We've been in and out of Milan for the last week, almost week. Christina has had her bottom grabbed by some dirty old man on the Metro (subway) and she's been leered at left and right. :-) I've teased her a bit...
We went into the Duomo and were just astounded at its sheer beauty. Every time we get off the Metro in front of it, it just takes our breath away to stare at it.
Wednesday and Thursday we had some massive storms...thunder and lightning like I've never experienced and I believe there is more on the way this week.
Friday we went to Nico's guitar recital and had a lovely time...children and music is such an enchanting combination.
Yesterday, I finally found my Nero Giardini boots. You've never seen excitement such as this...LOL...just kidding...maybe...I also got to attend a BBQ with Whit and Lula. It was a combined birthday party for two of the boys in their group of friends and BBQ for the adults. A number of boys camped out with three of the dads, including Whit; I've yet to hear how it went though as I just returned. :-) It was a lovely evening.
Today, we spent a nice relaxing morning in Lugano, Switzerland. We walked down from the train station to the center of town and were just amazed at the beautiful streets, cobblestone and so clean. Because it was Sunday, all the shops were pretty much closed, but we enjoyed looking in them. We also arrived in town before it was fully awake, so that was a nice little change; exploring without the crowds. We made it down to Lac du Lugano and chilled by the water before going to explore a tour on the lake, which we did take and thoroughly enjoyed. We thought about exploring Como some more, but by the time our train got back to Como we were pretty tired. Those amazing streets we walked down had to be walked back up...LOL...they put some of those steep streets in San Fran to shame. My legs and behind got a work out like no treadmill could ever offer.
Now,we are back Whit's and Lula's...Chris is lounging by the pool and I'm resting my trashed ankle. :-) Christina did most of her packing last night as her journey comes to end Tuesday morning. I've a few more days. I believe I'll take myself off to Florence on Tuesday and do a little exploring. Whit and Lula assure me it's perfectly safe as long as I don't keep myself out until 1am...LOL...which definitely isn't going to happen.
Sorry I haven't stayed on top of the blog...once here, it just seemed, I don't know...:-) See you all soon!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Roma Part Two
Tori and NIchole met us at Roma Termini and we found our poky little hostel. We dropped off our belongings and headed to the Colosseum...all I can say is WOW. Pictures will go up when I get home. It started pouring and we separated to meet up later for dinner? Christina and I got lost finding our hostel in a down pour/thunderstorm. After finding our hostel and resting for a few hours we went to a fabulous dinner in a little restaurant Tori found and had ourselves a womderful four course meal.
After dinner we took a jaunt to Fontana de Trevi where I scurried down and tossed my three coins, marriage.
Overall, even with the train fiasco! Which was fun, and the storm it was a lovely day!!
After dinner we took a jaunt to Fontana de Trevi where I scurried down and tossed my three coins, marriage.
Overall, even with the train fiasco! Which was fun, and the storm it was a lovely day!!
Roma...
After two days of incessant teasing by my hilariously sweet cousin, we headed to Rome. Our train was supposed to leave at 6:42am and around 7am we realized it hadn't arrived. I took myself into the station to find out from the station master what was going on. Apparently there was a scipero (strike) and our train was not going to be arriving at all.
Herein lies the problem, we needed to change trains in Monza to head to Milano Centrale to catch our train to Rome. The missing train to Milan completely threw off our schedule. Fortunately the station master, Antonio, offered to take us to Camnago. So we hopped into his little car, because all the cars in Italy are little. We managed to communicate very well with Antonio, enough to tell him about ourselves and to understand he has a four year old daughter named Bennedetta. We also understood when he warned us of the people in Rome and not to get into anyone's car with them...LOL...:-)
Antonio got us onto the train in Camnago and the attendent there was pretty sure we weren't going to make our 8:15 to Rome. So, in Cardona, we hopped off, the attendent directed us to the metro and told us to get on the M5 to Milano Centrale. Once at Centrale we made our way to informazione to try and get our ticket changed to the 9:15. After failing to get our tickets printed so the lady at informazione could make the change she sent us to the ticket office for an hour wait to try and change to the 10:15.
