Бесплатный фрагмент - My 7 trips to Italy

Introduction

«My 7 trips to Italy» is not traditional travel guide, when you can find full useful information for planning your journey, but… except the main thing — spirit of Italy.

«My 7 trips to Italy» is my portrait of Italy, expressing the spirit of the country, as I could feel it.

As I create paintings by oil on canvas, so I’ve created also a picture — the mosaic portrait of Italy from pieces — my trips. As a painting expresses an artistic idea in main details, so and I’ve selected visiting sights to give main features of the portrait, and after travelling I’ve selected travels photos the same way.

So you can see my portrait of Italy — my travel diary with some useful traveler’s information, my travel impressions and best character photos — which could help you to feel Italy spirit and plan your own trips, inspiring by the spirit of Italy, as I felt it.

Welcome to Italy!

The routes of my trips

1-st «Art» trip: Rome, Florence, Venice

Duration: vacation week (5 working days and 4 weekend days)

1- Arrival to Rome

2- Tivoli

3- Rome

4- Vatican, Rome

5- Departure to Florence

6- Florence

7- Departure to Venice

8- Venice

9- Departure

2-nd «Noble» trip: Milan & Maggiore, Como lakes

Duration: vacation week (5 working days and 4 weekend days) +2 days

1- Arrival to Milan

2- Lake Maggiore (Stresa, Island Bella, Mottarone)

3- Milan

4- Departure to Lake Como, Varenna

5- Lake Como: Como, villa d’Este

6- Lake Como: Villa Mylius-Vigoni, villa Cipressi

7- Lake Como: Villa Monastero, Villa Melzi

8- Lake Como: Villa del Balbianello, villa Carlotta

9- Lake Como: Castello di Vezio

10- Departure

3-rd «Neapolretan» trip: Naple and surrounding areas

Duration: vacation week (5 working days and 4 weekend days)

1- Arrival to Naples

2- Sperlonga and Gaeta

3- Naples and Caserta

4- Vesuvius and Pompei

5- Departure to Capri

6- Departure to Ravello

7- Departure to Ischia

8- Ischia

9- Departure

4-th «Mountain» trip: Turin and Gran Paradiso

Duration: vacation week (5 working days and 3 weekend days)

1- Arrival to Turin

2- Turin

3- Departure to Cogne, Gran Paradiso

4- Cogne

5- Lillaz, Valnontey

6- Gimilian

7- Cogne

8- Departure

5-th «Sea» trip: Conero & Frasassi caves (Marche)

Duration: 8 days (6 working days and 2 weekend days)

1- Arrival to Sirolo

2- Sirolo

3- Loreto

4- Sirolo, Due Sorelli Beach

5- Sirolo

6- Frasassi Caves and Ancona

7- Monte Conero and Numana

8- Departure

6-th «Sicilian» trip

Duration: 2 vacation weeks (10 working and 6 weekend days)

1- Arrival to Sicily. Palermo

2- Palermo

3- Monreale, Bagheria, Cefalù

4- Agrigento

5- Villa Casale and Caltagirone

6- Etna

7- Catania

8- Taormina

9- Arrival to Syracuse

10- Noto

11- Syracuse

12- Departure to Aeolian Islands, Lipari

13- Panarea, Cala degli Zimmari and Cala Junco beaches

14- Panarea, Calcara beach

15- Panarea

16- Departure

7-th «Trullo» trip: Puglia (+ Matera, Rome)

Duration: vacation week (5 working days and 4 weekend days)

1- Arrival day, Bari

2- Bari

3- Matera

4- Alberobello and Castelana Grotte

5- Ostuni

6- Lecce, departure to Santa-Cesarea Terme

7- Salento sea, Santa-Cesarea Terme

8- Rome — once again or all roads lead to Rome

9- Departure

1-st trip to art cities — Rome, Florence, Venice

I would like to visit Italy for a long time, but every time I had no luck. Even when I was just about to fly and was sitting in airport, even then our flight was delayed and… It was the last flight to Italy — after us flights were forbidden because of Irish volcano. But we got to Italy, got to Rome — and this week no more tourists came to Italy — so it was lucky for us to visit main sights without crowds as usually. Second lucky thing was that it was Italy’s Culture Week, when just all sights have free entrance. I didn’t know about it when I planned my trip in a half year advance, so it was great present to me: the first trip was introducing and had a lot of sights — museums and galleries. Rome, Florence, Venice — main cities from which one should begin to explore Italy and visit main famous sights.

