Destination: Tenero Contra (via Milan)
It was a beautiful morning. Although in places the storm clouds were still very dark on horizon, it was incredibly peaceful and tranquil, and the lake was almost perfectly still.
I decided to go for a little walk along the shoreline before getting some breakfast at the site cafe. It seemed the storm had washed thousands of tiny crayfish up on the shore. I stood for a while and watched some of them as they picked their way slowly back toward the lake, willing them to hurry before any predators came along.
It was lovely and warm in the cafe and very reasonable with coffee and a pastry for under 5€. The only other visitors were a lovely German couple I had briefly chatted to the previous evening and who were camped behind me. I was fairly sure they’d be glad the TentBox was no longer blocking their view of the lake. But as with almost all the people I’d met, they had been very friendly, and they wished me a safe trip as I headed back to the car.
Today would be a strange day. My first stop was going to be Milan where I had pre-booked a couple of activities. Although I was super excited for one of these, I was also not particularly confident about leaving my TentBox unattended all day in a car park. That leap of faith was definitely causing me some anxiety.
After visiting Milan, I was then going to drive into Switzerland via Lake Como. With mixed feelings of excitement and and nervousness, I set off.
Having been quite ambitious with my itinerary I fully expected it to change, and as it turned out it did!
Stop 1: Milan
My first stop was Machiavelli Parking, which is close to the metro at Porta Venezia. I had pre-booked this parking online via Parclick. Luckily at 2.1m, the barrier was just tall enough for my TentBox.
I needn’t have worried as the parking was excellent, and as soon as I got there all my worries pretty much disappeared. The attendant was professional, helpful and forgiving of my stuttering Italian and I was happy leaving my TentBox with him for the day. Almost all of the other cars in the car park were prestige and much fancier than my little Mini. And importantly for an underground parking, it was well lit and felt safe to get in and out. If you are thinking of spending the day in Milan, this is a great option, especially as the Metro station of Porta Venezia is just a short walk away.
As had been the case in Rome, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of maps in the Milan Metro. So I would recommend taking a picture of the first one you find for reference.
Luckily I was heading for the station of Duomo, just a couple of stops away.
Il Duomo di Milano Terraces
As usual, I had booked my tour of the Duomo via Get Your Guide. I had some time before my tour so took a walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall. I hadn’t appreciated just how incredibly huge or ridiculously busy the Galleria would be, I was stunned at the sheer volume of people visiting the designer stores. It soon became clear that my cunning plan to cut through the Galleria and get a glimpse of La Scala wasn’t going to pan out. It was time to head back to the Duomo as I absolutely didn’t want to miss my tour which included a trip to the rooftop terraces.
The ‘terraces’ tour starts at the entrances at the back of the Duomo. There is a very short delay passing through the security check, then it’s into the lift to the roof terrace. When we got out of the lift, we were literally on the roof of the cathedral, looking out over fabulous views of the city. Gradually we made our way around the rooftop, over and through the spectacular and ornate stonework. I enjoyed this part of the tour far more than I had expected, and it’s definitely something I’d recommend doing if you are in Milan.
Once you’re ready to descend, it’s down the 250 steps to the ground floor and if you have the right ticket, it’s time to see the cathedral itself.
Il Duomo di Milano
I’d spent far longer than I expected on the rooftop which didn’t give me much time in the cathedral. To be fair, I wasn’t getting the ‘spiritual’ feeling I’d had in St Marks Basilica, possibly as the Duomo is more traditionally gothic. So I just took a quick wander through the impressive columns before I had to head off to my next tour.
If you do have the time to explore, there’s an impressive if slightly gruesome statue of St Bartholomew, and an archaeological area that are both worth a visit.
As I left the cathedral and made my way across the square, I was struck by the number of very well dressed people getting their picture taken. Having arrived on the other side I noticed a huge sign saying ‘#MFW’. Then I realised, it was Milan Fashion Week … that’s why the Galleria had been so busy!
The Last Supper
The reason I wasn’t hanging about at the cathedral was because I was having to walk some distance to my next tour. I wasn’t very sure of where I was going, and I absolutely did not want to be late. The highlight of my day and one of the highlights of my trip, I was going to be visiting Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece ‘The Last Supper‘.
The painting is a mural, painted on the wall of a refectory of an old church called Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan. It depicts the moment that Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him, and captures their reactions.
The main reason the painting is so celebrated is the way Da Vinci uses techniques that give a 3D dimension to something painted 2 dimensionally. The light and shade employed in this work really bring the painting to life. You almost feel like you are actually in the room with them.
The painting is housed in a very closely controlled environment to preserve it as well as possible, with groups of people entering at timed intervals. Before we entered, our guide warned us that some people have quite an emotional reaction to the painting. She explained this is because most people only get to see the painting from a 2D perspective but in real life the 3D techniques really work their magic. I can honestly say that I certainly felt moved by it, in a way that I have never experienced from a work of art before. I felt privileged to have witnessed the genius of Da Vinci, and the reason why this particular painting is one of the most celebrated works in history.
Stop 2: Lake Como
After the Last Supper, I felt like I had seen and done enough in Milan, so I decided to head back to the car and get a head start to my next stop. As I navigated my way out of the narrow streets, I realised I had been blissfully ignorant of Milans rush hour traffic. And bizarrely it seemed that everyone leaving Milan was also heading for Lake Como. I had expected to reach Como in around an hour, but it took twice that.
Regardless, I was very very glad I’d made the trip. Lake Como is magnificent, deep in a valley with steep woodlands on all sides, it’s a very dramatic landscape, and a real feast for the eyes. Sadly I realised it wouldn’t be long before I lost the light, and there was somewhere I had really wanted to be, so I headed off once more.
Stop 3: Balcone d’Italia
As I was now driving from Italy into Switzerland, the road became very ‘interesting’. It alternated from long tunnels to steep narrow roads climbing the mountains forming the natural border of the 2 countries. My next stop was going to be right at the top of one of these, Sighignola, at the Balcone d’Italia.
I had read extensively about the viewpoint, and although it was getting dark and the views might not be what I’d hoped for, I was determined to get there. The road up to the viewpoint zig zags up through dark uninhabited forests until it plateaus out at a small car park. When I arrived, the light was almost gone and it was more than a little bit eerie.
But I got out of the car and walked around the side of the hill. Despite the darkness, the views were incredible, with the twinkling lights around the lakes picking out the small towns and villages below.
So this was where I said my goodbyes to fabulous Italy ‘alla prossima’. Making my way back down the hill into the darkness, I headed for the border and Switzerland.
Overnight: Campofelice Camping Village
My travel into Switzerland did not go as planned. Usually trusty Waze decided to take me down a very steep road on the side of the mountain that gradually narrowed to only 1.8 metres wide. I almost got completely wedged between 2 buildings, as I kept expecting the narrowing road to widen. I had rushed past the warning sign in the darkness, only seeing it once I’d spent an hour inching backwards up the hill. My poor car, I wasn’t sure if I’d broken something with all the reverse/stop maneouvres as there was a distinct smell of burning coming from somewhere. Having made it back up the hill and given Waze a shake and a few ‘stern words’, I took it very steady the rest of the way to Tenero-Contra.
So it was very late when I reached Campofelice Camping Village on the banks of Lago Maggiore. But the staff were very understanding and helpful and quickly checked me in and signposted me to my pitch.
The campsite seemed really nice, pitches flat and relatively private and the services were great. It’s a really big site, and has loads of facilities, as well as being right on the side of a beautiful lake. Although my stay was very short, I’d definitely stay here again. But I’d probably take a few more blankets next time, as by this stage I was definitely feeling the cool Alpine air!
