Last stop: Milano

 While I’ve been making day trips to Como and Padova, I’ve been staying in Milan with my friend M and her family. They took me to an Italian birthday party (indoor sparklers was a new one for me!), made me lots of yummy Iranian food (in honor of M’s homeland), and setting me loose to wander town when they’re busy with work and child. A lovely end to a lovely couple months in Europe, for sure. 

I’ll be back with more stories from this wide, wild world quite soon from totally different environs. In the meantime, happy holidays!

Memory Lane

 AKA Padova, where I spent my junior year abroad…25 years ago (eek!). 

I love this city so much. And it was pure joy, despite the wet winter chill, to ride bikes around town for the day with my friend Valentina, who was my Italian/English language exchange partner way back when. So many memories everywhere. 

Como

 A bit of a jarring transition from the sunny 70 degrees of Madeira and—no joke—a full rainbow arching over the island as my departing plane took off to the chill and rain of northern Italy in December, lost luggage, and train strikes. But everything was softened and cozied by the friends I am here to see. First up, a lovely day with some researchers I met in Alaska this summer who live and work in this area. I especially loved our visit to the lakeside town of Orrido di Nesso.

I’m quite sad to leave this beautiful island

 And it was lovely till the end.