Goodbye to Italy. We flew back to the states today to continue our adventures in San Antonio.

We took the train to Milan again today. We checked our luggage at the train station and spent the day touring. We visited the Da Vinci painting of The Last Supper. It was painted in the dining room for the monks at a monastery. Da Vinci used an experimental technique instead of using fresco painting. It turns out that it was not as reliable, and the painting started deteriorating after a few years. Then the monks decided they need a door into the kitchen, so they cut a hole in the wall painting. The painting has had many different restorations in the past. Historians currently have had to erase the restorations as they believe them to have actually been detrimental and not correct. The painting has been stripped back to original paint. What a lot of work. After touring, we collected our luggage and caught a bus to our hotel near the Milan airport. Like most large cities, the airport is an hour outside of the city.

We visited Milan today. First stop the Duomo. It is unusual in that it is covered with spires and statues on the roof. We took an elevator to the roof and then walked up several flights of stairs outside to get to the spire area. Not only did we get a good view of the statues, we had a wonderful view of Milan.

After the Duomo, we walked through the Galleria, a large outdoor shopping mall covered by a glass roof. Just outside is a statue to Da Vinci.

Our adventure continued with a visit to the Castello Sforzesco. Who knew Italy had so many castles?

Cindy decided to take it easy today. Jeanine and Norm took the ferry boat to neighboring islands. We visited Menaggio and Bellagio. Both were picturesque small hill/fishing villages with stone streets and water views.

We climbed further up the mountain to the Castello di Vezio. This is a feudal castle which is open to the public. We even got to see a knight in shining armor. Well, the armor at least. It was well worth the hike up the mountain. Great views. We also went into a bunker built in the 1800’s and used in the World Wars.

Our hotel had a wonderful roof top restaurant looking out at Lake Como. We really did have an incredible view.

Took the train to Lake Como in the Italian Alps today. Our hotel is on a cliff side with an elevator that runs up the mountain on an angle. Actually it is 2 elevators as the distance is so far. The views of the lake and other islands are beautiful.

We took a boat to Murano Island to see glass blowing. It turns out that the process has not changed much in 19 centuries. We walked around town, had a nice Italian lunch and then back to Venice.

We went to the Academia in Venice. It is here that they have the Da Vinci drawing of the perfect man. Unfortunately because they have no air conditioning, they never display the drawing as it is too fragile. Oh well, at least they told us it was kept here.
Afterwards, we walked to the Rialto bridge for Jeanine to do some shopping.

On the way back, we stopped in St. Marks Square and birds landed right on Cindy’s arm. She really does have animal magnetism!