Milan, Italy

Milan, Italy

Family Diary August 2009

     Day 1: Train from Verona to Milan, 1½ hours. Rather hot because the air conditioning broke.
Checked in to Hotel De La Ville, booked through Citalia.
Nice hotel with good facilities. Looked at pool (small), bar (pleasant) and fitness room (looked okay.)

     Walked around Milan looking for somewhere suitable for a family to eat that did not involve taking out a mortgage. Found a pub, which had a free buffet (which was not especially nice) with drinks plus you could order food. We had lasagna and pizzas.

Wandered around the cathedral, which was very pretty.
There is a nice big square outside where the whole world hangs out.
The outside of the cathedral is covered with some pretty cool gargoyles.
Very gothic.
It took over 600 years to build – which seems excessive until you see it. I expect it caused a few arguments at the time.

Strolled around some posh shops trying on perfumes.

     Day 2: Buffet breakfast. We were quite late in eating and it looked like it had been there for a while, though the selection was good. The best bit was a little news sheet that you could pick up as you went in (in various languages.)
Walked around Milan.

Found a ferrari shop.

Bought a ferrari bag.

Also bought a ferrari hat for a friend’s new baby (my family felt he would have sufficient teddy bears and cute clothes.)

Saw a few pretty squares and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Which sounds like another church but is actually a four storey arcade of shops. I am not much interested by shops but the arcade was worth a visit.

     I sat in the cathedral square and drank espresso while the family continued shopping. It was the most expensive coffee I have ever sipped, but I told myself I was paying for the atmosphere, not the coffee (or the dirty table.) Watched the world go by.

     Bought some Dolce & Gabbana perfume (not sure how my daughter managed to persuade me into that one) and wandered around with the D & G bag pretending to be rich.
Sandwich/burger from a food hall.

     Boys swam in pool on hotel roof (were not impressed by how shallow it was.)

We went to an art gallery.

Saw some fantastic art (and some really bad art.)

We had wanted to see ‘The Last Supper’ at Santa Maria delle Grazie, however tickets need to be prebooked a couple of months in advance, which we hadn’t realised.

Went to hotel gym with boys. They went in the jacuzzi (which was broken). We used a few machines but all the best ones were broken or had pieces missing. Shame.

Ate in McDonalds. By far the poshest McDonalds I have ever been in!

Walked down to Sforza Castle. This is a fifteenth century castle and at night it is floodlit. There is a big fountain in front and it is very pretty. Had ice creams.

David and I had drinks in the hotel bar. Pleasant.

    Day 3: I went to mass in the cathedral (Duomo). People were queuing to go inside but if you are attending mass you can go straight in. You need to be appropriately dressed (covered shoulders and knees.) I found it hard to follow the Italian, though there were some discernible words. I just liked being there.

Walked back to the castle. It was way too hot and felt a lot further during daytime. Drank lemonade in the gardens. The kids stood in the fountains (other people were too, so I figured they wouldn’t get shot.)

     A man approached David with some English passports he had ‘found’. He wanted David to go with him to a phone box to phone the owners. David said he would use his mobile at which point the man became very aggressive and snatched them back. I took photos of him which I later showed some police who were in the cathedral square but they were completely disinterested.

     Dinner in a restaurant at the top of La Rinascente which is a shopping mall selling designer stuff (pretty boring unless you like that sort of thing) but has a very interesting food hall at the top and a restaurant on the roof. It was lovely, we sat in the balmy evening air over looking the gargoyles on the Duomo. Very atmospheric.

     Had drinks (and hot chocolates) in the hotel bar and played cards.

     Day 4: Collected hire car and drove to Lake Como.

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Italy : Lake Garda

Lake Garda, Italy

 

Excerpts from a family diary August 2014

Wednesday: We arrived at Hotel du Lac du Parc, booked through Citalia.
I had recently had surgery, so David and I drove there via France, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. It was a lovely drive, really interesting and the traffic was okay.
Met the family there (they flew.)
I walked around the hotel grounds. Very pretty gardens with lots of little ponds with bridges and ducks. There are chalets in the grounds where you could stay (seemed to suit people with young children who prefer to self cater.)

