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| Sharon and Bob |
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| Barbara, Nancy and Pat |
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| Karen |
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| Randall looking for the perfect shot |
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| Terri at our boat launch in Orta |
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| Pat and I at a wine tasting (note my curly hair from the humidity) |
9/18/18
Some Fun Photos of Our Group
My Favorite Day So Far
On our last day in the Lakes District we drove to an ancient village nestled at the foothills of the Italian and Swiss Alps. The tiny village of Oira consists of about 125 year- round residents living in 16th century houses. The local wine maker, who is the 4th generation winemaker in his family's ancestral home, was our guide through the village. He explained how the tradional cheeses were made from local dairy cows. He also took us into a local church and then into his home for a tasting of the local salami, bread, cheese and wines. The setting was beyond beautiful, and it will be a lovely memory of our trip.
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| In the center is chestnut honey, very different from the usual |
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| Mel's enjoying local grappa |
9/15/18
The Lovely Lakes District
Today we drove north from Milan towards the Lakes District which sits at the foothills of the Italian and Swiss Alps. We'll be spending 3 nights on the shores of Lago Maggiore in the lakeside town of Baveno. Our hotel is fabulous with terrific views of the lake. The highlight of the day was a boat ride around the three islands situated in Lago Maggiore.
Some views from our boat ride
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| Our hotel |
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| A monastery carved into the marble cliffs |
9/14/18
Greetings from Milan
Our journey from Phoenix was uneventful, and clearing customs in Milan was a breeze. We have found Milan to be a metropolitan area of about 3.6 million. It is the second largest city after Rome in Italy. It is also Italy's financial center and, of course, a world-renowned mecca for fashion.
Our weather has been warm with temperatures in the lower 80s, cooling off to the 60s in the evenings. There is some humidity. We have 24 people on our tour, most of them with ties to Sun City Grand. We've travelled with some of them before, but we are meeting some new friends along our way this time.
Today was spent touring the major tourist attractions in Milan. The architecture ranges from Romanesque to modern. It's all jumbled together, making it very eclectic and interesting.
We saw La Scala Opera House opened in 1878 and still recognized as one of the foremost opera houses in the world.
We also spent time in the the Duomo District, the site of the Magnificent Gothic cathedral which is the third largest church in Europe. The District also houses representatives of all of the major fashion houses in the world.
Milan was the residence of Leonardo da Vinci for 25 years, some of the most productive of his life. Our touring today ended with a viewing of da Vinci's "The Last Supper". The frescoe is in the monastery of the cathedral. It was a moving experience to see this masterpiece that was created between 1494-1498.
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| First Prada store, 1913 |
Our weather has been warm with temperatures in the lower 80s, cooling off to the 60s in the evenings. There is some humidity. We have 24 people on our tour, most of them with ties to Sun City Grand. We've travelled with some of them before, but we are meeting some new friends along our way this time.
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| Grace, Pat, Mary and Rick at our welcome dinner |
Today was spent touring the major tourist attractions in Milan. The architecture ranges from Romanesque to modern. It's all jumbled together, making it very eclectic and interesting.
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| City courtyard |
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| La Scala Opera House |
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| Modern apartment building |
We saw La Scala Opera House opened in 1878 and still recognized as one of the foremost opera houses in the world.
We also spent time in the the Duomo District, the site of the Magnificent Gothic cathedral which is the third largest church in Europe. The District also houses representatives of all of the major fashion houses in the world.
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| The Duomo Cathedral, begun in the 14th century |
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| Entrance to the Duomo District |
Milan was the residence of Leonardo da Vinci for 25 years, some of the most productive of his life. Our touring today ended with a viewing of da Vinci's "The Last Supper". The frescoe is in the monastery of the cathedral. It was a moving experience to see this masterpiece that was created between 1494-1498.
9/11/18
Italy, here we come!
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