(no subject)
Day 23 - 30 October 2008
I woke around 8:30, which was later than I would've liked. I decided to get going and skip breakfast in hopes of making the 9:40 train to Como. Surprisingly, I showered, got dressed, took the tram and metro to the other side of the city, bought my ticket and boarded the train in an hour. I was impressed. But I was also hungry. I forgot to grab my umbrella so I hoped the weather was better in Como than Milan. The train leaves from the western part of the city--the direction that had clearer skies--but Como is to the north--the direction that had darker skies. It started to rain. Boo. It was an hour long trip through countryside that looked just like the Carolinas in the fall.
The train arrived in Como before 11 and when I stepped off I was hit by this rush of freezing cold, damp air. I would swear it was 20 degrees colder than when I stepped on the train in Milan. It sort of gave me a shock because I wasn't really dressed for it. (I had to check the weather later to see the temperatures, and I found that it did drop off sharply in the late morning.)
Yesterday's Hourly Conditions
TimeConditionFelt
likeDew
PointHumid.Visib.Press.Wind
Sunrise at 7:01 AM
7:20 AM
Thunder in the Vicinity 52°F52°F39°F62%6.2
miles29.32
inchesFrom S
8mph
7:50 AM
Showers in the Vicinity 52°F52°F39°F62%6.2
miles29.32
inchesFrom SSE
7mph
8:20 AM
Rain 48°F46°F41°F76%5.0
miles29.35
inchesFrom VAR
5mph
8:50 AM
Rain 48°F48°F45°F87%5.0
miles29.35
inchesFrom VAR
3mph
9:20 AM
Rain 48°F48°F43°F82%5.0
miles29.35
inchesFrom VAR
3mph
9:50 AM
Rain 48°F48°F43°F82%5.0
miles29.35
inchesFrom VAR
2mph
10:20 AM
Rain 46°F46°F43°F87%4.4
miles29.38
inchesFrom NNW
3mph
10:50 AM
Rain 46°F46°F43°F87%3.7
miles29.38
inchesFrom VAR
3mph
11:20 AM
Rain 46°F46°F43°F87%3.7
miles29.44
inchesFrom VAR
1mph
11:50 AM
Rain 45°F45°F43°F93%4.4
miles29.44
inchesFrom VAR
3mph
12:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 46°F44°F37°F71%6.2
miles29.47
inchesFrom VAR
5mph
12:50 PM
Light Rain 46°F41°F39°F76%6.2
miles29.47
inchesFrom N
12mph
1:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F46°F37°F66%6.2
miles29.47
inchesFrom N
6mph
1:50 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F44°F37°F66%6.2
miles29.47
inchesFrom NNW
9mph
2:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F44°F37°F66%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
9mph
2:50 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F45°F39°F71%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
7mph
3:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F45°F39°F71%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
8mph
3:50 PM
Mostly Cloudy 46°F43°F39°F76%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
7mph
4:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 46°F43°F41°F81%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
7mph
4:50 PM
Mostly Cloudy 46°F46°F41°F81%6.2
miles29.53
inchesFrom NNE
3mph
Sunset at 5:13 PM
5:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F44°F37°F66%6.2
miles29.53
inchesFrom NNE
9mph
5:50 PM
Light Rain 46°F42°F39°F76%5.0
miles29.56
inchesFrom N
9mph
6:20 PM
Light Rain 46°F44°F39°F76%5.0
miles29.56
inchesFrom VAR
6mph
6:50 PM
Light Rain 45°F42°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.59
inchesFrom N
5mph
7:20 PM
Light Rain 45°F41°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.59
inchesFrom N
6mph
7:50 PM
Light Rain 45°F45°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.59
inchesFrom VAR
2mph
8:20 PM
Light Rain 45°F42°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.59
inchesFrom N
5mph
8:50 PM
Light Rain 45°F45°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.62
inchesFrom VAR
2mph
9:20 PM
Light Rain 45°F45°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.62
inchesFrom N
3mph
9:50 PM
Light Rain 43°F43°F41°F93%5.0
miles29.62
inchesFrom N
2mph
Back to previous page
I went into the train station's caffe bar for tea and breakfast. The rain kept coming like rain--more than a slow drizzle like the previous two days in Milan. There was no way I could stand walking around in that with the temperature so low. I'd be soaked in half an hour in 40 degree weather. I stayed at the station hoping for a break in the rain to go and find an umbrella. I ended up offering 2 euros for one from a guy on the street. He said 3 and when I pulled all the change out of my pocket, I had 2.90 so he took that. Of course, 20 minutes later, the rain stopped. I walked along the waterfront towards the west.
