Milan to Venice: The Perfect Escape

By Arnie Greenberg
Contact Arnie at:
ultours1@gmail.com

(In Padua, above, visit the Piazza della Frutta and see the Palazzo della Ragione, one of many palaces that dot the route. Photo on the home page is of two masked revelers in Venice. All photos courtesy the Italian Government Tourist Office).

It's sometimes difficult to know how far we can go in how many days. This is especially true in Europe, where there are traffic snarles on mountain roads, bad weather in some regions, and a need for language skills.

I tried a ten-day road trip from Milan to Merano in the Tyrol. It worked out well, and I found that you can really tailor a trip to fit your needs.

On the other hand, we sometimes find ourselves in an exciting setting and don't want to leave. Northern Italy can be a place just like that…a place full of surprises. Here's a journey and stops worth taking.

I flew into Malpensa, the main international airport of Milan. (There is a closer airport called Linate. If you get a flight there, it's easier to get into the city and much cheaper). A bus drive into the city brought me to an area of many hotels near the main station.

It wasn't difficult to note that the station was built during the time of Mussolini. His architectural style is peculiar to his time, big and ornate with columns, and looking bulky. By the way, if you intend to rent a car, it can be done at the main train station. I usually use Europecar, which I find very reliable.

I found the modern, first-class, all-suite Hotel Una Century at 25/B Via Fabio Fitzi, which had a young, warm, welcoming staff and first-class services. Tel 02 675041.

Discovering La Porta Rosa

From here I could walk to the broad Via Pisani leading from the main train station, where, that first day, I discovered La Porta Rosa at # 2. Gnocchi and pastas, sauces and local wines greeted me even before I tasted the Veal Milanese. I would eat here again before I was due to leave. The restaurant is often crowded, but there's a downstairs room and tables outside. No need to reserve. I sat quietly and read my guidebook.

Milan is a bustling commercial center, not without a certain charm. A day in the city will be enough to see the main sights, which are close together, unless, of course, you are there to shop. Some of the best high- end boutiques are in Milan, which is Italy's fashion center along Corso Napoleone. Chic young sales people beautifully display everything. It's difficult to turn them down.

(The magnificent main cathedral in Milan's Piazza Duomo)

I head for the main square, Piazza Duomo. The main cathedral is a must with its 135 Gothic spires and 2, 245 exterior statues that took 500 years to build. The best view of the square is from the roof via a modern elevator. Important, too, are the Brera Galleries, famous for Tuscan masters.

And don't miss the world-famous covered shopping area (right), named after Victor Emmanuel next to the square with its famous coffee houses.

Milan's Famous La Scala

At the opposite end is the famous La Scala. If you can get tickets for that evening, you're in luck. If not, spend an hour in the theatre museum. It's rewarding. Don't be disappointed if the man on the street doesn't understand you. They speak a true Milanese dialect here. After that, it's a short walk to the gates of the Sforzesco Castle, once owned by the ruling family of the area. It's a nice park setting next to a huge park plaza.

Nearby, you'll find Santa Maria della Grazie, on whose refectory wall Leonardo da Vinci painted the world's most famous picture, The Last Supper. Try to get there early in the day, as it gets very crowded. Milan can be a pleasant interlude if you wander off the main streets.

Destination Bergamo

But our destination is Bergamo, only 50 km to the east along the autostrada. The city is interesting, as it is divided into an Upper and Lower Town. It's a steep climb but well worth it. Citta Alta contains ancient walls, narrow winding lanes lined with palazzi and an old tower rising above blue domes. You'll find breezy piazzas and wonderful views of the distant mountains and the 'waveless plain.' It is easy to see why Stendhal called this "The prettiest place I have ever seen."

From on top or from the funicular to the fortified Bergamo Alto, you look down on the city of a thousand churches, most of them ordinary. But the Sentierone, The Big Path, a chestnut avenue is full of life and color.

There is probably no more restful or picturesque town than Bergamo, too often bypassed by tourists heading to Sirmione on Lago di Garda. That's our next destination, too, and you'll soon discover why. We come to Garda, the greatest of Italy's Northern lakes. It is one of the shortest to circumnavigate. Even the German poet Goethe, not normally given to exaggeration, thought this was the nicest of the lakes and "a marvel of creation."

Allow two days to see the lake properly. You'll have no trouble finding a pretty place to stop and wonderful accommodations. In Bardolino or Sermione, you can inquire at the tourist office. Sermione is my favorite, even if it's a bit crowded seasonally. It's the jewel in Garda's crown with the citadel at the end of the three-mile sandy point at the southern end of the lake.

With lush gardens and fruit groves, a grotto, and hot springs, it drew such people as Toscanini and Catullus, the Roman poet, as well as Ezra Pound the modern poet, who wrote about Catullus 2,000 years later.

