 |
| On board the train to Milan |
Our next port-of-call was Milan, across the Alps, in neighbouring Italy. We left Geneva's Cornavin station on the morning of the 26th September 2013. For a long time the train travelled along the banks of Lake Geneva, past beautiful, picturesque places like Lausanne, Montreux, Sion, Brig , etc. and across the Simplon tunnel. We were going across the Alps, and I felt like Hannibal, but minus the elephants!
 |
Along picturesque Lake Geneva
|
We arrived in Milan late in the evening, and there was a bit of confusion for some time, because Rose, Simmy's first cousin who was to pick us up, was not to be seen! Soon however, she did arrive and we caught a local train to Monza, where she lives. We arrived on a good day, because the 26th September happened to be her husband Marco's birthday. We had a grand celebration, with good home-cooked Italian food, a cake and of course the mandatory wine! After our protracted wanderings across Europe, it was good to be with family again! The occasion was all the more exciting because Annie auntie, Rose's mother, had come all the way from New York (where she lives) to meet us, having advanced her annual visit to Monza to coincide with our arrival.
 |
| Celebrating Marco's birthday |
We spent the next 4 days in Milan/Monza, with Rose and her family who went out of their way to look after us, despite heavy work schedules. The children Kiran and Anna too were very sweet and did all they could to make us feel at home. Rose took us to see the famous Milan Cathedral, the lesser known cathedral in Monza, and the Piazza Victor Emmanuele, said to be the world's first mall, which was indeed a huge and fascinating place. To top it all, she also took us to see Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie. We also ate out a great deal, enjoying various types of Italian wines in the process. And one day, their maid Santa, even made a huge Italian meal specially for us. It was delicious.
 |
| Waiting for our train to Venice at the cavernous Milan railway station |
