Flecking off that irksome countdown whisperer, I was determined to enjoy the last couple of days in peace, without being cheated of what remained of my blithe Italian spirited adventure.
It seemed an unending drive from Viterbo to Colico. Long highway stretches, rush hour traffic followed by divisive narrow detours, finally arriving in Colico mid-evening, way after the fat lady had sung her last note. We managed to find Carmela's place, with her, Benito, Carmen, Romano & Ivan, all patiently awaiting our approach, well, perhaps a bit worried...
Carmela's just as alluring, & self effacing as I remember; a smile dawns upon her entire countenance. She's beautiful inside & out. So wonderful to see all the family together & we set off in a tangled jumble of leap-frog with languages once again! Ah, it was so darn good to see my family again!
Setting off to Milan early the next morning, we weaned ourselves away from our bucolic, cozy,friendly B&B 'Sci d'oro' with vistas of Lake Como & distant mountains, and delish (!) breakfasts. Giuseppe & his friend, Martin, met us for our appointed viewing of "Il Cenacolo" housed in Santa Maria delle Grazie church. Just thinking about seeing da Vinci's "The Last Supper" made the hair on my arms electrify; I had wanted to see it for long! The immense scale, the imagery, portent of Jesus' destiny, in that hushed, vastly barren, hollowed room, underscored the magnificence of the work.
We gawked at the opulent Gothic Duomo cathedral with its commanding flying buttresses, strolled through the popular 19th century arcade, The Galleria, stopped at La Scala Opera House & Sforza Castle & a brief visit to see Giuseppe's mom, Irma.
The following day, our wonderful tour guide, Benito, ribboned us around Lake Como, lunching at Dongo, where the Italians still proudly announce that it was here that Mussolini was captured trying to flee over the Swiss border. On to the picturesque lakeside village of Menaggio where we had the best gelato in all of Italy! Steve rebuked me saying every corner has a gelato shop & I say each one is the best in all of Italy! Seriously, Steve, THIS one had the best gelato!