I passed a cute park with some memorials,
then the yacht club and aero club (sea planes).
I stopped to call Jose at a phone by the water and I noticed all the birds on the water wall rushing over to a guy with a plastic bag. There were ducks, geese, and swans. He fed them probably 3 loaves of bread. I shot some photos of the swans taking the bread from his hand and we stuck up a conversation. He's a retired gym teacher and "Il Gran Viaggiatore"--The Great Traveler. He told me about all the places he has been--Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Bhutan, India.. all over Africa, Central America, South America, and Europe, of course. He said many Italians go to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt to vacation because it's crazy cheap while luxurious and has amazing diving there on the Red Sea. I never wanted to go to Egypt for any reason other than the pyramids but I think I'll add that to my list. He ran out of bread and said it was time to go to the library.
I went and called Jose and then kept walking along the shore. There were a couple villas publicly owned along the water. They are impressive.
One was extra large with a public garden. When I was looking at it, Giuseppe, the bird guy, was there and asked me how I like his house. I told him it was a bit small (sarcastically). He told me that they have art collections there from the likes of Picasso and such and in the summer, all the rich residents of the area have their parties there.
I asked him where George Clooney's villa is and he showed the point on the lake where it is. He told me we can go say hi, George is a friend of his (yeah right). I walked back along towards town and into the old part of the city within the walls.
There wasn't much to see but the cathedral
and another episcopal church
and the medieval tower.
I went to the train station to use the bathroom and then walked along the lake in the other direction to maybe get a good view of the rest of the lake but it didn't happen.
Then I decided to go find some genuine Como silk. I went into the tourist information place and asked. She suggested 3 stores--one outlet and two shops. I went to the outlet first, but they didn't have anything resembling a handkerchief. They did, however, have J.Crew ties because they're made of Como silk. Too bad none of the men in my life wear ties. I went back into the center of town and found the second place. She had a green, blue, or red handkerchief. I went to the third place and she had a good selection. I got my dad a white and a black for his birthday. I hadn't bought him anything the whole trip, so my Como silk purchase was his. It was getting dark and I grabbed a cookie to hold me over until I got back to Milan to eat dinner. I stopped and bought my mom a decorative cork, instead of a thimble, that says Como and a pair of Murano glass earrings. They were 2 for 9.90 euros so I asked for a blue and a green. (Later on the train I'd realize they meant 2 as in 2 and not 2 pairs so I got one blue and one green earring. Yeah.)
I went to the train station and a train to Cadorna (Milan) was sitting on track 1. I got on and headed back. I decided to get myself a focaccia for dinner at a place I'd seen near the hotel. I walked in, wind-burned and freezing, and the guy looked at me and said, "Distratta? Confused?" I said, "No. COLD." I ordered my focaccia and sat and ate it there. It was really a to-go place with only 2 seats. The music they played was all romantic songs and I had one day until I was back in Jose's arms. So, I asked the guy, "Non avete della music meno romantica?" He asked why and I told him I've been traveling over 3 weeks without my fiance and I only have 1 day until I see him and I don't want to hear anything romantic. He laughed and put on some booty music for me. Yeah. That helps. I went back to the hotel and packed my bags. I set my alarm to wake me at 5 Jose's time to call him. My roommate came in a few minutes before that and I called him to say goodnight and went back to bed.