Planning Rome — Florence — Venice trip

Before the trip I read biographical novel of Michelangelo «The Agony and the Ecstasy» by Irving Stone and «Images of italy» by Pavel Muratov — review of his Italian travel in 1924. So I made a route to see masterpieces Irving Stone and Pavel Muratov talked about. I would like to plan the route by myself not take a guided tour — especially to manage to visit everything I wanted, without wasting time for waiting for group gathering etc. It was my first trip by my own, without a group.

1-st day: Arrival to Rome

It was just great happiness to arrive in Rome — our flight was the last. And my dream to visit Italy at last came true also. I just felt Italy hug. From airport we went to Rome by train Leonardo express (32 min) and after two steps we were in our hotel already: Hotel Corot*** located just near Termini station. (For this trip we didn’t chose hotels ourselves, we asked for an agency service, so we had a limited choice) The hotel had a great location, but was noisy to sleep, our room looked at a street.

Because of our flight delay we had less time so from planned National Roman Museum we could visit only Palazzo Massimo, Thermal baths of Diocletian were already closed. Though we were great impressed by Roman sculpture collection, as it would be alive people, it was incredible! After Palazzo Massimo we came to see The Basilica of St.Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs. First day we walked nearby Roma Termini railway station, where we lived nearby, not went elsewhere, but we felt Rome atmosphere and here: there were ancient ruins and pines everywhere where we went. Even when we had lunch at self-service Gusto Restaurant at Termini (it was quickly and no so expensive) there were ruins in courtyard.

2-Nd day: Tivoli

Next day we went to Tivoli, unfortunately it took a whole day, because we wasted a lot of time — we had to stay in a deep long line to buy tickets: thanks the Irish volcano everyone had to come back not by plane, but by train, so it was awful queue. …And a seller was very delighted to sell us tickets inside the country. Then we ran round to solve a quest where from we should depart to Tivoli. (duration 45—75 min depends on stops, 35 min — by car). To find a departure way one needs know a destination — a finale stop of the train.

So we arrived in Tivoli, walked about a half hour to Villa D’Este. (There were buses also getting to the villas in Tivoli — also Villa Gregoriana and Villa Andriana.)

Villa D’Este attracted me when I saw my friend’s photos with the villa, they were marvellous! So I imagined something unreal beautiful and planned to visit. When we came to the villa we were almost enchanted. It was an entire miracle and we were like in fair tail. After Villa D’Este we went to Villa Gregoriana, also about 20 min. The villa was a jungle park-canyon with waterfalls, ancient caves and ruins — it looks not a lot of place, but was very mystique and picturesque. On a back way on exit the villa we quickly got to the station — the railway station was nearby Villa Gregoriana.

3-Rd day: Rome

Next day we explored Rome, at least we got to main sights.

I was very stunned by The Palatine Hill — by its untold atmosphere with sunshine delight, and by The Pantheon — by its huge space as enter it. Of course, I couldn’t go away from Michelangelo masterpieces. The Trevi Fountain was out of any commentary, it was very cute and intimate and in the same time — gorgeous and miracle and with timeless crowd looked like one alive organism.

Of course, every step in Rome was unique and full of charm.

Sights of our Rome stroll:

— The Basilica of Saint Mary Major

— The Basilica of Saint Praxedes

— Saint Peter in Chains church (San Pietro in Vincoli) — Moses by Michelangelo

— The Colosseum

— The Palatine Hill

— The Roman Forum

— Largo di Torre Argentina square

— Saint Mary above Minerva church (St Maria Sopra Minerva) — Risen Christ by Michelangelo

— Pantheon

— The Trevi Fountain

— The Spanish Steps

— The Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo)

— The Baths of Caracalla (Terme di Caracalla)

4-th day: Vatican and Rome

Last day in Rome we spent in Vatican, we booked in advance a guided tour to Vatican Garden with an entrance to Vatican Museums after the excursion. It was very problem quest: you need to watch open date and time for booking, which appear on the website for moths ahead. As the date appear, so just and disappear — it needs to book immediately.

Like I couldn’t go away from Michelangelo masterpieces I couldn’t go away from Laocoön too.

After Vatican Museums visiting we had lunch in the museum, and then went to St.Peter’s Basilica. It stunned by its dimensions: everything was proportionately, so it looked like very much increased church with people who became very little grains of sand.

