They release about three months in advance and the website is a bit frustrating as it will say tickets are available when they are not and vice versa. However, I was able to get tickets for today at 9:30 am, one of two sessions that includes an English guide! The visit lasts a mere 15 minutes and you have to enter two different rooms to control the humidity before entering the actual room. And obviously, photos are forbidden.
The painting that has been restored several times, endured bombing attacks, vandalism, and even a simple enlarging of the central door and removed Jesus' feet, is simply unbelievable. It's much larger than I expected and seeing it in real life and the perspective Leonardo had, was the highlight of my day. Here's a photo of the copy that you can take a picture of in the bookstore:
The painting hangs in the Santa Maria Della Grazie in Milan. Specifically, it hangs in the originally Dominican monastery dining room. Here's s picture of the church and the courtyard, as well as the entrance to the viewing:
After our 15 minute visit, we visited the lovely church - here are a few photos:
After our visit, we retrieved our luggage from our hotel that was just across the street and headed to Cadorna station where we caught a train to Como Lago Nordo. The train ride took about 50 minutes and we arrived at the southernmost point of Lake Como. We walked a few blocks to catch the ferry. Here are a few photos of Como as we were leaving the docks:
Our ferry lasted 2.5 hours. Lake Como is an inverted Y-shaped lake that has beautiful Lombardy towns. We stopped in Tremezzo, Bellagio, Menaggio, Lecco, and Lenno. You could see the pretty villages, villas, grand hotels, churches, and gardens. Here are a few photos including a villa that was in a Star Wars movie and a hotel pool within the lake:
Although the ferry ride was lovely, I had forgotten to take my seasickness pills before it was too late and I was pretty queasy. As such, I was pretty happy to see our final destination, Varenna - a photo below as we were docking:
We walked along the lake to our hotel, Hotel Du Lac. We have a top floor room which is actually a duplex and has a panoramic view of the lake. Here are a few photos:
After an afternoon nap to sleep off my nausea, we walked around town. It feels very medieval with the cobblestones, alleyways, and paths. It is charming, quiet, and peaceful - exactly what we were looking for to decompress. Here are a few photos - we even saw wedding photos being taken:
As we hadn't eaten lunch, I was starving, so we sat lakeside and I ate some bresaola with mushrooms, cheese, and arugula with a glass of wine. Amanda had something similar. Here's a photo:
We were also entertained by ducks who also enjoyed al fresco dining lakeside:
For dinner, we ended up at Osteria Quatro Pass where we shared a chianti, and I had buckwheat ravioli which is a local specialty and Amanda ordered fresh perch. Our food was tasty, but putting it all together in a photo collage makes it look very white or bland - we did have grilled vegetables, salad, and fruit, but I didn't take photos of those:
After dinner, we returned to our hotel that is quite charming, despite the thin walls. The next few days will surely be peaceful as we relax before the end of our trip!
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