Date: 12 November 2003
Subject: 10,000 km to Como

Hello to all,   My son Philippe pointed out to me that there were some typographic errors in my messages. You will surely have noticed, but you are too polite to say it to me. You have to know that each session lasts 1 1/2 to 2 hours and that this time is precious. Above all, the Internet access points that I manage to find. For example, the one in Venice cost me 8 Euros per hour, which means no supper (Ha, ha, ha) J have to watch my time and inevitably some error creep in. For example the attack of the zigwigwi in Rome, I didn't notice what language the preceding user had used, which was Mandarin Chinese. No problem, what's important is that I can delivery these precious gifts when I can. It is not always evident when I can find these internet access points. In some cities, like Madrid and Rome, they were easy to find, while in northern Italy it's a veritable treasure hunt. I'm lucky, my hotel this evening has a computer available and it doesn't cost me anything extra, a veritable god-send!   Sunday, 9 November   As I entitled my last message, after the rain, the good weather. I got up this morning under an uncertain sky, but at least it was not raining. I took the boat Line 1, and I succeeded in getting the first place in front. That permitted me to take a good video of the points of interest along the way. I got off a the Place St. Mark which is a classic and very impressive.

I was able to visit the Basilica of St. Mark during the Sunday morning mass and the ambiance was even more special because in addition to seeing the interior, the incense and the Faithful gave a more solemn impression. I went next to put myself in line to climb to the tower of the Campanile (in an elevator) to have a view of the whole of Venice. I next made the tour of the nerve-center of Venice: the Palace of the Doges and the Bridge of Sighs and the Staircase of the Giants, the click tower, and the Pont du Rialto, St-Georges, and so on.

The weather cleared up about noon and the gondolas came out at that moment thanks to the tourists who were thawed out. I waled along the narrow streets, crossed many bridges, and wound up on the dead-end streets which ended at the canal, and adored this unique experience. With good weather, it was a great deal less painful than the previous day, when I was damning the bad weather and this city with water everywhere, in front of me, under my frozen feet, and coming from all sides.

Meanwhile, you really should visit Venice with a map of the streets before going to explore it. It is so easy to get lost that a map is indispensable.

Monday 10 November

For once, I listened to my reason and chose the highway to get from Venice to Milan. The distance to cover is 240 km and it would have taken me three times as long to get there. In any case, I had already gone this route in the other direction before. Once I got to Milan, the signs for the center of town were precise, but once I got there not one sign for the tourist attractions. I had to go around until I stopped at a hotel to get oriented. By the way, they wanted 90 Euros for the night. With the map of the town in my hand and my Voir guidebook, I was able to orient myself and to find a strategic parking place.

Thus I was able to discover Milan and to visit first the Galerie Emmanual Vittorio II, a shopping mall in the form of a cross and covered by an imposing glass roof. Coming out, you come directly to the Duomo. Unfortunately, I was not lucky because they are currently restoring it and it is completely closed. The sides are visible meanwhile, and it was too bad not to be able to see this gothic cathedral in its entirety. I went into the interior which is very high and lighted in an unusual way by the numerous stained glass windows which decorate it.

I continued my walk to see the Castello Sforenso and its gardens, truly vast, and the foundain in the foreground of the city walls is very beautiful. Then I left Milan to go to Lake Como and to prepare my itinerary for tomorrow. I found a hotel at Lecco and the hotel management gave me a room with a balcony overlooking the lake. Beautiful.

Tuesday, 11 November

Well, now I know why I wound up with this room. They negotiated with the same guy at Pompei, noise like you wouldn't believe. I heard ducks from the other side of Lake Como, and that's without counting the noise of the trucks and cars. Even the view from the balcony was no longer beautiful, there was such an intense fog masking the view. I was hoping that the situation would get better with the light of day, but that never arrived.

I followed the next road to Lake Como, Lecco-Bellagio-Como. It's a small road very narrow which is bordered on one side with a cliff and on the other by a hand-railing made of stone. So narrow that a big sewer truck that I followed breifly honked at every turn to announce its presence. Even at one time it encountered another big truck and they both had to pull in their side-view mirrors in order to pass!

Next I took a small road to get to Laveno which is nearly at the point of Lake Majeur. Same deal, narrow little road which demanded concentration at every moment. Unfortunately, the fog was so thick that I could scarcely see the hills immediately in front of me, and no mountains in the distance. Truly a shame.

I am now in the village of Saint Vincent and at the end of the road that I chose in the bottom of a spectacular gorge, the cliffs dominating the road and there are mountains on both sides. Tomorrow I am retracing my steps to St-Martin Bridge to see this section again in better weather if the temperature is more cooperative.

At the end of this day on a trying road, I give thanks to Michelin and its excellent road atlas, without which I would still be somewhere in the fields without an internet connection.

Til next time,

Paul

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