Further we went to Sant’Angelo Bridge and later went up to the Capitoline Hill for Forum view. So we walked a lot that day too.

5-th day: Departure to Florence

From Termini station we departed to Florence by Eurostar. In 2 hours we arrived in Florence, Novella railway station, and we made only two steps to our hotel Boncioni***. Our room had a road view, so it was noisy. But location was straight super. It was possible to reach just everything. So I did. As I planned I managed to visit every site and even more: I didn’t include Galleria Uffizi in, — because it wasn’t possible to book it in advance, so It would have to waste a lot of time in a quire. But when I had walked by all I wanted I stand in this quire and passed in. Though I had very little time I was lucky to see the main. I must notice, that I had to plan sights visits very properly, because of so quite different and unexpected the sight timetables, and I had to link all the rest of my trip to the days in Florence.

What I visited and what impressed me especially great, on the first day in Florence:

— Church of Santa Maria Novella — the Great Cloister frescos, a facade of the church impressed me great by its harmony and marveollous marble

— Santa Maria del Carmine Cappella Brancacci — Massacio and Masolino frescos

— Palazzo Pitti and Boboli gardens — Museum of Costume and Fashion surprised me too, by costumes elegant beauty

— Bardini gardens

— Church of Santa Felicita — The Deposition from the Cross by Pontormo

— The Uffizi Gallery — Venus by Botticelli and Titian

— Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore — when I came out to the square I was just stunned by this miracle of coloured marble

6-th day: Florence

Next day we went to explore Florence further. On Piazza della Signoria we had lunch — I took a giblet soup like Michelangelo did, it was very taste. We got up to opposite Arno bank hill to see Florence as also Michelangelo did. Tenderness of Fra Angelico’s frescos, Botticelli masterpieces, my favourite — Filippo Lippi’s Madonna and Duomo’s miracle marble elegance — was main motif of my florentine impressions. Of course, I was stunned by Michelangelo masterpieces again and also Donatello’s St George, from which it seems to me Michelangelo took a refrain for his David.

What I visited and what impressed me especially great, on the second day in Florence:

— Galleria dell’Accademia — David, Prisoners or Slaves by Michelangelo

— Convent of San Marco — where G.Savonarola lived, frescos by Fra Angelico,

— Archeological Nazionale Museum — Etruscan and wide Egyptian collection

— Palazzo Vecchio — where G.Savonarola was a prisoner

— Museo Nazionale del Bargello — Bacchus by Michelangelo, St George by Donatello

— The Opera del Duomo Museum — Pieta (or The Deposition or Bandini) by Michelangelo

— Basilica of San Lorenzo, Cappelle Medice — the Medice family tombs by Michelangelo

— Palazzo Medici Riccardi — Madonna of Palazzo Medici-Riccardi by Filippo Lippi, the chapel of the Magi painted by Benozzo Gozzoli

7-th day: Departure to Venice

Next day we got to Venice also by Eurostar to Venice’s Santa Lucia train station. When we came out the train we just smelt the sea. Next step — and we saw it, it was tender milk turquoise. With a wall of beautiful buildings. We bought a vaporetto (waterbus) abonnement and sailed to our hotel along Grand canal — just like in a miracle fair tale. It was simply unreal. At least we reached our hotel Hotel Castello*** nearby St Mark’s Square. The hotel had a microscopic number room and backyard view. But interior was gorgeous, and it was authentic venetian house with authentic venetian view — ordinary, but true real venetian life, so we could feel it, as we lived in Venice.

So we went to explore Venice. First we visited Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari — to see The Assumption by Titian (early work), then visited nearby glorious Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Then we came back to St Mark’s Square and visited St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. On later evening we sailed to see night Venice. There were very few lights mostly near water along Grand canal. Quite all Venice was in a darkness. It rained, and it deepened darkness Venice atmosphere. We came out on Ponte di Rialto and there was also darkness nearby, very few people and — silence.

8- th day: Venice

On next morning it was raining yet, we came to explore Venice further. Nearby Ca’d’Oro we had lunch with a seafood in popular Old Wild West. We also got to San Giorgio Maggiore Island, visited the church went up the bell tower and took a guided tour to visit the monastery. I was stunned by elegant beauty of Andrea Palladio’s interior of San Giorgio Maggiore church and was enchanted by no less exquisite proportions of his Chiostro Palladiano (or Chiostro dei Cipressi).

