Tag: Travel to Italy

Italian travel

Arrivederci Italy!

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Although I’ve been home for ten days, I thought it fitting to close my Italian blog posts with how I began … in Milan. We embarked on our journey at the beginning of September with three days in the fashion capital of Italy. Although a metropolitan city, Milan is still walkable with many sites to enjoy. With an eight-hour time difference to contend with, our first days were spent adjusting and trying to get enough sleep! But in three days we managed to tour the magnificent Duomo di Milano, several other churches, Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Castello Sforzesco. Then is was off to Bolzano!

At the end of our Italian trip, we boarded our last train from Verona, arriving back in Milan. With only an afternoon left, we opted to view a retrospect of Chagall’s paintings at the Palazzo Reale, have a final stroll around the Piazza and conclude with a light dinner and our favorite bottle of wine. Ahhh … the entire journey was a memorable adventure!

Thank you to all for reading my blog and following my exploits in Italy! Our next posts will return to family genealogy. Enjoy the following photos of Milan …

Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II is one of oldest enclosed shopping malls in the world. Look closely between the Louis Vuitton store on the left and the Prada store on the right. Yes, that is a McDonald's!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II is one of oldest enclosed shopping malls in the world. Look closely between the Louis Vuitton store on the left and the Prada store on the right. Yes, that is a McDonald’s!

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The Duomo di Milano is incredible inside and out. It is one of the largest churches in Europe and took almost 500 years to complete. The floor is composed of three different colors of marble and each square is pieced together as a mosaic.

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We booked a roof-top tour of the Duomo. This is the view looking down at the Piazza.

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From the Duomo roof-top you can see so much more! The entire outside is covered in carvings and statues. Plus many little secrets are hidden within obscure corners. So glad we took the time to do this!

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Milan’s Duomo at dusk.

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This is a copy of Da Vinci’s Last Supper (or L’Utima Cena in Italian). Only 30 people at a time are allowed into the specially conditioned room to view the masterpiece. It was awe-inspiring standing before the Renaissance fresco which takes up an entire wall. Absolutely no photos are allowed! To get tickets, you must book online several weeks ahead of your visit.

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Ciao a tutti da Milano! It has been fun. Hope you enjoyed my photos and posts. Until next time … Arrivederci e buona fortuna!

 

 

Cousins, Travel to Trentino Alto-Adige

On the Road

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plazawalter-2 I bet you’re wondering where I’ve been. Well I am enjoying life in Italy right now. My first few days were in Milan and the past week I’ve made my home in Bolzano in the region of Alto Adige or Sud Tirol. What a glorious city this is! A mix of German and Italian, it has an endearing old-world charm. The city center is closed to traffic, making it a wonderful place for walking and biking. My little apartment is a block away from the outdoor market. Open 6 days a week, it offers fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, breads, cheeses and dried meats. With a bar, restaurant or gelateria on every corner, there is a plethora of choices when it comes to food. Italian, German and Tyrolean specialties abound, but one can also find new cuisines on some menus.

 

bolzanomarket-2It seems that every available inch of farm land inside the city boundaries and climbing the surrounding terraced hills is brimming with fruit – grapes, apples and pears. The trees are so laden with apples you wonder how it is possible to grow so many on a single tree. And yet there are acres and acres of orchards and vineyards everywhere!

On this trip I have also had the good fortune to meet several of my Italian Genetti cousins. This is the best part of genealogy, when the stories of ancestors come alive and family connections are made that transcend international boundaries. Thank you to Chiara, Stephano, Leonardo, Benedicta, Laura and Lidia for making me feel welcome and a part of a much larger family. This week I hope to connect with a few more Genetti and Marchetti cousins.

rittenhiking-2I had planned to write a blog post every few days while I’m here, but as you can see that hasn’t happened. I do apologize – I’m just having so much fun hiking and seeing the sights that it’s difficult finding the time to write. But I will try to correspond more during the next few weeks since I want to share all of these lovely experiences with you. Ciao for now!