The Sweet Taste of Timeless Zurich, Switzerland!

Finally, a trip to another European country and one of Italy's northern neighbors....Switzerland!

Thinking of that classic Schoolhouse Rock song, "The Great American Melting Pot," did you know Switzerland is a literal melting pot of its own? In the west you have the French speaking Geneva region, in the south there is the Italian speaking Lugano area (located in the canton called Ticino), and where this journey led me...the German speaking region of Zurich. Overall, the German language and culture is widespread throughout the country.

Now, I know what you are probably thinking....I indulged on some fine Swiss chocolates, purchased myself a fancy luxury watch and skied the Alpine slopes. Well, only a third of that statement is slightly true....the chocolate.

We made our way to Zurich via train from Milan's Central Station. It was a rather cheap ride costing around 44 euros round-trip; however, that wasn't the best part. The railway cut straight through the Swiss Alps! Scenic views, you ask? Of Course!

Despite arriving and spending the morning amidst light rain showers, the weather was cool and the rain let up during the early afternoon. It would have been the perfect time to test out my umbrella...the one I have yet to purchase. LOL!

Zurich is quite different from Milan. From the obvious difference in language to the style of architecture, this city was definitely easy on the eyes. (Maybe it could have been the Limmat River which runs through the center of the city and connects with the northern end of Lake Zurich.) In my opinion, Zurich would be the perfect late spring, early summer destination.

Limmat River

The sights we seen during our day-trip to Zurich:

Grossmünster: Inside the "Great Minister" protestant church, the organist was practicing a few hymns on the church's ENORMOUS organ. The range of this organ was remarkable, as it produced depth of tones I've rarely heard in a church.

Grossmunster Organ

Grossmunster exterior 

Fraumünster: This church was a former abbey and translates into "Women's Minister." Unfortunately, we did not enter this gem, but at least the outside was remarkable with its tall, thin spire.

The Limmat River and Fraumunster

St. Peter's Church: The clock's face on this church happens to be the largest in Europe at 8.7 meters!

Just look at St. Peter's face! It's HUGE!

Museum Paläontologische Sammlung (Zoological Museum): When we stepped inside the museum doors, all of the animals froze in fear. They where so stiff, it was almost as if they were stuffed. Anyways...this free museum represented the animal population extremely well!

Frozen stiff

Miscellaneous images from Zurich: 

View of Zurich from a hill (a rather small hill)

The streets of Old Town Zurich

Blow your whistle, wave those hands, direct that traffic

The travelers (L to R--Me, Manu, David, Vir and Nico)

Cinque Terre: Five Irresistible Italian Riviera Villages

It's funny to think I'm about to compare a location in Italy to the Sirens of Greek methodology, but it is the perfect simile. Just like the Sirens lured in passengers of the sea through their beauty and music, Cinque Terre seduces the traveler through pastel colored villages resting on Mediterranean Sea bluffs. 

Located along the Italian Riviera between Levanto and La Spezia is Cinque Terre - a series of five villages in close proximity from each other - where life is relaxed and traffic is absent. Between the five villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are hillsides tamed with vineyards and olive groves.

Map of Cinque Terre

When compared to the other Italian cities I had the pleasure of visiting (thanks to WhereMilan), Cinque Terra is a completely different animal. Where Manuta, Bologna, Bergamo, etc. were rich in history and museums, Cinque Terra thrives from its scenic views and outdoor activities. 

Each town is laced together by a system of hiking trails. If you were to ask me, the views we saw from the trails were the best part of our journey. However, don't worry if you are unable to hike the trails because there is regional train operating between each village. At a cost of 12 Euros, you can buy a pass which gives you unlimited access to the rail, hiking paths, and several attractions in the region.

Of the five villages, Vernazza stole my heart. Maybe it was the ruins of the Doria castle and pirate lookout tower on the cliff, my first taste of the region's oily focacccia, or the pebbled beach; whatever it was, I am definitely not complaining.  

Even though images don't do justice, here are some views of the five Cinque Terre villages:

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore (The southern most city of Cinque Terre)

The main street in Riomaggiore

Manarola

Houses in Manarola on the Cliff

Manarola during the sunset

Corniglia

Church in Corniglia

Corniglia

Vernazza

This way to Vernazza!

View of Vernazza from the South

View of Vernazza from the North

Relaxing on the Beach

Monterosso

Monterosso the northern most village of Cinque Terre

Freezing in the Mediterranean Sea

Too many steps...

Is Mantua Actually Charming?

In conjunction with my Sabbioneta visit, our group of international travelers made our way to Manuta; only about 20 miles from Sabbioneta and two hours from Milan by car.

Published in the WhereMilan April 2014 issue was an article about Manuta describing the main sights one should see, regional foods one should taste and entertainment one could experience. Under the article titled, "Charming Mantua," it was stated, "Some people call her the 'Sleeping Beauty' because she just lies there, at the tip of Lombardy, romantic and a little lazy." Now, it was my turn to be the judge and determine just how "charming" Mantua actually was.