I woke around 8:30, which was later than I would've liked. I decided to get going and skip breakfast in hopes of making the 9:40 train to Como. Surprisingly, I showered, got dressed, took the tram and metro to the other side of the city, bought my ticket and boarded the train in an hour. I was impressed. But I was also hungry. I forgot to grab my umbrella so I hoped the weather was better in Como than Milan. The train leaves from the western part of the city--the direction that had clearer skies--but Como is to the north--the direction that had darker skies. It started to rain. Boo. It was an hour long trip through countryside that looked just like the Carolinas in the fall.
The train arrived in Como before 11 and when I stepped off I was hit by this rush of freezing cold, damp air. I would swear it was 20 degrees colder than when I stepped on the train in Milan. It sort of gave me a shock because I wasn't really dressed for it. (I had to check the weather later to see the temperatures, and I found that it did drop off sharply in the late morning.)
Yesterday's Hourly Conditions
TimeConditionFelt
likeDew
PointHumid.Visib.Press.Wind
Sunrise at 7:01 AM
7:20 AM
Thunder in the Vicinity 52°F52°F39°F62%6.2
miles29.32
inchesFrom S
8mph
7:50 AM
Showers in the Vicinity 52°F52°F39°F62%6.2
miles29.32
inchesFrom SSE
7mph
8:20 AM
Rain 48°F46°F41°F76%5.0
miles29.35
inchesFrom VAR
5mph
8:50 AM
Rain 48°F48°F45°F87%5.0
miles29.35
inchesFrom VAR
3mph
9:20 AM
Rain 48°F48°F43°F82%5.0
miles29.35
inchesFrom VAR
3mph
9:50 AM
Rain 48°F48°F43°F82%5.0
miles29.35
inchesFrom VAR
2mph
10:20 AM
Rain 46°F46°F43°F87%4.4
miles29.38
inchesFrom NNW
3mph
10:50 AM
Rain 46°F46°F43°F87%3.7
miles29.38
inchesFrom VAR
3mph
11:20 AM
Rain 46°F46°F43°F87%3.7
miles29.44
inchesFrom VAR
1mph
11:50 AM
Rain 45°F45°F43°F93%4.4
miles29.44
inchesFrom VAR
3mph
12:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 46°F44°F37°F71%6.2
miles29.47
inchesFrom VAR
5mph
12:50 PM
Light Rain 46°F41°F39°F76%6.2
miles29.47
inchesFrom N
12mph
1:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F46°F37°F66%6.2
miles29.47
inchesFrom N
6mph
1:50 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F44°F37°F66%6.2
miles29.47
inchesFrom NNW
9mph
2:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F44°F37°F66%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
9mph
2:50 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F45°F39°F71%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
7mph
3:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F45°F39°F71%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
8mph
3:50 PM
Mostly Cloudy 46°F43°F39°F76%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
7mph
4:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 46°F43°F41°F81%6.2
miles29.50
inchesFrom N
7mph
4:50 PM
Mostly Cloudy 46°F46°F41°F81%6.2
miles29.53
inchesFrom NNE
3mph
Sunset at 5:13 PM
5:20 PM
Mostly Cloudy 48°F44°F37°F66%6.2
miles29.53
inchesFrom NNE
9mph
5:50 PM
Light Rain 46°F42°F39°F76%5.0
miles29.56
inchesFrom N
9mph
6:20 PM
Light Rain 46°F44°F39°F76%5.0
miles29.56
inchesFrom VAR
6mph
6:50 PM
Light Rain 45°F42°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.59
inchesFrom N
5mph
7:20 PM
Light Rain 45°F41°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.59
inchesFrom N
6mph
7:50 PM
Light Rain 45°F45°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.59
inchesFrom VAR
2mph
8:20 PM
Light Rain 45°F42°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.59
inchesFrom N
5mph
8:50 PM
Light Rain 45°F45°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.62
inchesFrom VAR
2mph
9:20 PM
Light Rain 45°F45°F41°F87%5.0
miles29.62
inchesFrom N
3mph
9:50 PM
Light Rain 43°F43°F41°F93%5.0
miles29.62
inchesFrom N
2mph
Back to previous page
I went into the train station's caffe bar for tea and breakfast. The rain kept coming like rain--more than a slow drizzle like the previous two days in Milan. There was no way I could stand walking around in that with the temperature so low. I'd be soaked in half an hour in 40 degree weather. I stayed at the station hoping for a break in the rain to go and find an umbrella. I ended up offering 2 euros for one from a guy on the street. He said 3 and when I pulled all the change out of my pocket, I had 2.90 so he took that. Of course, 20 minutes later, the rain stopped. I walked along the waterfront towards the west.
