Italia 2022

 June 15 was our last day in Italy, as we began our trek north towards Milan, Switzerland, and then England.

First was to return our rental car to Europcar in Bari, and then take a taxi to Bari Stazione Centrale.

Bari Centrale....

and after coffee and a sandwich at the C-House Bakery & Bar inside the stazione...we board Trenitalia's Frecciarossa to Milan - the Red Arrow.  The Frecciarossa  can travel at up to 300 km/h, ours may not be travelling at quite that speed, but it sure does leave even the fastest Italian drivers far behind....

and seven hours or so later, we are in Milan...

Trenitalia is one of Italy's two major railways, the other being Italo.  We booked all our train trips - Rome to Siracusa; Siracusa to Bari (which was on 3 different trains); Bari to Milan; and Milan to Tirano - directly on their website and all went according to plan.  Definitely a good experience to travel in Italy by train.

We enjoyed our last authentic Italian pizza at Ristorante Pianete Luna, near our hotel.  Though we realized rather late in our trip, that ordering one pizza for the two of us was plenty of food.  We ordered two here, they were excellent, but we couldn't finish them.  Took them back to the hotel with the intention of taking them onboard the train the next day, but then discovered we just had too much to carry.  Next time in Italy - order just one pizza!

After one last caffe italiano at the Caffe Panzera, near Stazione Milano Centrale, where we of course stood at the bar to enjoy our coffee and pastry...

we crossed the street to the stazione - and what a stazione it is!

There we boarded a Trenord Regionale for the 2.5 hour trip to Tirano, 

riding along the shores of Lake Como...

At Tirano, we boarded the Bernina Express, through the Alps, to Chur, where we connected with another train to Zurich...

The change in trains at Tirano is easy and convenient, with the Trenord stazione on the left, and the Bernina Express station on the right.

But we had a couple of hours before embarking, so why not spend the last few hours of our stay in Italy by buying some formaggio, Parmesan of course, to bring home, at the local formaggi.

One of the delights of travel is finding and experiencing something different than at home, and it can come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes...

And then it was time to board the magnificent Bernina Express, with its panoramic windows, and to climb over 2,000 metres above sea level, through 55 tunnels and 196 bridges...

Car #1, we sat by the second window on the left...

Note the small window on the left, it opens!  Same on the other side...so it was great to get videos like this....

even inside one of the 55 tunnels...

This train travels through some towns, right along the streets, next to homes, shops, bicycles, cars...

And climbs  at the Brusio Circular Viaduct...

We were on the northbound train, here the southbound train waits for us to pass by...

The marvelous Swiss alpine valleys...

and Swiss cows, with cowbells...

The famous Landwasser Viaduct....

Alp Grum, near the summit...

well into Switzerland now and heading down to Chur...

Chur (prounounced KUR) train station, to board a different train to Zurich...

So after a spectacular  ride through the Alps, we arrived at Zurich Train Station around 8pm.  We then needed to board a tram to take us to the Ibis Hotel at Zurich Airport.  Tram #10.  This is Zurich Train Station, rather large.....

Wonder where Tram #10 is????

After a lengthy wait at the Tourist information office, we were told to look for the signs for Tram #10.  There it is! in the yellow circle...

a tiny red square with a number 10 on it.  Größeres Schild bitte!

But we do find our tram and make it to our hotel near Zurich airport, and early the next morning we board the tram for a 5 minute ride to the airport and our British Airways flight to Heathrow...

And you know you're in England when...

And we finished off our trip with an enjoyable weekend in Gloucestershire with family, a pub lunch, throwing balls for Jasper to chase, over and over again, and a visit with D'Artagnan. 

 We told our server here at the Neeld Arms near Chippenham, that either the two ladies were sisters, or the two men were brothers, could she pick which one?  She picked the wrong one.  Maybe it was the light from the crooked lamp that fooled her....

the traditional Ploughman's Lunch, with a pint of course...

Jasper, who brings the ball right back to my feet...

D'Arty and me...D'Arty's on the left..

And speaking of left, that's just what we did next... we left England by bus back to Heathrow for our Air Canada flight home.

And now to plan the next Italian adventure....more of Switzerland too....more Puglia, more Milan, maybe more Venice, and maybe throw in some Croatia...

Let the planning begin!