We're tired, but laughing and praying we don't end up with the cranky looking guy at the counter, which we did. We explained in broken Italian what happened and that we were sent to change the ticket and he informed us that we couldn't. After a couple of minutes he got up and came back to let us know they would change. Never had you seen happier and more thankful gals. We spent the next few minutes while he made the changes profusely thanking him in Italian. By the time we left him he was laughing and smiling at us. We ran upstairs, found a bathroom and found our train. The next few hours we chatted, slept and read.
Rome, here we come!
Herein lies the problem, we needed to change trains in Monza to head to Milano Centrale to catch our train to Rome. The missing train to Milan completely threw off our schedule. Fortunately the station master, Antonio, offered to take us to Camnago. So we hopped into his little car, because all the cars in Italy are little. We managed to communicate very well with Antonio, enough to tell him about ourselves and to understand he has a four year old daughter named Bennedetta. We also understood when he warned us of the people in Rome and not to get into anyone's car with them...LOL...:-)
Antonio got us onto the train in Camnago and the attendent there was pretty sure we weren't going to make our 8:15 to Rome. So, in Cardona, we hopped off, the attendent directed us to the metro and told us to get on the M5 to Milano Centrale. Once at Centrale we made our way to informazione to try and get our ticket changed to the 9:15. After failing to get our tickets printed so the lady at informazione could make the change she sent us to the ticket office for an hour wait to try and change to the 10:15.
We're tired, but laughing and praying we don't end up with the cranky looking guy at the counter, which we did. We explained in broken Italian what happened and that we were sent to change the ticket and he informed us that we couldn't. After a couple of minutes he got up and came back to let us know they would change. Never had you seen happier and more thankful gals. We spent the next few minutes while he made the changes profusely thanking him in Italian. By the time we left him he was laughing and smiling at us. We ran upstairs, found a bathroom and found our train. The next few hours we chatted, slept and read.
Rome, here we come!
The Almost Misadventures of Christina and Rhiannon in Milan...
Today was a low key day, to start with...
I woke up this morning, and just chilled out with Lula and played with the boys, did a little reading and then got busy booking our trip to Rome. Hours later :-), Christina woke up and decided we should work out and take a dip in the pool where we just relaxed and talked and just enjoyed ourselves.
After a lovely salad made by Whit we ventured out to Milan....they live about 40 minutes from Milan.
Picture this, two Americana's lost for an hour in the underground of Milan. Finally,two lovely young gentlemen, speaking very little English and Chris and I not ready to try out our Italian, help us figure out how to get to the Duomo, where consequently there is a ton of shopping opportunities. When we finally get off the metro and head up to the light of day, we walk up the stairs and bam! there's the Duomo...you turn around and see this amazing and beautifully constructed masterpiece. We literally are in awe, turning around and taking pictures left and right.
Being in awe and not recovering immediately is dangerous. Everyone, make a note to yourself...DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, accept the corn some man is thrusting into your hands. What he will do is spin you around here and there, then call his friend over and they will grab your camera and start taking pictures. Then, they will tell you $20 for me, $20 for my friend...then, they will tell you $20 more for me and $20 more for my friend. When you tell them "heck no, I'm not paying you $80 for some corn, they start negotiating. Big jerks! Course, I was a bit naive. Christina and I learned the word, "NO" in no uncertain terms, and let me tell you, it came in real handy in Rome...
We made it back to Whit's house in Carimate,told him of our experience and had a little laugh. Chalk it up to experience. :-)
We are having a lovely time!!!
I woke up this morning, and just chilled out with Lula and played with the boys, did a little reading and then got busy booking our trip to Rome. Hours later :-), Christina woke up and decided we should work out and take a dip in the pool where we just relaxed and talked and just enjoyed ourselves.
After a lovely salad made by Whit we ventured out to Milan....they live about 40 minutes from Milan.
