Wednesday, 28 February, 2018
Why, yes, yes indeed . . .
. . . the weather outside IS frightful!
I woke up fairly early after last nights practice in an open air freezer.
I even had a plan! A cappuccino and brioche at Le Due Isole Bar, the 9:05 train to Milan and some more sightseeing in Italy's financial capital city sounded about right to me.
But the trains to Milan were not running due to maintenance issues for the foreseeable rest of the morning.
I needed a Plan B fast.
Plan B was drive to Como and search for George Clooney.
Sounded easy to me, so I was off to Lake Como.
A stop on the way to Como in Olgiate Comasco was mandatory.
Not for the seafood market
And not for the produce market either
Not even for the slippers market
I stopped here for the . . .
Cappuccino and Arancini Ragu
A second cappuccino in the morning seemed just fine to me.
The arancini ragu was heavenly.
Grazie a Skorpion/Sicilian Dario A'Delfio for guiding me to this Sicilian bar my first full day in Venegono Superiore.
They had St. Agata's Breasts AND cannoli
I bravely passed on both of these dessert delicacies.
On to Como!
An old Como city gate
Skorpions Running Backs Coach Cristian "Bumba" Bianchi took me to Como a few weeks ago and I liked the city.
Great old house
Colorful flower pots
Random small church
Old cannons guarding . . .
. . . the memorial to Como's
war dead from the 1800s
When Bumba and I visited Como before, it was a Sunday and Mass was being held in Como's famous Duomo, thus we did not go inside.
My sister-in-law, Gayle Hicks, had been inside this Duomo and advised to go back and enter.
So today I did.
On the outside wall of the Duomo
It's a BIG Duomo!
Hey, what time is it?
GAME TIME!
Wrong answer for once.
Part of the Duomo complex front
More of the same
The Duomo itself
Construction started in the 14th-century and continued on until the 17th-century!
Lots of artwork on the outer walls
It was time to enter the Duomo.
Great Baptismal Font
Goofy Lion supporting the
Holy Water Font
The Main Altar
A Duomo with lots of Tapestries
I'm all in on this form of religious art/story telling.
They'll be used on Sunday I'm sure
Duomo Organ
Duomo Cupola
A St. Peter's Basilica-like
side altar
This white altar celebrated its
700th year in the Duomo in 2017!
Above another side altar
Bishop, three fish and a lamb
Great Duomo ceiling art
Another fine tapestry
The Duomo is impressive from the outside but Gayle was correct as usual, it was stunning on the inside.
I needed a drink so I ducked into the Caffé Piazza Duomo.
No, not that kind . . .
. . . this kind!
A glass of water, natural not gas, and a hot chocolate on a cold day worked for me!
The chocolate was delicious and thick as mud like they serve in Madrid.
No churros though.
Speaking of chocolate . . .
I wonder if they have the red plaid
one in my size?
Random building, random art
Old store front
They specialize in property all
along Lake Como for retired teachers
I've been led to believe
I liked the building . . .
. . . I liked the pillar more
Don't Point!
Kevin and Jacob would both
like this old train engine
Man in the Rocks
Memorial to the European Resistance
Movement before and during WWII
More of the Memorial
It looks onto Como's harbor
Not sure who she is but . . .
. . . the barbed wire on her back
can't be a good thing
Built to Celebrate the Centennial
of Alessandro Volta's passing
The famed Italian physicist , chemist and pioneer of electricity and power died in Como 1827.
A random swan on Lake Como
Another view of Lake Como
Another old building
I just liked the sign
Yep, I took the Funicular
up to Brunate again
Brunate had snow this time
-4°C = 25°F
Brrrrrrrrr!
Fortunately most of the snow
had melted
Part of why I came up here
was to buy a heart for Laurie
The other was to sit down to enjoy a much needed vin brule, an Italian hot mulled wine concoction.
I sipped it inside the little
souvenir/bar though
Still lots of snow in
mountain-top situated Brunate
HEY!
Watch your hands there mister!
It was time to head home to the warmth of Villa Skorpion, it was getting colder.
The Duomo one last time
The Duomo is an impressive
building to be sure
"Murder?
What murder?
What are you talking about,
I did't see any murder!"
Plan B was a good one as it turned out but I still haven't seen George Clooney.
It's just a matter of time though . . .
BEAT THE CRUSADERS!
