1 post tagged “bergamo”

I awoke to me alarm bleeping at 4:30am Saturday morning… I was up, showered, dressed and packed by 4:50am and out the door and on the tube to Liverpool Street by 5am.

 

I was on my way to Bergamo, Italy. Unlike most of my trips, this one was rather unplanned. Amber and I were going to ‘wing it’. We strode off the plane armed with only our hostel confirmation print-out and basic details of how to reach ‘Nuovo Ostello della Gioventù di Bergamo’ (translates to “Youth Hostel in Bergamo with pretty view”…. Not really), and a small day pack each. We jumped on a bus and off we went.

 

As we arrived in central Bergamo, the sights were simply amazing. In the distance you could see ‘Citta Alta’ (Upper City), huge clock towers and ancient buildings. The hostel itself was supposed to be a ‘youth hostel’, however we were surrounded by old folks! After dumping our bags we on a bus headed for Citta Alta, a hilltop medieval town, we zipped through winding roads with incredible views, I can’t even describe, so I’ll have to post photo’s. We wandered through the narrow cobblestone streets, past various historical monuments such as Piazza Vecchia (Old Square), Pallazzo della Ragione, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), and Cappella Colleoni (Colleoni Chapel).

 

After realising the time I couldn’t help but thing that I should need a nanna nap by now, however the sights are so overwhelming that you can’t possibly thing of sleeping. Amber and I decided we would stop at a few bars, the first being a family owned Italian style pub. We ordered ‘prosecco’, and I fell in love with Astoria Prosecco-Di Valdobbiandene! Along came complimentary olives too, beautiful services, friendly smiles, I could have died right there and had been satisfied.

 

Being in

Italy, we also thought we would take full advantage of good coffee and you simply cannot get a good one in London. I was ready for a hit, so espresso or short black as you may call it, was on order. It was brilliant! Perfecto!

 

Thirsty again we hit another of Citta Alta’s small bars and noticed the England V Australia match was on, so we couldn’t resist! Beers and wine and cheering… we were the only Aussies in the entire place, and the young British lads sitting behind us didn’t want to let us forget it when England beat us by two points. Still, we managed to have them buy us drinks for the remainder of the afternoon. Can this day get any better?

 

The following day we were seated in a large train that smelt like horse stables that needed cleaning. We were on our way to Lago di Como. As we arrived the view simply takes your breath away, we had to simply sit to take it all in… with gelato in hand. Lake Como is by far one of the most beautiful and magical cities of them all. A huge lake with ducks and swans glistens and as you turn in a 360˚ circle you are sounded by sloping hills and mountains and amazing houses and villas. It is magnificent!

We took the funicolare (cable car) from the centre of Como to Brunate, a small village on a mountain that is 715 metres above sea level, and looked down over Como… yet another amazing view. And the houses! There is SO MUCH MONEY in Como… George Clooney even has a house here! I think I will settle here… one day… one day in my dreams.

 

All in all… Italy is one of those truly amazing countries. Its beauty, hospitality and friendliness are undeniably first-rate.

 

Oh... and can I just say, my Italian is really getting better!

 

Ciao

 

x