Day 10 - Milano and Bergamo 5/16/14

2:50pm - sitting on a very warm train back to Milano from Bergamo. Woke up early to see my blog and pics from yesterday did not post because the intent died. I tried to fix it but was unsuccessful. Walked to cioccolati for breakfast and had the delicious concoction that is a marocchino. It is some kind of coffee, chocolate, milk combination and 100% amazing. 

Took the metro to centrale station and bought my ticket for Bergamo. Train left at 9:10am and got there right about 10. The train arrives in the lower town but everything to see is in the upper town so I took the bus up.  What a pretty little town. It has roman and Venetian pasts, among others.

  Wandered down the Main Street and into a couple of really beautiful churches. Went into a palace, where they had a museum of 16th century Venetian History, which was interesting and very high tech with videos and flashy projections, etc.  went into the duomo museum, which was among ruins from ancient, medieval, and Renaissance churches on top of one another, as is typical of Italian church sites. Found a cute shop called dolfi selling wood sculptures. Bought a little owl and a butterfly magnet.

For ouch I went to il fornaio on the main drag and had a huge slice of pizza covered in pancetta, porcini mushrooms, and some kind of Parmesan-like cheese. Sooooo good. Wandered around up to the Rocca castle for the views (you can see the snow-capped mountains in the distance!) and back into town. Got a title mini dark chocolate dipped in dark chocolate gelato on a stick and bought a little Nutella tart at the bakery next door. Took the funiculare down and then a bus and back to the station. I am taking a train arriving in Milano porta garibaldi instead of centrale because it puts me in the neighborhood I want to be at this afternoon. It only takes 15 or so more minutes but Is actually a bit cheaper. 

5:30pm - sitting at Bar Brera people watching and getting ready for "appy hour" aka when you order an aperitivo drink for 8€ and get light food as a buffet with it. That's what a drink in LA costs, actually less. Also the people watching is great. 

After I got off the train I found the jewelry shop of Monica castiglioni, which I had actually looked for yesterday and couldn't figure out how to get to, but there's a back exit from the station and it was basically right there. Bought some cool handmade bronze/silver earrings and Monica herself sold it to me and packed it up beautifully. Much better than some designer shop that'd cost five times as much (not that it was cheap).  

Walked back and into eataly, which is an Italian food wonderland. And I mean wonderland. When they open one in LA it'll be trouble, and probably three times as expensive. Managed to get out without buying anything. Walked a bit then took the metro one stop to get to Brera, where I sit with my strawberry prosecco drink. The buffet starts at six, wonder if i get to partake then?

7:50pm - sitting near the duomo enjoying it for the last time. Yes I did get to partake in the buffet, which had all kinds of meats, pastas, cheeses, etc. Talked a bit with the couple next to me who was from San Diego. Took the subway back to duomo and got one last cheese and mozzarella panzerotto from luini. I will post the blog now because the wifi may not work at the apt. 

Tomorrow it's off to varenna on lake como for a few days of beauty and relaxation! 

Total walking today not including the 10min walk from where I am to the apartment: 20,363 steps, 29 staircases, and 8.10 miles.