The City of Milano

Another weekend trip. This time I am traveling to Milano. Actually, it is one of the cheapest destinations from Prague. It is a good opportunity to get familiar with the city more closely, because usually I have stayed here just for a half of a day, as a transition place on the way to other Italian cities.

There is no train which would deliver you from the Malpensa airport. So, the bus is an affordable option for the budget tourists...

I already have booked the excursion in Milan to see the most significant sights here. But a have several free hours to observe the surroundings on my own.

The part of my independent excursion also included visiting the Castello Sforzesco, one of the symbols of Milano. Nowadays this imposing red-brick castle is the home to one of the city’s most extensive art collections, which I would like to see during my next trip to Milano. But there is also something to see outside. You may discover and admire the large courtyards, walls, moats and towers here.

Now it is the time for the excursion. We have started with a short walking in the direction to Piazza del Duomo. The guide was telling us some stories about the city, and surprisingly it was not boring for me.

So, Milan, the capital of the Lombardy region in Northern Italy, is the wealthiest and most expensive city in Italy to live in. And it is the second largest city in Italy. But we all know that Milan is a major fashion and design capital, the part of the prestigious “Big Four” alongside Paris, London, and New York. People travel from around the world to shop at Milan’s luxury temples. The city’s reputation for style and fashion makes it a shopping paradise. I also would love to go for a shopping spree, but currently I am more interested in cultural events.

So, our first stop is at Milan Cathedral, which is the third largest catholic church in Europe. It is also the biggest in Italy, and the fifth biggest in the world. It took over 500 years to build The Duomo Cathedral of Milan. The construction began in 1386 and the last details were only completed in 1965. Another striking figure about the cathedral is that more than 3 400 statues are resting inside!

Then we moved to La Scala (The Teatro alla Scala), one of the leading Opera house in the world, which was built in 1778. Many of the greatest opera artists of the past two centuries have performed at this opera house. And attending an opera performance at this iconic concert hall could be a memorable Milan experience.

Our final stop was connected with the greatest masterpiece of Leonardo Da Vinci. "The Last Supper" is probably one of the most famous paintings in the world. And it was actually painted on the wall of what once was the monastery’s dining room, and it has a massive size of  4m60 by 8m80. You can find it in the Santa Maria delle Grazie church, but you should book your visit in very advance. Be aware of the fact, that you have only 15 minutes to observe this amazing fresco.

After all today's walks I feel extremely tired, but at the same time I feel very inspired. So many masterpieces in one day... Still, tomorrow I am having absolutely different type of activity, a breathtaking trip into mountains. It starts early in the morning, and I need to go to bed earlier today.

Italy, Tuscany Triangle

When I woke up and looked out the window I saw the fantastic view on the tile roofs of the small town, surrounded by the low mountains. Everything was covered with a light mist. At that moment I realized that I have chosen the right place to stay. In fact, I have been looking for this scenery throughout the many years.

Bagni di Lucca is the first stop of my trip around Tuscany. Actually, there will be three main stops in different locations in this area. In fact, initially I have booked only one unique place for staying, but suddenly I realized that there was no public transport at all, and without a car it would be a problem in getting around. So, I had to cancel my reservation in haste and find other places, more accessible. The main criteria was the walking distance to a train station. So, I am going to halt at Bagni di Lucca, Empoli and Incisa. Figuratively, these are three pivots, three vertexes of the 'Tuscany Triangle'.

Well, Bagni di Lucca is nestled at the foot of the Apennine mountain range. Historically, the area of Bagni di Lucca is famous for its thermal waters with their healing and regenerative properties. It became extremely popular among aristocracy and famous people during the 19th century, probably because of the fact that the first licensed casino was opened here in 1837. It is noteworthy, that this place was visited by such outstanding personalities as Shelley, Byron and Puccini. However, these days it is a quiet town, where you may find peace and rest among the gorgeous hills.

I have made a small walking around the area and eventually reached the train station. I did not want to turn back, so I decided to visit the nearby city of Lucca.

The cashier is not available at the station, so there is only machine ticket which accepts only coins. Unfortunately, I did not have enough coins. Just my luck! At least I could buy a single ticket on the website trenitalia.it for 3.60 euro. The rules states that I would need to present my ID to confirm the right of using the electronic ticket. I have left the passport at home, but I hope that the plastic card, which I used for the payment, would save the situation.

I have arrived to Lucca, and nobody asked for my ticket.

Well, the ancient city of Lucca is primarily known for its well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city center. And nowadays it is inhabited by 90000 people.
Among famous personalities, which made the city even more popular, is the world-renowned Italian opera composer, Giacomo Puccini, who was born in this city.
Another peculiar fact is that Lucca remained an independent city state until the end of the 18th century.

Of course, the city has expanded and modernized since the Medieval times, but the major tourist destinations remained 'untouched' inside the walled old city. Once the city was nicknamed as 'the city with 100 churches', so there is evidently something to observe here.

In the old days Lucca was home to many tall towers. As a matter of fact, they counted as many as 250 defensive tower houses. Those towers were built during the era when Italy was full of mercenaries and political upheaval. They were not only the wealth indicators, but they also served as the hideaways in plague years. Still, only a few towers remained today, and only two of them can be climbed onto.

Actually, I have visited only one tower, which was built in the second half of the fourteenth century by the Guinigis. The height of the Guinigi Tower is 45 meters, and it has in total 232 steps to reach the top (what is interesting is that the original stairs were on the outside).
What makes the Torre Guinigi so fascinating is that you can find oak trees sprouting from the roof of the red brick tower. The Guinigi family planned this garden to represent rebirth and renewal.

