating liberation from fascism in 1945 (without mention of the fact that the Italians actually voted the fascists into power a couple decades earlier), our hosts sang us a partisan anthem from the 1940s.

The meal finished with "corrected" coffee. The espresso was "corrected" with a shot of grappa (40% alcohol) in each little cup. Not our favorite flavor, but it did send us all off with smiles on our faces. We returned to the hotel in mid-afternoon.

But a half hour later we were on the go once again. Most of our group accompanied Luca on a hike. The first stop was just a few blocks down the street, where we visited the Basilica of the Madonna of Tirano. 

This 16th century church commemorates the site on which a local farmer had an apparition of the Virgin while picking plums in 1501. It's a beautiful baroque/rococo style church with a grand pipe organ.

From there, we hiked up a very steep hill (more than 400 vertical feet) on switchbacks of gravel and stone stairways to reach the church of San Perpetua, an 11th century church that overlooks the entire town. The town, nestled into its valley, looks even more like Decorah from up here.

The way back to the hotel was less steep, but closer to highway traffic until we were able to turn off onto a narrow residential street. This back street shortcut took us past 200-year-old stone houses, as well as some new construction. We even came across several "lavanderia" fountains where women used to come to wash clothes along with their neighbors.

As we walked through the business district to return to the hotel, it was clear that nearly everything was closed or closed early for "Liberation Day." We decided to close early, as well. Tomorrow will be another big day.

Varenna

Today we spent too long in a village called Varenna along the eastern shore of Lake Como. Billed as a fishing village, it has become a tourist town. It was nice, but we could have walked the entire place in about an hour. Instead, we sauntered, stopped, and stood.

Beginning of the path

Only about 45 minutes from Lecco, we didn't have to start early to get there. So we enjoyed the big breakfast at our hotel before checking out. The weather forecast was for clouds and rain, but the sun was shining brightly through blue skies, even if it was a bit cool and windy.

Luca, our tour leader, took us slowly along a lakefront walkway that he and the tour company booklet called, "the lovers' walk." However, the signs along the path said, "Greenway dei Patriarchy," which would suggest something more like "walk of the city fathers." Not as romantic, but give the politicians credit for voting the funding.

The views of the lake were, indeed, beautiful. Como is at its widest here, where it splits between northern, Lecco, and Como branches. The snow-capped peaks to the north make for contrast between sky and water.

There is one spot on the path that suggests love: A heart attached to the railing creates a photo opportunity for those who wish to have an "Instagram Moment."

The walk ended in the town square, which would have been quaint had it not been so full of tourists.

While most of the group stood in the square, we visited the church of San Giorgio, at the end of the piazza. which dates from the year 1313. Several Medieval frescos are still preserved, including an image of Satan devouring sinners. 

Despite the 14th century architecture, it still has the look and feel of a working parish church.

Next, we visited Il Giardino Botanic del Hotel Villa Cipressi (Botanical Garden of the Cypress Villa Hotel). As the name implies, the hotel is an old villa, the former home of a very wealthy family, surrounded by cypress trees. On the steep hillside between the villa and the lake are switchback gravel paths among hundreds of species of plants. It was very pretty, but again, we stayed much too long.

A high point of the day was lunch at Blanco Restaurant. We had a table outside, under an olive tree, and enjoyed an excellent meal and good wine. Then it was back to the bus to continue on to Tirano, a village just 2 km from the Swiss border in the Alps.

An old hotel across from the rail station will be our home here for the next three nights. Luca took most of us on an orientation walk around the neighborhood.

One stop was a "storico" (or landmark, long-established) butcher shop where we enjoyed a sample taste of a local cold cut meat called Bresaola (very good).

Then several of us landed a very nice restaurant where Mary and I shared a local pasta called Pizzoccheri, which features buckwheat pasta noodles with cheese, cabbage, potatoes, and lots and lots of butter. It was quite good.

There will be more about Tirano in the coming days.

Milan

This was not our first time in Milan. We visited the city on our own some eleven years ago when we were living in the UK. This time, a van took our group into the city that is our tour leader's home town. Luca Angelillo, our leader, grew up in Milan, although he now resides about an hour outside of Venice. He clearly still loves the city of his birth.

Our first stop was church of Santa Maria Delle Graze (St. Mary, Our Lady of Grace) church. We were earlier than our appointed time, so we went to mass. The church was closed to visitors because a service was going on. But it was open to worshipers. We took a place in a pew, crossed ourselves at the proper times, and listened to some great organ music. We didn't understand a word of the prayers.