A drive along the eastern shore will offer forts, villas and resorts. There is a cut off at Lazise to the Autotstrade leading to Verona. If you aren't in a hurry, you can stay at Casa Mia, 2 km south of Lazise. This is a modern oasis with pool, golf course and sauna. Call ahead to: 045 647 0244. In Sermione you can have traditional or local meals in a shaded terrace at Grifone da Luciano at Via Della Bisse 5. There's a small hotel nearby. Telephone ahead to 030 916 097.

Verona of Romeo and Juliet Fame

As I enter Verona, I always think of Shakespeare and his lovers, Romeo andJuliet. Juliet's balcony is the top tourist attraction, but I am drawn to the great Roman amphitheatre, with capacity for 22,000 people who can view great opera or the great Shakespearean tragedies. Ancient Romans marked their special stone seats, so don't be surprised if yours reads, "Catullus sits here" or "This is Milo's chair."

(The statue of the lovely Giuletta from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in a courtyard of Verona)

The city is bustling, especially around Piazza della Erbe, where people gather to buy fruits and vegetables or sip coffee under striped awnings. On some of the streets I saw fenced off-areas, where early city ruins were found and are on display. I actually ate near the arena in a Chinese restaurant, Hong Kong, which was simple and inexpensive. It's at 25 Via Cattaneo.

I didn't stay in Verona, but there is a nice four-star Best Western Hotel, Firenze, at 88, Corso Porta Nuova a few minutes from the city center. Tel: 045 801 1510.

Padua, Where Galileo Lectured

From here it's only a short 32 km hop to Padua, a city where Gallileo once lectured. A statued city, it is referred to as "The city of the Saint" as a dedication to Anthony, patron of all Italy. The traffic moves around the Prato della Valle, a series of white chalk statues, old bridges and underground canals, along cobbled streets with smart shops. There are many good restaurants around St. Anthony's Cathedral.

(The famous Cappella degli Servegni (Chapel of Servegni), dating fromt the 14th century, in Padua)

La Calandre is a reasonable place to eat at a small hotel of the same name. Te: 049 635 200. There are also restaurants on the westbound autostrade to Venice, which is only a 20-minute ride away.

Venice: The Queen of the Adriatic

Venice is more than exciting. It is enchanting. Called the Queen of the Adriatic, or Mistress of the Seas, it was once the starting point of naval adventures and a transport site for the Crusaders.

Venice is a city whose architecture is Greek, Byzantine, Goth, Tuscan, Frank and Moorish. It looks and feels like no other city in the world. In fact, it consists of 117 islands separated by 45 km of canals.

(As you enter Venice, you begin to understand that it is like no other city in the world)

As you enter by bus or train, you face the Grand Canal. From the Plaza La Roma, you can take a waterbus (a "vaporetto"), which wends its way down the crowded canal past gondolas, delivery boats and water taxis or 'motoscafi." The vaporetti are the cheapest way to enter this Italian wonderland.

By the time you get to Piazza St. Marco, you will have seen festive pink and gray buildings, churches, casinos, restaurants and museums. If you happen to be in Venice during carnival time, you'll bear witness to an explosion of color, mysterious looking costumes and masks.

On St. Mark's Square you can visit the dazzling Basilica, which seems straight out of the Arabian Nights, a 100-meter Campanile (or tower), which you can ascend by elevator for an incredible view. Facing the tower are the lagoon and the Alps in the distance. But at ground level, you can also visit the Doge's Palace, the epitome of splendor, and the Bridge of Sighs, that marbled box-like bridge that led to ancient dungeons. At the other side of the canal stands the imposing Santa Maria della Salute.

But this is only the beginning. Once you leave the Piazza you enter a warren of lanes that opens into the most unique city in the world.

Among Things to See in Venice

Academia art gallery
Peggy Guggenheim's Modern Art Museum
Roof Terrace at Cipriani Hotel
Harry's Bar
Murano Glass Works
Ancient Ghetto

(Two costumed revelers, below, ready for a Venetian carnival)

Note: I stopped just behind the clock (Torre dell'Orologio) on the Piazza St. Marco at a nondescript restaurant near the souvenir shops. I ordered a hot chocolate and was presented with a large mug filled with the sweetest, hottest and thickest drink I ever had, made with fresh chocolate shavings. My spoon stood up by itself!

(Two masked revelers at the Venice Carnival)

Venice is a wonderful place to spend time and get lost in the warren of streets and canals. There is really no other city like it in the world.

To save money you can stay just outside the city at Mestre, perhaps the Hotel Plaza, near the Mestre train station. If you come in by train, there are many good hotels within walking distance of the train station on Venice's Grand Canal.

Hotel Plaza, 36 Viale Stazione Tel 041 929 388. There are 226 modern rooms in this first-class hotel.

(You can also read Arnie's article, "Milan on the Way to Como, Verona and Brescia" by clicking here)

(These are Oregon truffles, and if you've enjoyed truffles in Italy, you should read our article about Oregon truffles and the joys of travel to Lane County, Oregon. Click here for the story!)