After all program we had a gondola glorious stroll as a final chord of our Venice trip and all Rome Florence Venice trip.

What I visited and what impressed me especially great:

— Scuola Grande di San Marco — St. Augustine in His Study by Carpaccio

— Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni and Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo (San Zanipolo) — my favourite venetian beauty building

— Ca’ d’Oro — St. Sebastian by Andrea Mantegna

— Gallerie dell’Accademia — Pietà by Giovanni Bellini and Pietà by Titian — later work

— San Giorgio Maggiore Island

— Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni view

— View from San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower

— Santa Maria dei Miracoli

— View from San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower

— Chiostro Palladiano

— Gondola stroll

9-th day: Departure

Our Rome Florence Venice trip came to end, so we went to depart to airport — by vaporetto too. (about 1 h 10 min from St Mark’s Square). But before departure we met the morning on St Mark’s Square and once more walked in the first sun rays — it was nice weather and nobody at the square, Venice just wake up.

2-nd trip to Milan & Maggiore, Como lakes

Like people have dreams to get to Paris, I had a dream to see Milan Cathedral. I would like to see it, but first my visit to Italy couldn’t include it. Italy is too rich for impressions, so better to part Italy visiting for a few trips. So my second Italy travel was to Milan.

When I planned my first trip, I discovered for myself sights of lake Como thanks villa d’Este in Tivoli: when I looked for it by internet, I found villa d’Este at Cernobbio. So I began to search all interesting villas — sights, most of it were at lake Como, some — in different parts of Italy. It was lucky to visit them further, not all, however.

So my next trip to Italy included Milan and lakes Como and Maggiore. I would like to visit also and Certosa di Pavia, Grazzano Visconti, but for 3 days in Milan it would be too much.

1-st day: Last supper by Leonardo da Vinci

From airport Malpensa we arrived by bus to Milan Central Station, from there to our hotel — by subway 1 station. We stayed near Largo Cairoli square. There were distorted bed, bad smell from shower drain in our room, so I don’t recommend our hotel to anybody. It was my first hotel choice on my own, not lucky, further I avoided hotels with problems of this kind.

Half a year before I reserved a visit Leonardo da Vinci «Last supper». There were a few vacant visit time for months in advance and no visit time at all for rest periods on official site, so I reserved my time suddenly as it appears on sale. I risked reserving it on the day of our arrival to release other days for more free activity planning. But it was lucky to arrive in time, and we could visit «Last supper».

After «Last supper» visit we walked along authentic Milan art nouveau style buildings and came to The Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio.

2-d day: Lake Maggiore

Stresa

Next day we went to Stresa, by train from Milan Central Station, the journey time is 1 hour and 7 minutes, return — 1 hour and 12 minutes, trains leave average every hour.

It was anomaly weather this summer, and mostly it was raining during this our Italy trip. So we went to Stresa in the rain, but chose the day with fewer rains: according to the forecast in the afternoon weather should have been a good. (I planned my trip so, that to be able to change order of activity depending on weather.) Arriving in Stresa we went to ferry station, but on the way we decided to stop for have a snack in a café and wait till heavy rainfall stops. We were not in hurry. It was cold also, so when after café we had bought rain coats we were not cold any more. In Stresa all was elegant, even rain coats were colourless transparent, so we looked not so bad.

Island Pescatori

Equip ourselves with rain coat, we came to ferry station to get Boromeo islands. We would like to visit Isola Bella and Isola Madre (islands Bella and Madre, Isola Bella — «beautiful island’ and sounds like Isabella for which the island was presented). But we were told that Isola Madre is a private island, and it is no routs to there, and we were invited to get to Isola Pescatori and then from there to Isola Bella. So we had to stay on Isola Pescatori and wait for the boat to Isola Bella. But we were not in hurry. We had no time to explore the island or to eat fresh fish, so we stay on the beach. As it turns out later, we came to not that ferry station: there boats leave to Islands only with groups (as enough people were gathered). There was another Stresa port, with traditional navigation on the lake, and we could visit Isola Madre too…

Isola Bella

So we came to Isola Bella, it was raining yet so at the first we went to explore the palace. The palace was stunning, just not less than the garden, when we had seen the garden too. The palace fabulous continued the garden. Whole Isola Bella complex was like miracle fairy tale.

