Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy, Thursday, September 6, 2012

Bergamo Duomo

We get up fairly early as we have a 0910 train to catch. It is hard to believe but there is no rain and not a cloud in sight when we look outside. We eat our breakfast and walk two blocks to catch the tram to the train station. At the station, we use an automated machine to buy our very reasonable train tickets.
We wait about 20 minutes for our train to arrive and get some nice seats. It is not crowded like when we were going to Milan and is a more modern train.
Today, we go to a town I happened upon just by picking towns on the map and googling “things to do” for the town. Bergamo, just looked cool to me, with an old town on the hill above the more modern city.

Capella Colleone

We arrive 50 minutes later in lower Bergamo. We check schedules for tomorrow and buy our train tickets to Verona to make it easier in the morning. Then to the tobacco shop to buy a bus ticket to the old city. I do my best Italian with the shop keeper and ask for two tickets to the citta vecchia and dove autobus. He points me in the right direction and says 1A bus. We find our way to the stop and are on our way. As we climb, we are glad we did not walk this as our feet are a little sore from all the walking in Milano. I also realize that it is not called Citta vecchia or old town but rather Citta alta or the town above, upper Bergamo. We get off at Colle Aperto and have no idea which way to go. Find a bench, get out IPad, send Carol to look for a sign to any of the main sights we flagged, and still nothing. Ask the guy at the newsstand where the colleone chapel is and a general direction we now have. Of course it is uphill, full packs, full sun, still not sure where we are, sweat dripping, find church, not on my IPad map, see a dome, head for it, first down, than up and now we know where we are.

Ceiling in Santa Maria Maggiore

We see the town Duomo first. It is quite nice and has a beautiful dome and there is also a side chapel to Papa Giovanni XXIII, which is to say, Pope John the 23rd from we believe is from the late 1950s and died in 1963 time period. He must have been from here or was a man of the cloth here as there is also a street named for him in the lower town. We see the Colleone Capella next and then the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. This church has beautiful panted ceilings and the dome is also painted. It is also nice and while in the church, I get out the I pad to find us on the map so we can find our room. We are supposed to meet someone there at noon or so we hope.

Our Apartment

It is only a short distance to the address and very easy to find. We stand in a small side street in front of a wooden door at the address with no sign indicating La Torte Di Miele, the name of our lodging. I dig out the reservation and see a name on the buzzer that is similar but no one answers when I ring. Since we are 20 minutes early, we sit on some steps in the nearby plaza and wait. I see a lady going up our street and watch as she goes into the building we are supposed to be in. I try to catch her but do not make it and knock on the door. It opens and I say Torte Di Miele and get a Si in response. I feel better knowing we will not have to search someone down for our lodging. Chiara shows us up the two flights of stairs to our room. She is 10 days away from giving birth so apologizes for moving slow. The room is a studio suite and phenomenal. There is a refrigerator with a freezer, stove, oven, and it is spacious.

Our View

We talk with Chiara for about a half hour and then after she leaves, I discover that we have a balcony. The view is phenomenal, Italian mountains and hill towns to the left, the old fortress and bell tower in front of us and the Duomo and it’s bell tower to the right. Looking over rooftops and into a neighborhood courtyard below and peoples residences across the way. It is only what you could describe as an authentic Italian area and very romantic.
We decide right there that we will eat in tonight, it is just too perfect not to enjoy.

Where We Bought Our Pasta

After our lunch, we head out to see if there is a market. We see a salumeria which has home made pasta and we inquire about a casoncelli stuffed pasta. The owner does not speak English but the girl there tells me it is stuffed with ham, salami, breadcrumb, parma cheese, and we know this is what we will have. They open again at 1530 so we move on down the street. We see a vegetable store that is closed until 1530 also but looks good and has wine in the back. We pick out a couple of possible spots for bread and end up near the bus stop. There is a ruined castle on the other side of the stop and I want to see it. Carol is not feeling great so she heads back to the room and we will meet in the Piazza Vecchia by our room at 1530.

View From My Walk

I walk uphill at a steady pace getting my sweat on and stop halfway up to a great view down into the valley and city below. Pushing on, I reach what I think is the top as there is a church bell tower. I sit on a bench to admire the view and air dry in the shade. After a bit, I get up to discover I am not at the top quite yet. I pass the funicular that climbs the same hill and is obviously there for wimpy tourists.

San Vigilio Castello

                    Reaching the old castle ruins, I climb through a tower and emerge on top in an open area with spectacular views. A plaque has lines pointing to the towns and mountaintops you are looking at. I linger for a while, take a picture for an Italian girl who is by herself, and then it is time to head back. At the bottom of the hill, I see a church off to the right so head down a cobblestone path to it. Down some stairs and I am in the back of it but there is no entrance. I turn up a street and then down some more stairs to the front of it but there is no way in from here. It looks like it may have been converted to apartments but is definitely not used as a church anymore. I walk back to the Citta Alta Bergamo and stop at the veggie store on the way. The wine is cheap here so that is good because the rest of the stores were not. I tell the man I will be back and meet Carol at the Piazza.

Got Beer?

Back to the vegetable store, we buy some strawberries for dessert, lettuce and two pomodores for a salad, and two bottles of white wine. We bring it all back to the room and put it in the fridge. Now on to the Salumeria for our pasta. Speaking in Italian I ask for enough for two persons. I also ask how long he recommends we cook it. Then we add a rice ball and some other stuffed delicacy to our haul and take it all back to the room. We are just around the corner so it is easy. Now we find the bread place and buy a nice loaf of bread and we are set. Shopping like the locals has been a lot of fun.
We return to our room and freshen up, then I sit on the balcony writing while Carol does the laundry. Big bonus, we have a washing machine so everything gets washed, and we are in for the night.

Casoncelli and Appetizers So Good

Bread with extra virgin olive oil and a pesto spread for appetizers along with some wine all on the balcony is a wonderful start. Salad with tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper is next. Finally, we cook the fresh pasta to perfection, add olive oil, pepper, and butter, and sit down to eat. Arroncini rice ball and the other stuffed treat on the side add to the meal. The pasta is excellent with a great mix of favors. We know there is prosciutto, salami, bread crumbs, cheese, I think some lemon and amoretti also. It doesn’t matter at this point, it is just heavenly. This has been a great day and stop, a hill town of sorts that has not been discovered by throngs of tourists. We definitely could have slowed down and spent a day or two more here. Hopefully , we have more towns like this ahead of us. Feeling Italian and loving it!!
CNC
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open”-Jawaharal Nehru

Expenses
10.50E- 2 train tickets Milan to Bergamo
2.50E- 2 bus tickets to Citta Alta Bergamo
10.50E- lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, 2 bottles of wine
8.90E- fresh pasta for two, Arroncini, and other appetizer
1.70E-Italian Bread

Miles Walked- 4 Miles for Carol
7 miles for Charlie