Road trip to Turin and Milan

Off to the big cities in northern Italy by car, my fire engine red Suzuki Swift.  Brother Steve and sister-in-law Yoshie from Boulder came to visit me on the Mediteranean coast in France.  We wanted to explore some new turf: Turin, Lake Como and Milan. . Steve was supposed to share the driving, but, before arriving in France, he was pickpocketed in Florence.  Driver’s license gone, as well as credit cards and cash.  You can’t be too careful in Italy.

So, it was me behind the wheel.  The driving was challenging. Before the Italian adventure we set off on the mountain road (too many hairpin turns) to the spectacular site where husband Bob’s ashes are dispersed around a pilgrimage chapel.   Then, the dreaded Italian autoroute stretch from the French-Italian border, first towards Genoa:  114 tunnels and hundreds of monstrous trucks .  It would be a nail biter if you didn’t need both hands on the steering wheel.

Pilgrimage chapel, Moulinet, Alpes Maritimes, France.

Finding our hotels in central Turin and Milan was borderline nightmare.   These are big cities with lots of traffic and chaotic intersections – at times even too much for GPS.  I screwed up more than once.  Stress!  And, our sorry adventure to Lake Como.  We did see water, but the surrounding spectacular mountains were hidden in clouds.  The road to our lakeside hotel was narrow and curvy – and treacherous when we had to depart in a downpour, driving through many ponds on the flooded road.  

That would be more than enough. But the challenges were not over yet.  Steve and Yoshie returned to Boulder by plane.  I set out on the trek home in the Suzuki.  After 45 minutes of nerve-wracking driving, I made it out of Milan to the autoroute. Not long thereafter, the clutch died. My guardian angel was with me.  I got the car off to the side of the autoroute without being crushed by speeding cars and giant trucks.  The car was towed to a garage (where it still is).  I came home by train.

Driving aside, Turin and Milan are worth a visit.

Following are photo highlights or our journey

A major attraction in Turin is the Mole Antonelliana (left) and the National Cinema Museum which it houses (right).

My favorite, however, is the Egyptian Museum. It’s not Cairo, nonetheless fabulous.

Turin’s Mercato di Porta Palazzo is Europe’s largest open-air food market.

The decadent Bicerin: espresso, hot chocolate and whipped cream, is a Turin tradition. Aperol Spritz: the drink of choice these days, is everywhere.

Milan’s Duomo (cathedral) is dazzling. You can take an elevator to tour the roof, but only half way. Then steps, too many and yet another challenge for a handicapped old lady. But, she did it. Roof photo, right, by Stephen K.

Milan’s Galleria is also dazzling.

It’s not just Venice that has canals. Milan’s Navigli district with two canals is a hub of artisan shops, restaurants and bars.

We enjoyed this overwhelming collection of historic photos at a shop in Navigli. Steve bought copies of several.

Best meals of the trip: Florentine steak in the Quadrilatero area (lots of restos and bars) in Turin, and osso bucco with risotto Milanese in Milan. We also feasted on delectable pizza and pasta throughout our Italian journey.

Entrance courtyard of the University of Arts in Brera, an area of Milan where we came across an outdoor vintage clothing market: Gucci, Armani, Dior and more. Fun, but we resisted purchases.

Yoshie and I attended a concert in Milan’s renowned La Scala. A poser in the Galleria.

We met my friends from Germany, Ian and Trina, who generously treated us to lunch at a charming agriturismo. Danke. Grazie! They now live in Varese, a stop on our way to Lake Como.

No spectacular views from our hotel on the shores of Lake Como. The night before the clouds and fog rolled in, the moon and lights from passenger ships made for a pretty picture.

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