Plan B - Finding George Clooney . . . Again

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!