There are also two swimming pools, one which seems more suited to young families. Both have plenty of sun loungers next to them and a nice mix of shade and sun. We liked the one next to the bar, where you could buy drinks and ice creams and take them back to the loungers.

I was feeling ill so had dinner in my room. The family ate in the hotel restaurant then played cards in the bar.

Hotel is nice.

 

Bathroom light seems to be permanently on, which is a little odd.

Thursday: All had breakfast on the terrace.
Very nice food.
Nasty coffee and juice from a machine.
Then realised that other people were ordering drinks from the waiters. We copied and then had very nice coffee and fresh juice.

Mark said he did not want to see the opera in Verona, which we have already bought tickets for. David said that was fine, but he had to then pay the €120 for the ticket.
Mark then asked, “Why would you pay so much for me to not enjoy something?”
I decided not to join discussion.

There are dogs here which is nice. Someone has allowed their dog to wee in the lift, which is not nice.

Went to pizza place opposite hotel for lunch. Villa Aranci.

Very nice, rustic setting, not too expensive.

Boys had tankards of beer, I had some nice wine.

I slept. Everyone else swam.The hotel provides blue swimming towels, which is good (some hotels do not allow you to remove towels from the rooms.)

Becky sunbathed. Boys then played “How near to Rebecca can we throw the ball and not hit her.” They do not improve with age.

Nice dinner in restaurant.

Family went to watch a jazz concert in town, I went to bed.

Friday: Pouring with rain, which was disappointing.
Breakfast.
Relaxed day doing very little.
Lunch at pizzeria again.
Nice dinner then had hot chocolate in the bar and played games.
Everyone discussed the bathroom lights, which are always on in all our rooms.

Saturday: Raining again.
Family went to hotel gym or read/slept.
Went to Co-op near hotel and bought food for lunch.
Ate on balcony (each room has a balcony overlooking the garden.) Mark chose beer, nutella and crisps. Great diet….

Family played Catan then swam. I walked into town with Nina. Saw a band. Sunday: Not raining. Excellent. Breakfast, then family swam. An Austrian boy joined them at the pool.

Walked into town and looked around. Some nice shops selling touristy things.

Pizza in restaurant next to lake. Bottled water which arrived open and tasted of ‘tap’.

I slept, family went to pool and played volley ball.
They were joined by a group of Germans.
Mark said he managed to use all three of the German words he knows. One is a swear word. Super.

Found a switch under the mirror in the bathroom. This operates the bathroom light. Informed family.

Nice dinner. The restaurant staff are really friendly. They have noticed that James eats the most, so always give him a huge portion. David always orders three bottles of wine: a nice one for us (and anyone else who wants it), a sweet white (usually Becky and Nina drink that) and a red (for just Mark. Hmmmm)

Monday: Another cloudy day.
Gave up on pool when it started to rain.

Walked into town (5 minutes) and got a ferry to Limone.

It was very windy on the ferry, wished I had worn something warmer.

Limone was a pretty town.
Had some nice little shops for buying trinkets.
Had coffee and ice creams, then got the ferry back.

James told us that going to reception to say that you have lost your key card for the fourth time is embarrassing.
Rebecca told us that she is going to make an “I am 22” badge. (She gets a lot of attention from boys in the 12 -15 age bracket!)

Tuesday: Rebecca did the ‘ice bucket challenge’. The concierge (male) seemed delighted to throw a bucket of iced water over her.

Drove to Verona.
Stayed at Romeo and Guilietta hotel (booked through Citalia). We had been told that parking was provided. They showed us on a map where we would probably find a parking space (which is not what we were expecting) and gave us a permit.

I was ill, so slept in room. Family walked around the city and had ice creams.

Watched Madam Butterfly in the arena. Is such a magical setting.
This time we took cushions to sit on and bottles of drink.
They confiscated the bottles, though we were allowed to pour the drink into plastic cups. (They said it was due to the health risk from glass bottles. However, there were people wandering throughout the arena selling glass bottles of drinks, so was somewhat inconsistent!)

