May 2025 – Kathy and Dave's Excellent Adventures

05/15/2025 – Home Sweet Home

05/15/2025 – Home Sweet Home

We had dropped off the rental car yesterday to avoid having to deal with it before our morning flight. Especially since the car had to be returned at Terminal 2, while our flight left out of Terminal 1. It was a good decision. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza hotel near the airport and they had free shuttles to/from the airport. We dropped off the car at Terminal 2, and took a shuttle back. Then in the morning, we took the shuttle to Terminal 1. We took a nice walk around the area before having a small dinner at the hotel bar. Then we went to our room to get ready for tomorrow. Easy, peasy. Except – when Dave plugged in his phone to the power strip he brought and – Zaaap! – there was a spark, some smoke, and the room went completely dark! The hotel staff came quickly when we called and found the circuit breaker that was tripped down the hall somewhere. Time to buy a new phone charger!

The first flight from Milan to Newark went fairly well, until we got to NY. The weather was not favorable, so we had to circle the airport for half an hour. We still had plenty of time to catch our second flight. Our second flight was about 40 minutes late leaving Newark for Washington, and we only had a 55 minute layover. In addition, we had to take a train from Terminal D to Terminal A! We were seated next to a United Air pilot who was deadheading to Washington. He was very helpful, as well as entertaining, and gave us some good tips for catching our final flight to Buffalo. Fortunately, even though we left very late, we only arrived a few minutes later than scheduled. With only a slightly mad dash, we made our flight and got home relatively unscathed.

We look forward to our next trip.

05/14/2025 – Happy Anniversary Baby, Got You on My Mind

05/14/2025 – Happy Anniversary Baby, Got You on My Mind

Happiness is – Waking up and seeing the clouds have lifted and you are gazing at snow-covered Italian Alps

Happiness is – Taking a walk after breakfast and listening to the Common Cuckoos singing in the trees. We will forever think of our 20^th anniversary trip to Italy every time we hear our cuckoo clock chime at home.

Happiness is – Driving through the Swiss Alps, stopping for lunch at a small local restaurant, and finally finding the spaghetti aioli with peppers cooked perfectly that Kathy has been craving all over Italy, but not finding until we were in Switzerland

Happiness is – Finally turning in our 6-speed convertible Fiat 500 and letting someone else do the driving

Happiness is – Celebrating 20 wonderful years married to the loves of our lives

05/13/2025 – Up, and up, and up we go, dashing through the snow!

05/13/2025 – Up, and up, and up we go, dashing through the snow!

After a filling breakfast, we started on the road to Campodolcino. Campodolcino is a small hamlet in the Italian Alps near the border with Switzerland. Our fascination with the area is based on a book by Mark Sullivan called, “Beneath the Scarlet Sky.” The true story is about a young man who grew up in Milan prior to WWII. When the Allies started bombing Milan, Pino Lella’s parents sent him and his brother to safety in a monastery in Campodolcino called Casa Alpina di Motta. The priest there, Father Luigi Re, tells Pino to get to know the trails in the area. Once he is familiar, he tasks Pino with guiding Jewish refugees and political refugees over the mountains and into the safety of neutral Switzerland. Pino is a teenager at this time, and when he turns 18, by law he must either join the Italian Army (and be sent to near certain death at the front), or join the Nazis. His parents, who loved their son very much, make him join the Nazis in order to keep him safe. His life story of how he becomes an informant for the Allies is amazing, and made even more so by the writing of Mr. Sullivan. As we read his book, we could see in our minds everything exactly as it happened. It is a fantastic story with equally fantastic writing! While we were in Campodolcino, we stayed in a hotel which is nestled just a couple hundred yards from the Casa Alpina. We even hiked in the area where Pino lead the refugees. Gazing from the dining room window, we could even see the house that Pino’s son used to own. The area now is home to a lot of ski slopes and hiking trails, one of which we hiked. This ski slope had an area with a huge statue of the Madonna of Europe, along with prayers engraved in the wall. (What must skiers think when seeing this for the 1^st time?) At this memorial, we found the tomb of Father Luigi Re! We marveled at the steepness of the still snow-covered slopes that Pino used to guide these survivors to safety, in all kinds of weather. We were in awe to be hiking in this area. Kathy even made a snow angel while on our hike! We highly recommend the book to all.