I passed a cute park with some memorials,
then the yacht club and aero club (sea planes).
I stopped to call Jose at a phone by the water and I noticed all the birds on the water wall rushing over to a guy with a plastic bag. There were ducks, geese, and swans. He fed them probably 3 loaves of bread. I shot some photos of the swans taking the bread from his hand and we stuck up a conversation. He's a retired gym teacher and "Il Gran Viaggiatore"--The Great Traveler. He told me about all the places he has been--Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Bhutan, India.. all over Africa, Central America, South America, and Europe, of course. He said many Italians go to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt to vacation because it's crazy cheap while luxurious and has amazing diving there on the Red Sea. I never wanted to go to Egypt for any reason other than the pyramids but I think I'll add that to my list. He ran out of bread and said it was time to go to the library.
I went and called Jose and then kept walking along the shore. There were a couple villas publicly owned along the water. They are impressive.
One was extra large with a public garden. When I was looking at it, Giuseppe, the bird guy, was there and asked me how I like his house. I told him it was a bit small (sarcastically). He told me that they have art collections there from the likes of Picasso and such and in the summer, all the rich residents of the area have their parties there.
I asked him where George Clooney's villa is and he showed the point on the lake where it is. He told me we can go say hi, George is a friend of his (yeah right). I walked back along towards town and into the old part of the city within the walls.
There wasn't much to see but the cathedral
and another episcopal church
and the medieval tower.
I went to the train station to use the bathroom and then walked along the lake in the other direction to maybe get a good view of the rest of the lake but it didn't happen.
Then I decided to go find some genuine Como silk. I went into the tourist information place and asked. She suggested 3 stores--one outlet and two shops. I went to the outlet first, but they didn't have anything resembling a handkerchief. They did, however, have J.Crew ties because they're made of Como silk. Too bad none of the men in my life wear ties. I went back into the center of town and found the second place. She had a green, blue, or red handkerchief. I went to the third place and she had a good selection. I got my dad a white and a black for his birthday. I hadn't bought him anything the whole trip, so my Como silk purchase was his. It was getting dark and I grabbed a cookie to hold me over until I got back to Milan to eat dinner. I stopped and bought my mom a decorative cork, instead of a thimble, that says Como and a pair of Murano glass earrings. They were 2 for 9.90 euros so I asked for a blue and a green. (Later on the train I'd realize they meant 2 as in 2 and not 2 pairs so I got one blue and one green earring. Yeah.)
I went to the train station and a train to Cadorna (Milan) was sitting on track 1. I got on and headed back. I decided to get myself a focaccia for dinner at a place I'd seen near the hotel. I walked in, wind-burned and freezing, and the guy looked at me and said, "Distratta? Confused?" I said, "No. COLD." I ordered my focaccia and sat and ate it there. It was really a to-go place with only 2 seats. The music they played was all romantic songs and I had one day until I was back in Jose's arms. So, I asked the guy, "Non avete della music meno romantica?" He asked why and I told him I've been traveling over 3 weeks without my fiance and I only have 1 day until I see him and I don't want to hear anything romantic. He laughed and put on some booty music for me. Yeah. That helps. I went back to the hotel and packed my bags. I set my alarm to wake me at 5 Jose's time to call him. My roommate came in a few minutes before that and I called him to say goodnight and went back to bed.