Wednesday: Returned to Garda.
I was ill so stayed in room.
David, Nina and James took big inflatables to the lake and floated around on the waves.
I was too ill to go into dinner. The staff were very accommodating and let David order from the restaurant menu and then bring it to me on a tray. So much nicer than having to pay for room service.
They also started to ask if David had murdered me, as they had not seen me for some time!
During the meal, the room started to shake. I texted to ask if we were having an earthquake.
The family all rushed upstairs thinking I was having a funny turn! They assured me I was imagining things, should stay in bed and went back to finish their meal.

Thursday: Another sunny day so family relaxed at pool.
News reports were all discussing the earthquake tremors from the previous day (Ha.)

Saturday: I finally felt well enough to go into dinner.
It was fun but clearly the family had become rather out of control in my absence: Mark received a menu with additional comments, such as, “okay but sauce no good” scribbled next to each dish. The head waiter was adding his own recommendations!
David produced a list of Italian phrases copied from google translate, which he proceeded to read while the waiter waved his arms in exasperation.
James confided that he has now lost his room key six times, so has ‘borrowed’ the cleaner’s one.

Sunday: Mark has been to keen to try the little “make your own tart” things at the buffet breakfast. Unfortunately, the pastry case (which in fairness, does look remarkably like a small ice cream cone) turned out to be cardboard. It is for collecting jam in, not eating. He realised on his first bite.

Breakfasts were nice. There was an extensive buffet and in one corner was the ‘egg lady’ where you could line up and ask her to cook eggs, omelets or pancakes.

David and Mark, James and Nina decided to take two man canoes out onto the lake.
There was a cabin in the hotel garden where you could hire canoes and life jackets.
They went out and I took photos.
Such beautiful scenery.
Rebecca then switched places with Nina and the two boys went together. They managed to tip up and lost James’ tee shirt, which he had been using as a back rest.
Also, at some point, each male decided to stand up. Individually. For no reason. Why would you feel the need to stand up on a canoe? It is like climbing towers and throwing socks in random places: one more thing about men that I cannot understand even a little bit.

Monday: During breakfast, James’ room key fell out of his pocket. (I have lost count now.) A nice lady pointed it out.

The family drove up into the mountains around Garda. They said it was cold! They took some great photos of the views.

Mark locked one of James’ shoes in the safe. He then lost the code. The only option was to ask the security man to come and open the safe. There was some discussion as to who should do this. I have absolutely no idea how they explained that it contained only a flip flop.

At dinner time, there is a miniature orchid on each table. Very pretty. Nina caused ours to have a slight mishap. May try and switch it. Or glue it?

The hotel is full of German people. I guess they drive down, presumably with their dogs. I have had to instigate a ban on mentioning the war or speaking loudly in a fake German accent. (Do other mothers have these problems?)

We left for our long drive home. This was such a lovely hotel, with friendly staff. Even being ill here was nice because they had such a relaxed manner. It was clean and pretty with lovely meals and lots of activities, most of which we didn’t manage to try. I definitely hope to stay here again. Next time I will hire bikes, and get the ferry to all the little towns around the lake and maybe walk up a mountain or two. Will also be ideal if I ever decide to bring my ducks on holiday….

More Travel at : http://anneethompson.com/travel/

Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como, Italy

Holiday Diary 2009

     Drove 1½ hours from Milan to Lake Como. Checked in to Grand Hotel, Menaggio, which we booked through Citalia.

The hotel was lovely, with pretty communal areas and a balcony in our room over looking the lake and surrounding hills. Very pretty.

Strolled around the town.

Swam in hotel pool. Ate in hotel, nice meal. Friendly staff.

Walked into town and played crazy golf. It was a cold evening.

Day 2: Got up early and went to gym. Then felt ill all day (so not used to exercise!)
We were late into breakfast so the buffet was rather depleted. Lazy day.

Day 3: Didn’t go to gym. (No need to over do it.)
Hotel were having a Gala night so were putting up some (slightly naff) decorations.
Had a very complicated conversation with the maid about getting a larger sheet for the bed as it only has a single sheet on the double bed. Way beyond my language ability level.
Ate lunch in a square in town. Strolled around but it was too hot to walk for long.
Dinner was nice but we had a grumpy waitress who threw down food, spilt drinks and scowled a lot. Probably does too much exercise.

