Today is a travel day. We say farewell to Varenna and Lake Como. It’s been a fantastic and busy few days—we’ve loved it. This morning, we caught a regional train from Varenna back to Milan, and from Milan we took a fast train (Frecciarossa) to Ancona, where we would board an overnight ferry to Split. We checked out of the apartment in Varenna, backpacks on, and headed for the station. ...
Today was a big day – it’s H’s birthday! As we woke up, we drew back the blinds to reveal a picture-perfect sunny day on Lake Como. Today looked like it would be the best weather yet. The low cloud that had hung over the nearby mountains had cleared, and we could now see their snow-capped peaks. The view was truly stunning. We had a light breakfast and set out early to avoid the crowds. ...
After a very long day yesterday, we all went to bed pretty early—but this also meant we were all awake early. The kids did well and slept from 7 pm through to just after 4 am, and stayed in bed until about 5 am when restlessness got the better of them (as it does). So it was time to get up and have a chilled, slow morning—leftover pizza from last night’s dinner and a coffee or two while taking in the views. What’s not to love! ...
After a reasonably long (12-hour) onward flight from Singapore—which included a lot of bumps thanks to thunderstorms—we landed safely at Milano Airport this morning at about 6:30 am local time (GMT +2). A grey and drizzly day welcomed us in Milan, but at least it wasn’t cold (and lugging 15 kg backpacks certainly helps to keep you warm). We cleared baggage collection and immigration impossibly quickly—it really was fast. Having two kids in tow appears to have helped, as we were directed through the special “tired parents with tired kids express line.” They clearly took pity on the handful of parents traveling with their kids. ...