A Rainy Sunday in Varese

Sunday, 10 February, 2019

I have come to realize that I am generally OK with the typical cold winter weather in Lombardia at this time of the year.

I'm OK with the cold temperatures.

I'm OK with the overcast skies.

I'm OK with the snow.

I'm OK with the crisp, sunny days.

I'm just NOT OK with the rain.

Today it rained.

Thus I opted to stay in the Villa Skorpion II for most of the day reading a good book.

Still, in the late afternoon I was restless and decided to head into the historic center of Varese.

Low caloric dolci,

just in time for Valentine's Day

Even though it was raining, there was still a goodly sized antique market going on in stalls around the main pedestrian only streets.

Lots of amazing original journals,

some over 100 years old, could be purchased

for a mere 10€

I was sorely tempted to buy one or two of these historic publications but with the rain, I was concerned about water damage on the way home.

I'll definitely purchase an edition or two next time if the weather cooperates.

Laurie loves these classic blue dishes

from Copenhagen

Well look at that gem!

I still have a lot of LPs back in Camarillo that could use a classic turntable like this one.

Il Duce!

Perhaps in another 75 years there will be similar statues of Donald Trump for sale in antique markets in the USA.

God only knows who would want too buy one. 

A bold Varese building

And another

Ode to a Saturday Night Wino

Varese's #1 Bell Tower next to

Chiesa San Vittore in the fog . . .

. . . and up close as well

Saint John's Baptistry also

next to Chiesa San Vittore

I have walked past this XIIth-century Baptistry many times but had never seen it open until today.

I just had to enter.

Well, it IS a Baptistry after all

This large baptismal font dates from the XIII-century.

I guess the snake symbolizes the washing

away of Original Sin by means of

the waters of the baptismal rite

Given the way that I like apples, apple juice and apple pie, I can't blame Adam, Eve or that pesky Garden of Eden snake too much.

I think that those are the Apostles

on the top row and some key but unnamed

saints on the bottom row

St. Ludovico of Toulouse was a

Franciscan and Varese's historic

religious leadership came from this

order of friars

I wonder who erased his face?

The small but well appointed

Baptistry altar

Hard to see, but I think that this is

St. Christopher carrying a fat Baby Jesus

on his shoulder

Well preserved baptismal font

religious leaders

The Crucifixion on the left

Snappily dressed worshipers

V is for Vendetta.

I guess we'll never know . . .

Now that was a good visit to an overall well preserved site given the Baptistry's age.

Back out on the mean streets of Varese, I faced . . .

. . . TEMPTATION!

I was strong!

Who would have guessed?

I did make one key purchase today . . .

. . . a DVD set of two 90 minute

2018 Montabano TV shows

I watched the episode entitled Amore in Italian with Italian subtitles tonight to try to hopefully improve my Bella Lingua skills just a little bit.

Reading Is Fundamental!

This was a solid read straight from

the Varese Public Library with some

good plot twists at the end