The Hotel Tambo where we stayed is pretty much a ski resort. They will close down in June, and then re-open for a couple of months in the summer. The hosts were outstanding people who took great pains to answer our questions and give us a great experience. (We think we might be the only guests.) The meals here were also first-rate. Even though we only stayed one night, we were so happy to have this experience.

Well worth the visit we think, winter or summer, even though…… the road up to this area was a bit hair-raising! There were so many switchbacks, the GPS looked like a seismograph! The turns were so tight, that at one point, while taking a hairpin turn, Dave looked next to him and saw the rear end of his vehicle as it was still trying to make the turn! The poor little Fiat was very happy to finally arrive at the hotel, the odor of transmission gear oil wafting in the breeze was a what a trained investigator would call a clue.

05/12/2025 – Como adventures

The adventures in Como were not limited to just driving up the long and winding road to our hotel. We also hoofed it up a steep and winding goat path trying to reach the summit of a mountain. Alas, Kathy gave up before reaching the top. It was a valiant effort but the terrain bested her and Dave graciously turned around after going about 1.5 miles straight up from the hotel. Dave’s motto is stick together and never leave your hiking buddy.
After the arduous trek, we decided we could do with a bite of lunch, but we were hoping for a different setting from dinner the night before. Hopping in the car, we headed back down to the lake to find a charming spot to eat. We momentarily forgot: no restaurant opens for lunch until 2pm… way too late for us. We again opted for some McDonald’s, along with what seemed like much of the rest of Italy. We have never seen such large and busy McDonald’s restaurants anywhere else. The Italians really like this fast food joint, and so did we. Soon satiated, we headed off to take a scenic drive around the lake. The twists and turns of the mountains are working every single gear in our tiny Fiat and also working Dave’s right arm. He is going to come back looking lopsided from all the work his right arm is doing just shifting gears non-stop. It was amazing, the drive gave us glimpses of waterfalls, lush flowering bushes, and the ever present beauty of the pristine lakes ringed by quaint, and sometimes enormous Italian villas. Well worth drive.

Heading back toward the hotel, we decided dinner by the lake would be a nice way to end our visit to this beautiful region. Well, not exactly by the lake, but in the bustling interior of the village, we settled into a bar where Kathy had a not-so-Caesar Salad and Dave had a not-so-normal panini. When traveling, sometimes you have to roll with the punches. Taking a deep breath in we headed back up the narrow, winding, goat path of a road to our hotel, praying the entire way we won’t meet up with any cars. Finally back to our temporary home, we decided to round out the evening with dessert. In an epic “failure to communicate”, Kathy ended up with Tiramisu and Dave some weird looking pasta. Dave tried explaining: no, he wanted the caramel dessert….not whatever pasta carabel or carapel or whatever it was. Finally, all was fixed and right with the world. We could now lay down our heads for the night and hope that the horses that roam freely won’t stick their heads in our window or manage to get our door open. Agriturism is an adventure!

Just a note about the shower in our agriturismo lodge. It was smaller than a phone booth (anybody remember those??), yet had a rainfall shower head that was so big, it almost filled up the entire shower stall. You could not stand anywhere and not be getting showered on. The first day, there was only one bath towel (but 5 hand towels!), and no soap or shampoo. Dave had to make do, although there was no place to put soap or shampoo in the shower stall. While trying to wash off, he could not avoid knocking into the shower handle, stopping all of the hot water. Brrr. After he was done, he turned off the water, but it kept draining out of the rainfall shower head for several minutes. You cannot get dry while standing in the shower at all. You have to exit the shower through the tiny opening in the corner and then you can grab a towel and start drying. And don’t get Dave started on the bidets in every bathroom. Kathy kept insisting they were urinals, but Dave isn’t buying it – or using it! Ah, the joys of international travel.