Leaving church early, we reunited with our group outside with our city guide. With her, we visited the cloister of the monastery adjacent to the church, and heard about some of the architectural features. Then we got our tickets and went into the refectory (dining hall) of the monastery where we saw Da Vinci's Last Supper, which is a fresco painted on the wall there. The original of the famous painting hadn't changed in the last 11 years, but it has certainly changed in the 500 years since it was painted. After multiple attempts at restoration, it is estimated that only about 30 percent of Leonardo's original paint remains.

The van took us to Piazza La Scala, which is essentially the front lawn of the famous opera house La Scala. We had taken a tour of the interior back in 2012, but not this time. On this trip we only saw the exterior and heard about it. Then we walked through the arched shopping street, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This is the headquarters of various fashion brands, such as Prada and Louis Vitton, and others.

At the other end of the Galleria is the piazza of the Duomo, or Cathedral, of Milan. It is the third largest Roman Catholic church in the world, behind St. Peters in Rome and the cathedral in Seville, Spain. Begun in the 1300s, it was under construction for 600 years and continues under constant renovation. Again, we were inside 11 years ago, but not today.

After a quick luncheon snack and a brief rest in a hotel lobby, we accompanied Luca on a walk to the Castello Sforzesco, the castle that was the home and fortress of Milan's medieval dukes. Today, it is a cultural venue, home to museums and concert halls.

On the way back to Piazza La Scala to rejoin the van and other group members who had used the afternoon for other activities, we stopped at a traditional Italian bar. Unlike and American bar, alcohol is not the only or even primary item on the menu. Bars here specialize in coffees of various kinds (the founder of Starbucks was inspired by Italian coffee bars), pastries, gelato, etc.

On the way out of the city, we got a glimpse of the "vertical forest," an expensive, high-rise apartment building that is covered with vegetation. As an attempt to bring nature into an urban environment, the building has thousands of species of plants, and due to turning leaves, changes colors with the seasons. Instead of window washers, a crane on top of the building lowers gardeners to all levels to tend to the plants and trees.

The van returned us to Lecco, where Mary and I enjoyed sharing a pizza at a restaurant beside the lake and bit of a walk around the town. Tomorrow we move on from here.

Snafu

We were supposed to fly to Milan, Italy on Thursday. The confirmed route was MSP to Paris on Delta, then Paris to Milan on Air France. On Wednesday morning, we received an email from Air France -- band news, "good" news. The bad news, they said, was that our Paris to Milan flight had been canceled. The "good" news ("good" according to this email) was that they had rebooked us on an alternate route: Paris to New York JFK and then back to Milan. Clearly ridiculous!

We called our travel company, OAT, and they were sympathetic. But they told us that Air France had somehow "locked" the reservation, so they were unable to touch it. So I called Air France and waited on hold approximately forever before speaking to a human. She was very polite and understanding, agreed that the trip back to JFK was ridiculous, and changed our route from MSP to ATL (Atlanta) to Milan, all on Delta.

When I checked my Delta app, it still showed MSP to Paris to JFK to Milan, even though I had ticket numbers and everything in an email from Air France. I called the 800 number in the email later in the day, remained on hold for a long time once again, and spoke to a man who assured me that we were confirmed on the new itinerary. OK.

The next day we went to the airport, print-outs of our email from Air France in hand. But when we tried to check in at the Delta desk, they were unable to find anything about the new reservation in their system. Nor were they able to access or change the old reservation because Air France had "locked" them out. So they were unable to issue boarding passes for us. 

Then they told us that all flights to Milan for the day had been canceled due to a transit strike! We stood at the desk for more than an hour, while they called various IT people to try unlocking the booking. Eventually, they booked us on a Delta flight to Amsterdam then next afternoon, with a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Milan. We would start our trip a day late.

We had to Uber back home from the airport, and then Uber back again the next day. So glad that we could support poor, immigrant Uber drivers, but out approximately $40 for a fruitless trip to the airport and back.

When we eventually got to Milan, we discovered that there really was not labor strike, and that all other flights had arrived on time the previous day -- including the flight from Atlanta that we were supposed to have been on, if Air France hadn't done whatever they did in the computer.

Very frustrating, but we finally arrived. A driver picked us up at the airport and drove us to the small city of Lecco on the shore of Lake Como. It's a beautiful place, and the view from our hotel room is stunning!

Although jet-lagged, we had a drink with our tour leader, who filled us in on what little we had missed in the previous day. Then we walked into Lecco for a short, self-guided tour. There was wine-tasting festival, but we only walked through. We didn't think a lot of wine would be a good idea with little sleep and a time zone change. But we did visit the local cathedral and walk the pedestrian street.

Cathedral bell tower

Our group members gathered for a presentation on Italian politics. The presenter was very good, but we could not keep our eyes open during the lecture.

The group had its welcome dinner in the evening, and we managed to stay awake for the meal. But we crashed immediately after, and slept very well the entire night.