Europe 2010: July 22-25, Milan & Lake Como

I have concluded that there are no handicapped people in France and Italy. This is because there are no elevators or ramps at the train stations! How can this be?! By the time I had changed trains three times on my way from Nice to Milan (Monte Carlo, Ventimiglia, Genova), I had lifted my bike + bags up and down many flights of stairs, and had covertly used one escalator. My hostel in Milan was far from the train station and it took me over an hour by bike to navigate less than 3 miles (5 km). The absence of major boulevards, endless roundabouts, and name changes every block made the large city of Milan feel like an oversized old town that needed a serious urban planning makeover. I was not in the best mood when I arrived, but made the most of my short stay in Milan. I had a chat with my nice Brazilian roommate, Cynthia, and left early the next morning to visit the majestic white duomo (cathedral) in the center of the old town on my way to the train station. The duomo was surprisingly pretty and I'm glad I made the effort.

I started to relax as the train pulled away from the big city towards Lake Como. A very nice train conductor joined me in the bike car as we neared Varenna to point out the little towns as we passed. Lakes and mountains began to appear and my heart soared - ahh, nature! Moody, low-lying clouds and white and pink houses dotting the hillsides made the scenery even more spectacular. I hopped off the train at Varenna and headed to the water just in time to catch the ferry to Menaggio, a small town on the other side of Lake Como. I LOVE ferry rides :) The clouds started to spit rain, but I enjoyed every moment. I thought, wow, this is the first rainy day since the start of my trip! The hostel was super close to the ferry dock, so I made it there before it started to pour. What a spectacle! I sat on the hostel deck that had a fantastic view of the lake and watched the storm play out. The atmosphere of the hostel was wonderful - the hostel staff were like a family and the travelers were super friendly and upbeat. My first night I met Carolyn (from Toronto) and Steve (an Aussie living in London). After the rain stopped, the sun came out and the three of us went to town for dinner. Carolyn sparked my interest in traveling to Jungfrau while in Switzerland since she said it was the highlight of her trip so far. They both had hiked Cinquetera in Italy - a must-see next time!

The next day, after eating a hearty 'American breakfast' (eggs + bacon + pancakes), Steve and I embarked on a fabulous bike ride to Lago (Lake) di Lugano. The trail had many hills and crossed clear streams and green fields. We stopped for some relaxation at Lago di Piano, then again for lunch at Porlezza and admired the brilliant turquoise of the glacier lake, Lago di Lugano. What a day! I had so much fun :) That evening, the hostel had a BBQ which topped off the day nicely, where we met some folks from Maryland (Jen, John, Christi & husband) and Heather from Ireland. One glass, two glass, three glass, four! Who's counting the glasses of wine?! I also finally redeemed myself (from my terrible open mic experience in York) by playing a competent version of Angel from Montgomery using the guitar at the hostel. Yay!

The next morning, I had to start planning the next segment of my trip through Switzerland and Germany. I tried using my credit card online, but no transactions went through and soon found out that my card had been suspended. To make a long story short, my credit card number (not the card itself) had been stolen sometime in France and almost $4000 worth of transactions had been made in two days! Although I have disputed all charges and will not have to pay, this has caused an amazing amount of heartburn, inconvenience, and wasted time.

Despite a crazy day, I still managed to enjoy parts of it, including taking the tourist train to Lenno with Steve, having the massive dessert of strawberries, grand marnier, and vanilla ice cream, and taking part in the traditional Italian dance later that night with friends at the hostel. Luckily, I managed to get in touch with Laura in Neuchatel (from Nice) by the end of the night and arranged a last minute visit to have an address where my emergency visa card could be sent. Thanks, Laura - you're wonderful! What a crazy time... Off tomorrow to Switzerland!

July 22