05/11/2025 – On to the Lake Country to celebrate Mother’s Day!

05/11/2025 – On to the Lake Country to celebrate Mother’s Day!

We had a wonderful time in Milan. The Hotel Manin was very nice with an excellent breakfast, the history was amazing, the people were always dressed to the nines (what do you expect in the fashion capitol of the world?), and the weather turned out nicely after a chilly, wet morning. Now, it was time to bail our car out of hotel jail and head to Lake Como! (The hotel offered parking…at 50 euros a night! Plus, you had to give them the keys and you don’t see your car again until you leave!)

The drive to Lake Como was quick and easy. In an hour we were there. That was much too early to check in to our new lodging, so we ditched the GPS directions and tried to find the lake. Yikes! We thought it would be easy to find a large body of water, but Lake Como is relatively skinny and the roads are relatively, no – check that – the roads are VERY narrow. And with buildings on either side of you, you can’t look for a body of water. So, Dave picked a town near the lake and started driving in that direction. Nope! You can be very close to the water and still not see it! So, Dave wised up and put in directions to a ferry crossing. That did the trick.

We got to Lake Como and looked for parking. We followed signs and ended up on this dead end road with an underground parking garage. We saw cars going in and coming out. But then – we stopped. There was a car ahead of us that wouldn’t budge. Another car went around all of us to the garage entrance and everyone started tooting their horns, saying, “Get back in line!” Kathy finally got out of the car to see what was going on. She saw that there were no cars blocking the way at the gate, so she waved Dave to come forward. That’s when the car ahead of us advised us that all of the spaces in the garage were full and we had to wait until someone came out! Ugh. After several minutes, a parking attendant came out, as did one car. The car ahead of us went in, then the attendant told us that, because we had a very small car, he had a special spot just for us. We followed him into the garage and to a spot wedged in between a wall and a car in a designated spot. It worked! Soon, we were walking along the lake. We walked by two VERY large white swans which Dave was able to identify as Mute Swans on his Merlin bird app. A New Lifer for Dave! It was a pretty area, but very crowded – and being mid-May, this was just the beginning of tourist season. After a while, and a snack and drink at a local café, we headed to our new lodging.

The Cascina Mirandola was described as an Agriturismo. It is a 14th Century farmhouse that still operates as a farm. We thought that would be a unique place to stay on our anniversary trip. The 2.5 mile “road” up to the Cascina Mirandola was 2.5 miles of goat path, lined with river rock cemented in place. The little Fiat of ours was not happy. First gear was too much, but second gear was not enough. We puttered, crept, bounced, and splashed along our way until reaching the inn. We could not imagine what would have happened had we met another car coming down the road! And when we arrived and found dozens and dozens of cars there, we could not believe it. They had several terraces of parking, but only one, incredibly tiny, parking space available. Using a little local olive oil, Dave was able to squeeze the Fiat 500 into place. He wishes he would have had a Fiat 490 instead. Maybe that would have fit easier!

We found hundreds of people onsite, with children playing and people eating and talking. As it turns out, not only was today Mother’s Day in the US, it was Mother’s Day in Italy! We were told that there were only 4 other rooms taken for tonight; the rest of the people were here just for the day. That’s when we realized how lucky we were that we arrived when we did, and not when 100 cars were parading down the goat path! Our room is very nice and we ditched our luggage inside before heading off on one of the many trails in the area. As we were walking along the goat path we drove in on, we noticed that the road was lined with Stations of the Cross. We also saw a Grotto along the trail with what looked like an altar and a statue of the Virgin Mary in a niche. What a lovely place! We knew we were in an out-of-the-way place, though, when we saw a helicopter – flying below us! As there was NO WAY we were heading back into town for dinner, we stayed at the lodge and supped. The food was obviously locally grown and made and was scrumptious. Kathy had Ossabucco and Dave had Elephant’s Ear. He was sad when he found out it is made by hammering veal flat to make it just LOOK like an elephant’s ear. No pachyderms were hurt in the production of his meal. After dinner, it was time for bed. Ciao for now!

