Como and MIlano, Italy

[Alfonso Jones]

Greetings, fellow OL participants!

I will be spending two months in Como, Italy (May and June 2010) later this year (life in academia can be tough at times...). I'm wondering if anyone on the list has spent much time there and has impressions on "must see" items, etc...

Regards,

Bill P

Edited January 21, 2010 by Bill P

[merjet]

Bill P,

I visited that area for a few days several years ago. Milan is close. I recommend at least seeing the La Scala opera house, arguably the world's most famous. I recommend the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology. I recall seeing many da Vinci drawings, lots of radio equipment including some of Marconi's, early telescopes, and an impressive gallery of physicists. Much of the labeling and descriptions is only in Italian, but the exhibits are still worth seeing.

[9thdoctor]

These are the best travel books:

http://www.amazon.com/Milan-Lakes-EYEWITNESS-TRAVEL-GUIDE/dp/0756661110/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1264080369&sr=8-2-spell

One of the amazon reviewers says it doesn't have a metro map, I have this book but it's not handy, these books always have good maps.

I was in Milan for a couple nights in late 2007. If you want to see The Last Supper you'll need a reservation. Also, the best stuff at La Scala often sells out immediately, so watch for the dates things go on sale, and be at your computer ready to buy at the appointed hour. For me that meant 3 in the morning, you're in Shanghai so I have no idea.

http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/stagioni/index.html?anno=2010&mese=05

[Alfonso Jones]

These are the best travel books:

http://www.amazon.com/Milan-Lakes-EYEWITNESS-TRAVEL-GUIDE/dp/0756661110/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1264080369&sr=8-2-spell

One of the amazon reviewers says it doesn't have a metro map, I have this book but it's not handy, these books always have good maps.

I was in Milan for a couple nights in late 2007. If you want to see The Last Supper you'll need a reservation. Also, the best stuff at La Scala often sells out immediately, so watch for the dates things go on sale, and be at your computer ready to buy at the appointed hour. For me that meant 3 in the morning, you're in Shanghai so I have no idea.

http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/stagioni/index.html?anno=2010&mese=05

Thanks for the tips. I very much agree that the DK Eyewitness guides are among the best guides. Not the ideal ones to find cheap places to stay, etc... - - - but to find out the attractions with easy to use, accessible maps and diagrams - - they are ideal.

Regards,

Bill P

[Peter]

I have no knowledge of Como, except I think it is a place and a lake. Read John Grisham's, "Playing for Pizza." It is a good read, especially if you are an American football fan, and it gets into the Italian mind.

Semper cogitans fidele,

Peter Taylor

[Reidy]

The cathedral in Milan is one of the masterpieces of gothic architecture.

[Selene]

Bill:

My people come from Berceto and Parma. Milan and Como are in the neighborhood. Let me see what we have and I will e-mail you next week as to some possible networks that we have.

Adam

Post Script: I believe, if my memory serves me well, that Ed Hudgins' folks come from that area also.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Selene

[jeffrey smith]

For a nearby day trip, try Stresa with the Borromonean Isles.

Puccini had a villa somewhere near Como, which may or may not be now open to the public.

In Milan itself, go to the Coin* department store next to the cathedral. Hopefully the cafe there is in the same location as it was when I visited there in early 90s, because the highlight of the cafe is not the food (although I never had a meal in Italy I didn't like) but the close up view of the cathedral roof.

Then cross the square in front of the cathedral and stroll through the Galleria, which is a monument of 19th century architecture.

If you schedule allows, spend three or four days each on side trips to Florence and Venice, squeezing in Pisa, Chianti country, Verona and Ravenna on the way if possible. If you do go to Venice, make sure you stay in the city itself--on the Lido only if absolutely nothing is available in the "centro storico", and don't bother with Mestre. The prices for food and lodging in the city may seem rather high, but the experience is well worth it.

Read as many guidebooks as you can before you go; much of the info will be repeated but each one will have its own emphasis; that way you will know what you actually want to see far enough in advance to plan accordingly.

*Coin has nothing to do with money in this instance: it's the Italian transliteration of Cohen (or so we were told).

Jeffrey S.

Edit, 8:36 PM EST: I'll try to add these pictures I took in Milan. Picture quality is not great--this is a scan made on a cheap scanner, of a photo taken on a cheap 35mm point and shoot camera back in 1993. One picture is the interiorof the Galleria, and the other is the roof of the cathedral as seen from the Coin store cafe.

Edited January 22, 2010 by jeffrey smith

[9thdoctor]

Another thing about La Scala, the good seats are expensive, but don’t skimp. The upper levels are accessed by separate stairs, and they won’t even let you into the nice lobby area during intermission. And some seats are right in front of a pillar, you'd have to crane your neck to get even a partial view. They have a good translation system, like at the Met, where you have your own unit at your seat and get to pick your language. I once went to the opera in Amsterdam and saw an unfamiliar French opera (by Messiaen, ick) with projected Dutch subtitles, not ideal. Also, if you pick an extra long work, in my case I saw Tristan und Isolde, you’ll have the problem that good restaurants do not serve dinner before 7, so you’re SOL. Believe it or not I went to McDonalds at intermission. Looking at the offerings, I suggest Simon Boccanegra and the Mahler 2nd with Abbado conducting.

If you’ll be doing side trips don’t miss Naples and Bologna. I’m getting misty eyed just thinking of it.

Here’s a picture where they were projecting images onto buildings, this was in a piazza close to La Scala.

[Ed Hudgins]

La mia famiglia a venuto di Abruzzo. Ma la regione Milano e bella!

See the Duomo (cathedral), the Last Supper, the Sfora's castle, and go to La Scala for an opera if you can!

http://www.teatroall...g/it/index.html

Ciao!

[Alfonso Jones]

Thanks to Peter, Reidy, Adam, Jeffrey, Ninth Doctor, and Ed for most helpful responses!

Bill P