We started the morning leaving the very busy roads of Milan
and headed to the village of Pavia, where we visited a Carthusian Abbey known
as the Certosa di Pavia. The wealth Visconti family from Lombardi commissioned the building of the abbey in 1396 as a gift to the Carthusian
order to thank God for wealth and a large healthy family. It took 300 years to complete the structure.
It is another magnificent church of gothic style. It contains many brilliant paintings,
wonderful stain glass windows and beautifully crafted wood carvings.
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| Certosa di Pavia |
We were guided by an 83 year old Trappist monk. He had a wonderful sense of humour and a warm
smile. The Carthusian Order left this
abbey after the Second World War because they found that tourist trade around
the abbey destroyed their ability to pray and mediate in silence.
We then travelled to Santa Margherita Ligure. Santa Margherita is on the
Ligurian Sea, which is the northern Mediterranean Sea on the west coast of Italy. To get there we crossed the Padan
Plain, which is a large flat and geographically boring agricultural area, and then ascended into the Piedmont Mountains.
The twisty, winding roads offered many scenic opportunities. We then descended to the coast at a town
called Rapello and travelled south to our destination.
We are staying at the Park Hotel Suisse. Our hotel room has a spectacular view of the harbour with its many yachts
and sailboats.
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| View of Santa Margherita Harbour from our hotel |
We had lunch at a cafe that
was on the waterfront. I had one of the
regional specialities, Trofie with Pesto.
I can’t say I really liked it, but neither was it terrible. Marg had a pizza with Pesto and it was
better. We had a prearranged dinner at
the hotel this evening and guess what they served?
During the afternoon we took a cruise to the jet setting
destination of Portofino. I thought that
places this wonderful only existed in Cary Grant movies. The actor Rex Harrison, of “My Fair Lady”
fame owned a home here. Also sun glass designer Stefano Gabbana of Dolce & Gabbana fame and former Italian prime minister, Silvo Burlusconi have villas on the harbour.
A replica of the village was built in Universal Studios, Orlando Florida.
A replica of the village was built in Universal Studios, Orlando Florida.
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| Portofino Marina |
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| Portofino Marina |
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| Portofino Marina |
We have had a medical emergency the last couple of days. One of the elderly ladies from California, on our tour, developed a bleeding ulcer while in Cortina. She was rushed to the nearest hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU. She has had several blood transfusions and is now stable. It is expected that she will be able to travel to Rome and meet us there at end of the tour on Friday.
It is funny how group dynamics change over a short period of
time. At first there were people that we
thought we had nothing in common with, but we now find that we enjoy their
company. Other people who we had dinner and
drinks with initially, we now find ourselves trying to avoid them because we
find them clingy and overbearing.
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