We are going to Italy for two weeks for Lachie and Chiara's wedding on January 11th. It will be in Chiara's home town of Reggio Emilia. We are travelling with Daniel and Mahkaila, and Anna and Harry. Lachie and Chiara will join us for our first few days at Lake Como. Then we have a few days at Monterosso, one of the five villages in the Cinque Terre, then we go to Reggio Emilia for the wedding.
The New Zealand crew leave Auckland.
It is a long journey - 29 hours - from Auckland to Singapore, then Singapore to Milan, all with Singapore Airlines.
We arrive.
Bill had organised a car from Sixt rentals. We have an hour drive to Como for our first stop.
Walking and sunshine is the best remedy for jet lag. We all started to talk about the wedding. We all wanted wedding shots obviously. Everyone else was posing around Lake Como. Why not? Anna and Harry started it.
Dan and Mahkaila next, though Anna wanted to be included.
Bill and me next.
Dan and me.
Anna and me.
This is where one family keeps their boat.
More round the lake.
And in the town - Anna, Robin and Mahkaila.
As I said sunshine is great for curing jet lag. It was about 6 degrees Celsius though.
We had coffee on the way to meeting Chiara and Lachie for lunch.
Very happy to have coffee.
Home made pasta and tomato pasta sauce sold in the cafe. We were glad for the cafe - warm inside.
Then Chiara and Lachie joined us for lunch at Il Lughini. It filled my heart to have us all together.
I also had the best mushroom risotto ever.
After (a late) lunch we drove for another hour up beside Lake Como to Acquaseria where we are staying. We found our apartment and were in bed by 7.
This is the street our apartment is on in the morning.
In the morning I got up and headed to the town's superette and fruit shop, and picked up breakfast.
Chiara and Lachie went biking, to 600 m above where we were staying.
Anna had made an instagram post https://www.instagram.com/share/BAIxct6fGE
Then it was a walk to Menaggio (5km).
Anna taught me how to do a good selfie with others.
In Menaggio we had lunch at one place and coffee at another. I could not choose between ice cream or coffee? Lachie suggested affogato (the first time I have had one - It was yummy).
Then we walked back.
This Villa La Gaeta was one of the locations in the James Bond film, Casino Royale.
Harry said the design is from the Romans - no guttering. There are gutter like protrusions to shift water to the garden.
Anna and Harry started the photo posing again. They are good at it.
And we walked back to our apartment in Acquaseria.
It was a great 2nd day.of our trip.
Back home
Then for Dongo Pizza. It was not that yum I thought and filled a gap. Anna did her instagram for the day