Established on a settlement before Etruscan times, Mantua is widely known as the focal point of the powerful Gonzaga family's dynasty during the Renaissance. In fact, if you have read Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet," some of the scenes take place in Mantua. From its buildings to its atmosphere (which still slightly contains a remnant of Renaissance flair), Mantua is saturated with Renaissance and medieval influences.

Me, Jitin and Nico in Piazza Sordello infront of the Palazzo Ducale and Duomo

One of the unmissable buildings in Mantua is the Palazzo Ducale (Duke's Palace), the main residence of the Gonzaga family. With a surface area more than 32,000 sq. m., the complex contains an uncountable number of extravagant, frescoed rooms and several courtyards. Regular admission was only 6.50 Euros and was well worth it.

A fresco in the Palazzo Ducale 

Intricate decorative details

Long corridors connecting the buildings

Photo courtesy of Nico; Palazzo Ducale

Another stop on our visit was the Basilica of Sanit Andrea. The basilica was built directly next to an existing bell tower from the early 15th century, and is even said the crypt houses sacred vessels containing the relic of the Blood of Christ. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see that part because the basilica was under renovation; I assume preparing for the upcoming Holy Holidays.

Under the barrel vaulted ceiling of the Basilica

Being a lover of authentic regional foods, I had to try the recommendations provided by WhereMilan in their article. For my main course I had bigoli, which is a form of thick spaghetti, and I followed it with sbrisolona, a crumbly, brittle almond cake.

Sbrisolona

Bigoli

Overall, Mantua lived up to my expectations. There are many things to do in this laid back city which provides the visitor with a opportunity to escape the vigorous city pace of Milan. Some of the other places we visited are depicted in the images below.

Mantua's Duomo (Cathedral) 

Plaza Broletto

Rotunda di San Lorenzo

Photo courtsey of Nico; Castle of San Giorgio

Sabbioneta, Italy: An UNESCO World Heritage Site

Right now you are probably thinking, "Wow! An UNESCO World Heritage Site; sounds important." Well, your instincts are correct....it is important and I'm going to briefly tell you why.

What exactly is UNESCO?

Under the United Nations (UN), a specialized agency was created to carryout the UN's mission of ensuring peace and security by the promotion of universal respect and international collaboration through educational, scientific and cultural methods; thus, the birth of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). Out of its 195 member state agency, 21 create the UNESCO World Heritage Committee which catalogs and conserves sites of significant importance to the heritage of humanity in general. With 981 sites on the list, Italy contains the highest concentration with 49; one being the city of Sabbioneta.

Preserved Sabbioneta

Located between the cities of Parma and Mantua and roughly two hours southeast of Milan by car, Sabbioneta is the "ideal city" of  late Renaissance architecture and city planning. The city, which still lies within its original 16th century defensive walls, makes the visitor feel as if the city was still under the rule of the Gonzaga family. 

As we trekked our way on the river rock roads towards the center of Sabbioneta, we had an unique opportunity to experience an Italian Renaissance welcome. You see, it was around noon and do you know what happens in a old city when the clock strikes noon? Find out by watching this short clip.

Just like most tourists do we wondered the streets until we found an open attraction. By doing so, this gave us our first stop in Sabbioneta...the Palazzo del Giardino (Garden Palace). With a rather dull outside, this 16th century building had a outstanding inside. The perfect comparison would be Iowa's state rock...the Geode; rough on the outside but beautiful on the inside. Directly adjacent to the Palazzo del Giardino was the Galleria degli Antichi; which in it's prime, housed the duke's collection of ancient statues, hunting trophies and other valuable processions. This happens to be Italy's third largest gallery.

Galliera degli Antichi looking towards the Palazzo del Giardino

With a location on the main plaza, our next destination was the Palazzo Ducale (the Ducal Palace).The rooms of the palace were completely decked out with intricately carved wooden ceilings and frescoed walls. These ceilings were so remarkable, they outshone the other artifacts on display in the rooms. Just look at the photos.

Fireplace in the Duke's Palace

Wooden Ceiling in the Duke's Palace

Close up of the ceiling details in the Duke's Palace

 

A Slight Disappointment

Being a tourist destination and listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, we were shocked to find we weren't able to enter some of the places due to the fact they were closed and didn't open until 3:30 pm. Sabbioneta is home to some remarkable places like Europe's first theater that wasn't built from pre-existing structures and an architecturally beautiful Jewish synagogue. Unfortunately, those places were closed when we were there, so I don't have any pictures of their insides.

Teatro All'Antica

Outside of the Jewish Synagogue (right)

Chiesa della Beata Vergine Incoronata

The "Felice Nel Box" Project

With an interesting plot, this indie project tells the story of a family who took a gravestone from the deprived Jewish cemetery in Sabbioneta in order to preserve the Jewish history. The purpose of this video production is to raise funds to help restore the earthquake damaged  Jewish synagogue in Sabbioneta. Checkout the promo video here: Felice Nel Box

Day Trip: Milan to Bologna, Italy

Welcome to Bologna: Origin of the Bolognese Sauce

What can I say about the Italian city of Bologna? Well, let me start off by mentioning it is a MUST SEE location and totally reachable from Milan making it the perfect day trip. I hope you are ready for your virtual journey to Bologna, Italy, because here we go!