05/10/2025 – Firsts and Lasts

05/10/2025 – Firsts and Lasts

Today was the start of some of our firsts and lasts. First of all, breakfast included. How novel here in Italy! Usually you have to purchase breakfast separately and, as a first, it was pretty good. Dave got granola with lots of nuts and some juice. What a first! Kathy, for her first, found some marmalade jam. How awesome is that! What a first. That was our last free meal of the day, as now we headed out to explore Milan before heading on our Tour of the City of Milan with the highlight of seeing the original painting of the The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Arriving at Santa Maria Delle Grazie an hour and a half prior to the start of the tour, we decided to first figure out a light lunch and a bathroom. Finding a place close by, Kathy tried a pastry and cappuccino while Dave had a sandwich. This stop was “first lunch”, since we ate so early. “Second Lunch” was a stop for another pastry right before the tour and, more importantly, a bathroom.

Soon we were off on our City Tour of Milan, which had some unknowns and knowns. The first known was a stop for 15 minutes to see the painting done by Da Vinci of The Last Supper. The artwork has so many hidden meanings is hard to know where to begin and where to end, so instead of trying to explain it from the first to the end here is a link to a guide. “The Last Supper” Facts – Insights Into Da Vinci’s Masterpiece We stood in awe of the painting and were impressed with the guides explanations and answers to our questions. One question Dave had was, since the painting was slated to take 6-10 months to complete, yet took 4 years, how was Da Vinci paid, by the hour??

The next stop was a stroll through the Castello Sforzesco where we got an explanation of what the first initial beginnings of the castle were meant to be, the changes in-between that included conquest, bombings, and multiple re-buildings, until at last we have a historical structure meant to be enjoyed by the people of Milan.

Next, we were on our way again and we were soon dodging people, scrambling in and out of narrow paths, and carefully negotiating the uneven steps of the shopping quarter of Milan. This is a place where the rich and famous come spend their pocket change and where for most of us their trifles would pay off a typical mortgage. It has all the rich and famous brands that is seems like a fairy tale to most of us who live down to earth lives. Kathy did say if we came back she would stop by the Rolex store and buy Dave one, but he could not resist and asked for two. Guess it is one of those all or nothing things, so Kathy had to say at last, “I guess you will have to be happy with your Casio.”

Last stop of the day was the Milan Cathedral which is considered the 3^rd largest church in the world and was started to be built in the year 1386. We wandered around looking at the marvelous granite and marble sculptures and were awed by the amazing frescos. We also sat and gazed upwards with solemnity as we saw where one of the nails used to crucify Jesus Cross was hung high above the church. The nail, found by St. Helena on her travels between the years 326 and 328, was identified by St. Ambrose as one of the nails used! All in all, the last stop was just as good as the first stop.

Deciding this would be an excellent place to go to the Saturday vigil mass, we decided to just hang out and wait for the last mass of Saturday to start. While it was an 1.5 hour wait, it was quiet and peaceful and had so many beautiful things to see we didn’t notice the time pass by. It was helped by a beautiful concert by a skilled organist who played for us for about 30 minutes. Mass was soon over and it will be our last mass in Italy unless we come back to visit at some point. What a nice finish to a beautiful day. We have now been to mass in 3 of the 4 largest churches in the world!

Wait, it is not over yet. Last, but not least, dinner on the way back was in the extravagant outdoor covered mall we had toured through earlier. Kathy ate something “safe” – a burger – and Dave opted to try a local Ossabucca dish. Both were excellent and the meal was hearty enough to last us until morning.