Picture this, two Americana's lost for an hour in the underground of Milan. Finally,two lovely young gentlemen, speaking very little English and Chris and I not ready to try out our Italian, help us figure out how to get to the Duomo, where consequently there is a ton of shopping opportunities. When we finally get off the metro and head up to the light of day, we walk up the stairs and bam! there's the Duomo...you turn around and see this amazing and beautifully constructed masterpiece. We literally are in awe, turning around and taking pictures left and right.
Being in awe and not recovering immediately is dangerous. Everyone, make a note to yourself...DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, accept the corn some man is thrusting into your hands. What he will do is spin you around here and there, then call his friend over and they will grab your camera and start taking pictures. Then, they will tell you $20 for me, $20 for my friend...then, they will tell you $20 more for me and $20 more for my friend. When you tell them "heck no, I'm not paying you $80 for some corn, they start negotiating. Big jerks! Course, I was a bit naive. Christina and I learned the word, "NO" in no uncertain terms, and let me tell you, it came in real handy in Rome...
We made it back to Whit's house in Carimate,told him of our experience and had a little laugh. Chalk it up to experience. :-)
We are having a lovely time!!!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Day 1
So the flight was not so bad...it was a little bumpy from Portland to New York. From New York was pretty much a breeze.
I sat around a group of 5 gals from New York taking a chick trip to Milan and they were a riot, two Kosher and three foul mouthed Catholics and I had so much fun with them. One gal, Cindy, an amateur hobby photographer, grabbed my camera from me a few times to get an awesome shot of the sunrise and then a few amazing photos of the Alps; all I can say is WOW!!!!!!
I was feeling pretty good and ready to go once I was showered and refreshed, so we went to eat not far from Whitney's house and then headed to Como where we wandered for a few hours taking pictures, being awed in the cathedral and eating the most amazing gelato I've ever let past my lips. Let me tell you, the stomach ache I am now enduring is well worth it!!!!!!
About 5 minutes away from the car I started to get a bit tired. Barely in the car 5 minutes and I pretty muchcrashed and burned, it came out of nowhere and I was out in Whitney's car!
Oh, I'm so happy to be here. The kids are home...gotta go.
FYI...my phone doesn't work here...LOL
I sat around a group of 5 gals from New York taking a chick trip to Milan and they were a riot, two Kosher and three foul mouthed Catholics and I had so much fun with them. One gal, Cindy, an amateur hobby photographer, grabbed my camera from me a few times to get an awesome shot of the sunrise and then a few amazing photos of the Alps; all I can say is WOW!!!!!!
I was feeling pretty good and ready to go once I was showered and refreshed, so we went to eat not far from Whitney's house and then headed to Como where we wandered for a few hours taking pictures, being awed in the cathedral and eating the most amazing gelato I've ever let past my lips. Let me tell you, the stomach ache I am now enduring is well worth it!!!!!!
About 5 minutes away from the car I started to get a bit tired. Barely in the car 5 minutes and I pretty muchcrashed and burned, it came out of nowhere and I was out in Whitney's car!
Oh, I'm so happy to be here. The kids are home...gotta go.
FYI...my phone doesn't work here...LOL
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Almost Time...
It's 2:28pm...
Just taking a quick minute to acknowledge that it's soooo close. After 2 years of claiming I'm going to Italy for graduation, I'm actually going.
Tomorrow morning I will board a plane that is going to take me 5.5 hours to New York where I'll wait and then travel another 8 hours to Italy! Wow...thank God for Ativan, because that's a flight like I've never known.
OOhhh...I'm excited; except for the packing, which isn't done. :-)
Just taking a quick minute to acknowledge that it's soooo close. After 2 years of claiming I'm going to Italy for graduation, I'm actually going.
Tomorrow morning I will board a plane that is going to take me 5.5 hours to New York where I'll wait and then travel another 8 hours to Italy! Wow...thank God for Ativan, because that's a flight like I've never known.
OOhhh...I'm excited; except for the packing, which isn't done. :-)
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