A week after we picked up our Greek residency permits; we were on our way to Italy.
The Scout had kicked into high gear within 48 hours of having them in hand: house sitters and plane tickets booked for the following week. When you've had months to dream about travel, it didn't take long to put a plan into action.
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| A glass of Vermentino wine - a toast to travel |
That's why we found ourselves sipping a chilled Vermentino white wine and dining in Bergamo, Italy on the third Thursday of July, the first evening of our week-long taste of Italy. After spending a night there we would hop a train to Trieste, for a long weekend in this Italian city tucked in between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia.
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| From Bergamo to Trieste, a week-long taste of Italy |
Bergamo Bound
We've explored much of Italy in our years of travel, but Bergamo, with its ancient roots in the Lombardy district, was a new to us. In northern Italy, it is a mere 25 miles from Milan, not far from Lake Como and the Alps provide a striking backdrop when you approach it by train or plane.
Its airport, the third busiest in Italy, is a hub for the low-cost airline, Ryan Air, which luckily for us has weekly flights there from Kalamata in high season.
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| Extra leg room seats on Ryan Air |
Ryan Air, however, is the butt of a lot of jokes about its 'you-get-what-you-pay-for' business model and you pretty much do pay for everything, including water. Carry-on bag and extra leg room, cost us a bit more but it was worth it as you can tell by the photo of The Scout in the seat with extra room.
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| Ryan Air on board dining |
Because of a skipped lunch and a flight delay, we gave into hunger and ordered a sandwich from the limited onboard menu. For 6.50 euros/ $7.60US we were served a sandwich with a December 2026 expiration date. Couldn't help but wonder, what year it had been made?
Beautiful Bergamo
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| Citta Alta from Bergamo's Lower Town |
But we do need to thank Ryan Air for introducing us to one of the most amazing Italian cities we've ever visited. It was such a charming place that we shuffled our original plans and added an extra night there on our return. That way we could spend two nights in its old walled city, citta alta, the upper town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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| Strolling the Lower Town |
We spent our first evening and the following morning exploring the Lower Town before heading to the train station. The streets were so inviting and pedestrian friendly that we strolled for hours exploring landmarks and shops. What a joy it was to be back in the land of bookstores! We visited three within 30 minutes, leaving them with enough books to keep us entertained for a few weeks (and that also fit in our carry-on bags).
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| Early morning street scene citta alta Bergamo |
Their municipal bus system was economical and easy to use. On our return from Trieste, we caught the bus at the train station at the far end of Lower Town and had a scenic tour through it and then from the route up the hill to the Upper Town where our Bed and Breakfast was located. It cost less than four euros for the both of us.
The Scout was excelling on this trip as a short-order planner. He'd originally booked us in Venice (half way between the two cities) for two nights, but after seeing Bergamo we knew we needed more time in its old walled city. He cancelled our reservations for Venice and managed to nab us a bed-and-breakfast style four-room hotel in Bergamo's walled city.
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| Our room at Palazzo Porta Picta Bergamo |
We got the last room available for our dates at Palazzo Porta Picta, a relative newcomer to the hospitality scene there, but one that has drawn rave reviews. It was luxurious and the cost was only 25 euros more per night than we had paid at the rather non-descript Best Western in Lower Town where we'd stayed the week before. This room came with breakfast included, that one didn't.
Staying within the ancient walls allowed us to explore the old town from early morning until dark. And explore we did! But our brief time allowed only a visit to one of its nine museums, and we walked past one of the four towers; we had no time to ride either of the two funiculars, didn't climb any of the 15 stairways, or set foot inside the castle, or the theatre. . .you get the picture. There is far too much to see and do in a day and a half. We could have spent our entire week here and not seen it all. And that was just the Upper Town. . .
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| From atop the ancient fortress |
There are also five historic neighborhoods, nine art Nouveau villas, five museums, two historic manors and a shopping quadrilateral in the Lower Town.
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| A sea of green surrounds Bergamo |
And the city sits amid a green oasis being surrounded by Parco di Colli, a corolla of 4,700 hectares, more than 11,600 acres. . .so much more to explore! We've vowed to return and not only for the sightseeing and exploration. Our stomachs yearn to return!
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| Bergamo Casoncelli will bring us back |
We will go back, if for no other reason, than to eat another plate of their local pasta specialty, Casoncelli, little pockets stuffed with meat, similar to a ravioli. Our carb-free approach to life flew out the window when we shared this dish. The butter sauce flavored with sage was so good we emptied the basket of bread wiping the serving dish after eating the pasta pockets. An alternate version is Scarpinocc, with the pockets filled with cheese.
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| Waitng for the train in Bergamo - glad it wasn't raining! |
The Bergamo train station is under renovation, so we waited outside for the first of three trains we'd take to Trieste. The one pictured took us to Brescia. From there another train took us to Mestre (Venice) and from there a final train took us to Trieste.
We had a few mad dashes up and down stairways and along train platforms but made each connection and by early evening we were settled into Trieste.
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| The train to Brescia arrives in Bergamo |
Next time I will tell you about eating sauerkraut for breakfast and pizza for dinner in this city that offers a tantalizing blend of Italian, Austrian, and Hungarian culture and cuisine. Thanks for being with us today - we hope you'll come back for another serving of our Taste of Italy!