Another tower, which I have not visited, is called Torre delle Ore or the Clock Tower, and it is 50 metres high. It has survived so long due to the fact that it has had the clock since 1390.

The San Michele church with its magnificent and very high marble facade is considered to be one of the most frequented and enchanting tourist attractions in Lucca. The church was built over the ancient Roman forum, but today's look it obtained as the result of the 11th century reconstruction ordered by Pope Alexander. 

The summit of the church are flanked by the statues of two angels and the 4 meter tall statue of the St. Michael the Archangel, which is positioned in the center of the church structure. Obviously, the statue was created and placed on the top of the church to indicate that it is devoted to the Archangel.

One of the largest supermarket chains in Italy is Conad. I entered one of these shops to buy a bottle of water and glanced at the prices for one of such popular items as olive oil. In fact, the prices for oil in Russia would be doubled in comparison with this supermarket. So, it can be a good idea to buy several bottles if you have enough space in your baggage. Unfortunately, I cannot afford buying anything, because I am travelling with hand luggage.

I returned in Bagni Di Lucca before the sunset. So, I had some time left to observe this place and locate some new sights.

The Baltic, City of Cranz

This journey I planned to perform many years ago. However, there were some obstacles, which did not let me to accomplish my intention. Now I am living in Moscow, and I cannot but use this advantage of short distances to visit the popular touristy places. Additionally, I have my birthday very soon, so it is another reason to move out.

Today, I set off for the Baltic Coast, the part of which has been a part of Russia since 1945. In fact, my story is about Kaliningrad Oblast, and to be more precise, it is about the town of Zelenogradsk.

Speaking about the history of Zelenogradsk, prior to 1946 the town was known by the name Cranz. The first sea resort was opened here in 1816, and by 1844 it has become one of the primary seaside resort for the Kingdom of Prussia on the East Prussian coastline. I suppose, there was something special about this place if it became such a significant royal resort at that time. Very soon I will try to find out the secret of its popularity.

So, I took a ticket for aeroexpress, which delivered me to the Domodedovo airport from Paveltcky railway station. In fact, the aeroexpress is very comfortable, reliable and relatively cheap mode of transportation in Moscow, if you want to get to the airport. These days the return ticket costs only 850 rubles.

I fly with the S7 airlines. The whole journey takes about two hours. It is quite a short flight, and they provide you with a sandwich and non-alcoholic beverages on the board.

Now I am in the Hrabrovo airport, which is 29 kilometres away from Kaliningrad and 20 kilometres away from Zelenogradsk. Unfortunately, nowadays there is no direct connection between Hrabrovo and Zelenogradsk by the public transport. It means, that first I would need to go to Kaliningrad by bus and then take another bus or train to Zelenogradsk. At least two hours I would spend for this transfer. So, I decided to take a taxi from the airport, which cost me around 500 rubles.

In 22 minutes I was in front of my 3-star hotel Crystal, which offers very comfortable staying in the centre of the town for a very competitive price.

Only 30 metres divide me from the seashore. In spite of the exhaustion I could not resist the call of the sea. Very soon I went down the coast, and at once I was charmed by the clear water and fine golden sand. 

Unfortunately, the sea temperature of 17 Celsius degrees was quite cold for me, so I did not dare to dip into the water despite the burning sun. However, many people were more brave than me, and they really enjoyed their bathing in the chilly sea.

One of the reasons why I have chosen Zelenogradsk among other resort towns in the Kaliningrad district is its long and beautiful promenade with the duration of more than 2 kilometres. Remarkably, it also has a separate bicycle path, which is really cool.

The pier, which is located on the promenade, is particularly popular among local people and tourists. This construction goes far into the sea and its extreme point is located 150 metres from the seashore. You can discover a scenic view on the town from that point.

I finished my walking in the eastern part of the promenade, where a big chain of summer cafes and restaurants offer a stunning view on the sea.

Another jewel of the eastern part of Zelenogradsk is the leafy city park, which can be a real breath of fresh air in a hot day. The central part of the park is occupied by a lovely pond with numerous ducks and other water fowls.

Near my hotel I have detected a local supermarket and I found out that the prices were not high here at all. I even did not expect that in this resort the prices would be so moderate. Just for the example, I took the photos of the shelves from the shop with such basic food as bread, milk and beer.

Now I am on the main street of Zelenogradsk, called Kurortny prospect (or "Resort prospect"). Miraculously, during the Second World War the city was not damaged as severely as Kaliningrad. And today  we can admire the look of the well-preserved houses dated back from the end of the 19th and the beginning of 20th century.

Actually, there are not so many streets in the town, but it is always a pleasure to have a walk and to sight the remarkable old houses, which were inhabited by the nobles and were the witnesses of some significant events.

At the same time when you move away from the seashore, you could locate a typical landscape of the Russian residential area with its unattractive series-built blocks of flats. I understand that them all were built many years ago by the government to provide every citizen with housing. Accessibility and simplicity were on the first place at that time. However, I really hope that in near future they will change the approach to building the residential areas thinking about attractiveness as well, as it was a century ago.

Over again I am on the beach, in the eastern part of the town. The heat went down, and the air got a warmer shade created by the setting sun. Eventually, after a long way I was able to have some relax having occupied a place on the terrace of a restaurant.

This day was very rich in positive impressions, and on top of that I became a spectator of the grand sunset over the sea. I felt absolutely happy. At this moment nothing could disturb me.

Well, my journey has just started, but I already overwhelmed with the numerous impressions. Tomorrow there will be another day with more bright events, which might bring new good emotions.