Tag: quickread

Autumn in Italy – Varese

Published on by Amparo's travels & musings2 Comments

Visiting Varese

Hi!

How are you?

A couple of days ago, we took a little trip to Varese which is a city in northern Italy known for its art-nouveau villas and parks. It’s about an hour from Milan by train if you’re travelling from Milano Centrale station.

In Varese, we visited the beautiful baroque Estense Palace gardens which used to be the summer residence of Francesco III d’Este, Duke of Modena e Governor of Lombardia. The Duke was so enchanted with Varese that he begged the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria to entrust it to his rule. His request was granted. The gardens behind the villa were inspired by the grounds of the royal residence of Schönbrunn (a must-see if you visit Vienna).

OPENING HOURS

Open: all year
Opening times: variable
Admission: free

After visiting the gardens, we headed to Monte Sacro; a UNESCO world heritage site.

Campo dei Fiori Regional Park – Sacro Monte

Campo dei Fiori Regional Park is home to the 17th-century Sacro Monte di Varese complex. It includes the Via Sacra, a 2km uphill path that passes 14 frescoed chapels on the way to a sanctuary.

At the very top, there’s the small village of Sacro Monte with stunning views over the lake and mountains.

One of my favourite things in the village was the Casa Museo Ludovico Pogliaghi. Pogliaghi was a painter, sculptor, architect and set designer. His most famous piece is the central door of the Duomo di Milano, an incredible work of art not to be missed. You can see the original piece in plaster inside the museum.

Duomo di Milano door

OPENING HOURS: From mid-March to mid-November: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 10 am – 6 pm  //  From June to August: Friday night opening: 6.30 pm – 10.30 pm  // The museum opens during the week for groups and guided tours, reservation needed.

TICKETS: Full price ticket for the museum € 5 // Combined ticket (you can visit the three main museums in Sacro Monte di Varese and it lasts 6 months) € 12 // Reduced ticket (kids 4-12 years and groups): € 3

Lunch at Hotel Colonne

For lunch, we found a lovely restaurant with stunning views, where we had a six-course tasting menu by Michelin-starred Silvio Battistoni (Executive Chef). The food was excellent and the service was impeccable.

Each dish is a reflection of Chef Battistoni’s creativity, guided by his passion and sensations. Sommelier Nicole Cavalieri works closely with him to choose the accompanying wines. With each course, Chef Battistoni and Sommelier Cavalieri’s creations provide guests with an evening of truly edible delight at Colonne Hotel Restaurant.

— Albergo Colonne

After an amazing lunch, we rolled out of the restaurant and did a little more exploring before heading home as it was still raining.

Here are a few more photos from Sacro Monte.

Hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful.

Until next time!

Little moments of joy.

Published on by Amparo's travels & musings2 Comments

Milestones, learning to ride a bike.

old bicycle infront of a window.

Do you remember the first time you learnt to ride a bike without the help of those little wheels attached to the back wheel? 

I remember the moment I was given my “big girl” bike and feeling so excited to learn to ride it but failing over and over again. I almost gave up and threw the bike to the ground in frustration, running inside the house not wanting to see the damn thing again. A few words from my parents, a little breather and I gave it another go. When I finally got the hang of it, there was no stopping me. Pure happiness and so proud of myself. I remember thinking, HA! I did it! I can do anything now!

Today, I watched as a kid learnt to ride his bike for the first time. His mum encouraging him, pushing him along and letting go as he grew more confident. Camera in hand, not wanting to miss a single moment; her smile as big as anything. The little boys face said it all. Pure happiness. The best thing about all this? the neighbours that were watching him from their balconies; they cheered him on when they saw him wobble and applauded and congratulated him when he finally managed to pedal all the way round the patio without falling. What a brilliant thing to see. I hope he never forgets this moment.

Hope this made you smile.

I would love to hear about your first time riding a bike. Or is it something that you’re learning to do now or are yet to do? Scroll to the end to leave a comment.

Take a look at my previous posts if you enjoy my writing.

Monday Musings

Published on by Amparo's travels & musings3 Comments

It’s a warm spring evening, just past golden hour and a light rain has started.

A light breeze plays with my hair; the humidity making it curl and stick up wildly. I love to sit out on the balcony and watch as the sun goes down. More than anything, I love the smell of the rain. A little feather lands on my notepad as I am scribbling away incoherent thoughts accompanied by thunder, church bells and the sudden crash of a crate falling somewhere nearby makes me jump.

Passers by start running for shelter as the rain gets heavier and heavier and I watch as my neighbours rush to put their laundry inside the house before it all gets ruined. I continue to sit and watch as the streets become empty and the rain turns into hail; all of this in the space of 10 minutes! two minutes later the skies clear.

Whenever it rains like this, I can’t help but smile because it reminds me of this one particular day, during a holiday visiting family in Colombia. I was around 8 I think; I remember it was raining so much! I remember tilting my head back and letting the rain fall down my face and thinking how odd it was that the rain felt so warm. It was the first time I had ever experienced tropical rain. I can’t remember whose house we were in, but I remember the small concrete tile patio surrounded by plants and feeling incredibly happy, there was so much excitement in the air. It is one of the happiest memories I have with my cousins. Playing in the rain barefoot; the endless laughter, splashing and silliness. Pure joy. I remember we had this little set of tin pots and plates which we filled with mud and mixed with rainwater that was by that point up to our ankles. We didn’t have a care in the world. All that mattered was that we were together, having the time of our lives.

Hope that my little ramblings bring a smile to your face and make you think of a time you felt as happy as I did that day in the rain. I would love to hear about it too if you don’t mind sharing 🙂