As I mentioned previously, Bologna is extremely easy to reach from Milan; it only takes a train ride. Depending on your comfort level for traveling (and your budget), you can reach the medieval Italian city between one to three hours from Milan Central Station. In our case we wanted to travel cheaply, so for 16 euros one-way we rode the regional train which took us nearly three hours to reach Bologna. If we spent about 25 more euros, the fast train would have gotten us there in about one hour. A word of advice: choose a train that gets you there before 10 am because there are a lot of places to see and things to do in Bologna. We ended up leaving at 8 pm and still didn't see everything we wanted to.

With origins dating back to about 1,000 BC, Bologna is now the 7th largest city in Italy based off population. From the Iron Age with the Villanovan culture to Celtics to Romans to Lombards, the city has been through many changes and served various purposes. This is the reason why Bologna is home to a wealthy assortment of structures portraying Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.  The below image is part of the Roman wall which surrounded the entire city at the time, and below the wall image is a small sample, about 0.0001%, of all the arches in the city. LOL!

Section of the Roman wall that surrounded the city

Only four of Bologna's mannnny arches

Arena del Sole Theater...and more arches

The next image was taken from inside of the University of Bologna, the world's oldest continuously operating university which held its first class in 1088 AD. The University also houses a very interesting free museum that we visited which was all about the university's students and campus life. Some of most notable alumni for the University of Bologna include three popes. Today, about 85,000 students are enrolled throughout the University's 23 schools.

Palazzo Poggi University Museum

The National Art Gallery of Bologna is another free attraction we visited. This gallery contains a vast collection of 13th-18th century paintings made by artists who have ties to the city of Bologna.

National Picture Gallery

One of Bologna's secrets happens to be its hidden system of canals. Before my trip, I had no clue bologna had canals until I crossed over one. This hydraulic system was created during the middle ages to bring not only water into the city for use but as a source for hydraulic energy. It was a nice surprise....I can't wait to see what Venice will be like.

Bologna Canal

Located near the town's main plaza, Piazza Maggiore, the 1567 Fountain of Neptune,complete with patinaed bronze, was a remarkable sight to see. (Also, a great photo op.)

Fountain of Neptune

As the heading of the post states, Bologna is the origin of everybody's favorite meat based sauce....Bolognese! So for lunch I had to try tortellini with bolognese sauce....I don't know if it was just psychological, but it was perhaps the best I ever had! Bologna is also known for their cured pork meats and cheeses. Unfortunately, I didn't try mortadella....Italy's version of American Bologna.

Tortellili Ragu alla Bolognese

Traditional Bologna Food

Some of Bologna's most famous landmarks are it's towers. It is said between the 12th and 13th centuries, Bologna had around 180 towers! Pictured below are the famous "Two Towers;" the smaller leaning one is called "Garisenda" and the tallest one is "Asinelli". At a cost of 3 euros, you can climb the old wooden staircase for a remarkable panoramic view from the 90 m high Asinelli tower. (This is my #1 recommendation of things to do when visiting Bologna)

The Two Towers (yes, one leans)

I made it to the top!

View from Asinelli Tower

View from Asinelli (notice the large Basilica...explained later))

The Churches and Basilicas of Bologna 

Bologna is home to many important churches and basilicas, and all come complete with outstanding architectural structure and intricate details. (Well, almost all do.) Sadly, many of the churches prohibited photos, but a few of them allowed them didn't. The basilica of San Giacomo Maggiore houses many artistic pieces from the Renaissance era, but they are located inside where photos were, in this case, prohibited. (At least the outside looks nice...right? LOL!)

Basilica of San Giacomo Maggiore

Basilica and Sanctuary of Santo Stefano is widely known as the "Seven Churches." This might be primarily due to the fact the complex contains multiple basilicas. The basilica is even said to be built over a temple for the Egyptian goddess, Isis. Cool, right?!

Basilica and Sanctuary of Santo Stefano

Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Oldest part)

Located on the Piazza Maggiore, the Basilica of San Petronio is unmissable. It is known to be the worlds 15th largest church with the vault of the ceiling reaching 148 ft into the air. One of the basilica's prominent features, is the uncompleted facade. On the inside, there is even a sundial embedded into the floor.

Basilica of San Petronio

The main alter in San Petronio's Basilica

The last photos are of a few more churches we had time to visit. If churches are your guilty pleasure, then by all means you best look for real estate in Bologna because you would be in heaven. LOL no pun intended.

Basilica and Sanctuary of San Domenico

Cathedral of San Pietro's main alter

Cathedral of San Pietro

San Francesco Basilica at night

After a full day of sightseeing and walking, it was nice to take a load off our feet on the three hour train ride back to Milan. It was an unbelievable day full of sights not common to me as a rural Iowan...let alone an American. I leave you with a pic of the "boy band" travelers:

David, Lance (me) and Jitin