We hadn’t seen Isola Bella in the sunshine, but even without the sun Isola Bella had its quiet charm to amaze.

Mottarone

After Isola Bella we went to mount Mottarone cableway. Perhaps thanks no so good weather we hadn’t to wait our turn to get in the cable car any time. Maybe it was too late. When we got up, at last the sun shined. But we had no time to walk and explore Mottarone, because it was nearly cableway close time. However, we could enjoy the views, and we were very glad to get up here.

On coming back we walked along the luxurious hotels and the spending gardens and enjoyed views in the sunshine. It was festive, brightly and luxury atmosphere.

I wood like to stay here for several days to walk at Mottarone, to visit Isola Madre and villa Pallavicino, to enjoy lake views walking along the lake on Stresa promenade.

But there is an important nuance: the street with intensive traffic goes along Stresa promenade and all its beauties. So it’s no quiet place to meditative relax. But at night life becomes peaceful and there is complete silence till early morning everywhere and where the street goes. However, it is noble resort, and it is just already reason why is worth to stay at Stresa.

3-d day: Museums and Sempione

Brera Picture Gallery

When I reserved «Last Supper» visit, it was needing to buy also one option: exursion tour, or museum ticket. I chose Brera Picture Gallery, first seance, to release full day after museum visit. Main famous masterpiece — Lamentation over the Dead Christ by Andrea Mantegna. There was also Francesco Hayez exhibition with famous «The Kiss» in the gallery. Else famous painters:

— Piero della Francesca,

— Raphael (The Marriage of the Virgin),

— Gentile Bellini and Giovanni Bellini,

— Caravaggio (Supper at Emmaus),

— Tintoretto,

— Modigliani

Poldi-Pezzoli museum

After Brera Picture Gallery we visited Poldi-Pezzoli museum with mostly renaissance collection. The visit card — Portrait of young Woman by Piero del Pollaiuolo. Else famous painters:

— Piero della Francesca,

— Botticelli (Lamentation over the Dead Christ with Saints, The Madonna of the Book)

— Montagna (Saint Paul)

— Giovanni Bellini

Gallery of modern art

Poldi-Pezzoli museum is next to the Scala theatre, so we walked farther and went through Emmanuel Gallery to Milan Cathedral. Then by subway we got to Gallery of modern art. It is mostly risorgimento period with remarkable artworks:

— Giovanni Segantini (The Two Mothers)

— Francesco Hayez (portraits)

— Giacomo Balla (Dynamic Expansion And Speed, Softness of Spring)

— Giuseppe De Nittis (The Breakfast in Posillipo, Woman with pompoms)

And some works of:

— Pablo Picasso

— Paul Gauguin

— Vincent van Gogh

— Édouard Manet

— Paul Cézanne

Triennale

And after all we went to Sempione, I visited Triennale with several design, photo and architecture exhibithions. There were interesting and stunner furniture at some halls, and useful photo exhibithion with photographer work show — at other Triennale halls.

It was rainy day, so there were nearly nobody, few runners and with dogs at Sempione park. ...And just a group of men, singing round danced something african.

4-th day: Manzoni, Duomo and La Scala

On the way to Duomo — Milan Cathedral — we visited old historical center, Milan main square — Mercanti, in the past — Cordusio.. Here, from Loggia degli Osii balcony, the parlour proclaimed the edicts. There is a medieval fountain in the square center, remember historic events since XVI c.. Pictures of the past became alive — before the trip I read The Betrothed by A.Manzoni. The novel action goes and at lake Como also, so I recommend reading it before the trip too. And at Brera Picture Gallery You can see his portrait by Francesco Hayez.

And at last I reached my snow-white dream, Duomo, and at last it was sunny day. Earlier we saw Milan Cathedral in passing only, now it was enough time to enjoy its beaity. It was glorious and quite not in gothic move however, and it was fine. We came up to the roof and there was no less stunny.

In the evening we went to La Scala (from Teatro alla Scala) — The Scala theatre. As most of La Scala spectacles, our opera began at 8 p.m. The Scala theatre tickets I bought like tickets to visit «Last Supper»: suddenly as it appears on sale, moment later only a few places were with no scene view. We bought 2 ticket kinds: with full scene view and with partially scene view and then changed our places with each other. The particaly scene view place helped to concentrate attention on music. Acoustics was excellent everywhere, so you can enjoy opera in any case.