Sat on balcony and watched fireworks across the lake.

They played classical musical and it was magical watching the reflections play across the water.

Day 4: Drove along side of lake and into Switzerland. Took about 2 hours.
Beautiful scenery, even the kids thought it was good (“Looks like one of those posters which you know isn’t real. But it is!”)

     Went to St Moritz. Bit false, mainly hotels and designer shops.
Had a lovely homemade soup and cheese sandwich lunch in a cafe.

The family all went on a train and cable car up to the peak to look at the Alps.

Becky got an altitude headache but they all said it was good.

I got off the train at the first stop and tried to find Heidi’s house.
No helpful signposts and I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for.
The only possible contender I saw was pretty big. My image of Heidi’s grandfather was not multi millionaire.
Maybe he extended it when her books became popular.

It was fairly chilly. I met other walkers, who were all wearing full hiking gear complete with boots and walking poles. Wondered if my silk skirt and sandals was inappropriate for mountain walking. Pretended I was local and looked at them like they were over dressed annoying tourists.
Walked down through pine forests, listening to cow bells. It was a mix of very lovely (as it grew warmer on the lower slopes) and a bit scary (because I was on a mountain all by myself without a clue as to where I was.)
When I got back to town my legs were shaking from walking downhill for so long! (Maybe I do need another gym visit.)
Went to co op and bought chocolate and cokes.
Drove home after we managed to pay the car park ticket. The machine only took euro notes and we didn’t want swiss francs as change.

     On the way back we stopped at a lake. It was totally perfect. David and the boys stripped off and swam. Lots of squealing when they realised how cold the water was! Luckily no one had a heart attack and we made it back to hotel slightly damp, very hungry, but feeling we had had a good day.

Day 5: David went to the gym then restocked his protein with egg and cheese for breakfast.
Morning by pool, lunch in bar next door.
Spent the afternoon at Villa Carlotta. This is a villa, built in the seventeenth century for a Milanese marquis. It is now a museum and botanical garden.

We were interested to see it as about fifty years previously, David’s grandparents had been and they had bought an ornament of the statue of Cupid and Psyche by Canova, which now belonged to us.
They had the statue at the villa.
(Not the original, in case you are wondering. One is in the Louvre in Paris, a second copy is in the Hermitage in St Petersburg and the plaster cast is in the Met in New York.)
We looked at the statue, took some photos (even though lots of signs told us not to) and bought another copy from the gift shop.
It is not as well made as the model from fifty years ago, but only cost 16€ so seemed worth continuing the tradition.

The gardens surrounding the villa are very lovely and we spent some time wandering around. It would have been more enjoyable in a slightly cooler season.

Day 6: We took the ferry across the lake to Varrena.
The ferries stop right next to the hotel and you constantly heard them announcing all their stops. It wasn’t particularly intrusive, they were only at certain times and not late at night, but whenever I now think about that hotel I hear the chant from the ferry information in my head. Shame they weren’t chanting something useful.

Varrena is a little town on a hill, full of picturesque lanes and old fishermen cottages.
We walked around and then bought slices of pizza which we ate on stone steps leading down to the water.
We found a cafe next to the lake and had some very good pancakes before getting the ferry back to Menaggio.

After dinner we walked into town.

There was extremely loud music in the car park next to the hotel until 2am. It was like trying to sleep in a night club. Gave up and danced on the balcony for a while.

Day 7: Woke tired and grumpy. David escaped to the gym (coward.)
Morning by the pool, boys did not emerge from their room.
Drove to a viewpoint overlooking Lake Lugano. It was a long drive and a very confusing map. Ate a not very nice ice cream when we got there.

     After dinner, a pianist played next to the pool. We listened for a while and James swam (not sure if he was meant to. He didn’t have inflatable crocodile with him, so am hoping it didn’t detract from the music too much.)

Day 8: Packed and left.
Drove back to Milan for the flight home.
It was very difficult to find a petrol station to refill the hire car before we returned it. Finally bought extremely expensive petrol from a man selling ‘especially refined diesel’.
Flew home. A good holiday.

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More Travel at : http://anneethompson.com/travel/

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