Arrivederci Italia!

With a hint of sadness I said my goodbyes to Vernazza (by climbing up to the cemetery for a final view of the pretty harbour) before boarding the train north to Milan. I timed my departure well. The temperature has been consistently in the mid 20s and mainly sunny throughout my two weeks in Italy, but on this day it started raining. The train afforded some fantastic views of the Ligurian coastline, with waves pounding the shore and rain belting down. The scenery as we approached Genoa was wonderful. Then the train headed inland through lots of tunnels and mountains towards Milan.

My arrival in Milan late in the afternoon meant I only had time to visit the city's famed Duomo. Despite having seen countless cathedrals, the Gothic style, sumptuously detailed facade and embellished interior ensured it stood out from others in Italy.

From Milan

There is a fascinating sculpture of St Bartholomew carrying his own skin! You can also walk onto the cathedral's roof for great views of Milan and a close-up view of otherwise unseen sculptures, and pinnacles and spires set upon flying buttresses.

I ended the day by strolling through the shopping district (window shopping only, unfortunately) and then found a pizza place that made the biggest pizzas I've ever seen! It did not fit on the plate! Although I have eaten more than my fair share of pizzas, they are the cheapest dining option in Italy.

The following day I began my marathon journey back to London by train ... well, three long-distance and two underground trains actually! The first took me past gorgeous Lake Maggiore (not far from Lake Como) through the Simplon Tunnel (one of the longest railway tunnels in the world at almost 20km) into the Swiss Alps. After swapping for a Swiss train crew and engines, the train weaved its way through valleys to Lake Geneva, the largest natural freshwater lake in western Europe. Another beautiful site. I got off in Lausanne, and stepped for the first time onto Swiss soil (if only for a brief sojourn outside the train station).

Next was the French TGV, and another change of scenery as the train headed through farmland and vineyards in Burgundy (stopping in Dijon) and finally onto Paris. I navigated my way by the underground RER train from Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord for the Eurostar to London.

I left Milan about 8:30am and by the time I arrived home in London it was almost 10:30pm. A long day, covering four countries and an estimated 1140km, but worth it for the views! A fairly relaxing way to see quite a bit of western Europe, and with a small carbon footprint compared to flying. I wish I was a man of leisure and had unlimited funds to travel forever, but alas, it's back to work tomorrow. So, this blog can once more become "Musings on London life", as promised. : )