5-th day: Castello Sforzesco museum. Departure to Lake Como

Castello Sforzesco museum

On departure day after breakfast we went to Castello Sforzesco museum, to see most important masterpiece — The Pietà Rondanini by Michelangelo. It is the last incomplete his work. Incomlete — and however masterpiece. And it is possible to get to know how the master works, to analyse the process. And to understand: masterpiece is masterpiece on any phase of the work. …Else the museum collection included:

— Leonardo da Vinci (fresco decoration of Sala delle Asse, — check is it open to visit)

— Andrea Mantegna (Madonna in glory with Saints John the Baptist, Gregory the Great, Benedict and Jerome)

— Titian (Portrait of Procurator Jacopo Soranzo)

— Tintoretto (Portrait of a Man with a Book)

— Castello di Sforcesco Milan

After Castello Sforzesco museum we came back to the hotel for luggage and from Milan Central Station departed to Varenna, to lake Como. The journey time is 1 hour and 4 minutes from Milan Central Station, 1 hour and 15 minutes — from Milan Porta Garibaldi station, trains go nearly every hour.

Varenna

We chose Varenna to stay, because there is the best convenient place to get to every point at lake Como. There is a triangle: Varenna, Mennaggio and Bellagio at lake center, and You can quickly come from each to other commune. And the main sights — beautiful villas — are situated mostly next to the lake center. Why Varenna, not Mennaggio or Bellagio?

Varenna is in itself the one more sight, medieval picturesque town. Varenna has lake-front promenade with wonderful views, and vehicular traffic is hidden at the other side, and You can’t feel it. You just get to a fair tale.

The sunshine in Varenna is mostly whole day, it is a rarity at lake Como with its steep banks. The best position for the sunshine has Bellagio. It’s superb to stay at the sight-hotel villa Serbelloni with the best location. I imagine how splendid to walk in the sunshine in its gardens and swim in its pool with the best lake views. But in bad weather (as we mostly had) Varenna doesn’t miss its charm, the charm becomes more deep and sensitive, with another mood, not such brightly and festive.

We chose the hotel for a pool, it was Hotel Royal Victoria, we had been fascinated and by views from the hotel and its marvellous garden. We lived 6 days in fairy tale, feeling like princesses. It was not so far: Queen Victoria stayed in this hotel.

We walked on lake front every day for our trips to other communes, there was about ten minutes to the port of Varenna, the boats leave mostly frequently enough to be not in hurry and have chance to relax enjoying the views. (We bought an abbonement.) Each commune was interesting but every time we came back to Varenna we felt as like we came home, in our fairy tale.

Next to our hotel was Varenna beach. The lake is very deep, so Varenna inhabitants no recommend to swim.

6-th day: Como, villa d’Este

Como

Next day we went to villa d’Este in Cernobbio. Now it is the hotel, so villa visit is possible with preregistation and making an order at villa restaurant. For getting Cernobbio we got to Como at the first, visit it, then by boat also get to Cernobbio.

Villa d’Este

As Como had a typical brutal medieval and monumental character Cernobbio was more home-freindly and with more grace. At that time in Cernobbio can felt also and the spirit of noble elegance. The quintessence of this spirit was concentrated at villa d’Este.

7-th day: Villa Mylius-Vigoni, villa Cipressi

Villa Mylius-Vigoni

Villa Mylius-Vigoni is one more villa, which can visit on lake Como and feel spirit of the past. Now it is German-Italian Centre for the European Dialogue, but on thursdays there were organised guided tours. From the Menaggio port to villa Mylius-Vigoni 2 km to walk up to the hill. Menaggio looked not less nice than the villa, while we went to the villa we could enjoy its views.

Villa Cipressi

When we came back to Varenna, we came in villa Cipressi, which was next door to us. It is the hotel now, but it is possible to visit the villa gardens. It is a little botanic garden, and looked as jungle. There was a beautiful corner with a bench on lake front, it was very spectacular for enjoy lakes views. The tickets to visit garden were sold separately and with entrance tickets to villa Monastero, that was the next building. But it was late, villa Monastero was closed, so we went to visit it next morning.

8-th day: Villa Monastero, villa Melzi

Villa Monastero

So next morning we came to villa Moastero. It is museum now. The gardens were going along lake front and with the clouds above the lake looked mysterious. It seems to me, if the sun shined, it would be no so interesting, so I’m very glad, that it rained. But then the sun shined too, so we could enjoy the views in different moods.