Italy, The Stone Bridges

It has been raining cats and dogs the whole night and the whole morning. There was not any opportunity to leave the house until the noon. So, I devoted this time to reading and chatting with my host. Meanwhile, Carlos recommended me to visit two nearby places, which are known primarily for its old stone bridges.

Fortunately, the forecast came true, and the sky has cleared up soon. So, I started my next excursion program.

I arrived to Borgo a Mozzano, a small town, which is situated at the distance of one stop by train from my place. 

This town was first mentioned in 879, and once was the most important center in the Serchio Valley. So, there are some remarkable architectural forms here, including medieval palaces and striking ancient churches.
Obviously, it is not the hot season now, so the city looked deserted.

Still, I came here not to shoot the empty streets, but to see the famous Magdalene Bridge, also known as the Devil's Bridge. Indeed, it looks really unearthly, and it seems almost impossible that it had been built by human hands. There also an old legend, saying that the bridge was built with the help of the Lucifer, who asked some price for his work. The price was the first soul, which would cross the bridge. Surely, the demon wanted to have the human's soul, however, the mason tricked the devil by letting a pig cross the street first.

The bridge has a peculiar shape with a high arch in the middle called the "donkey’s back" while the rest of the arches are asymmetric. The stunning look of the bridge is supported by the sweeping landscape with the green hills.

Another remarkable place near Bagni di Lucca is the city of Castelnuovo. It is the main city of the Carfagnana area, and it is positioned at the merging of the river Serchio with the Turrite Secca. The city itself is beautiful and very cozy to stroll around. Moreover, the experienced people say that the genuinely delicious pizza can be found precisely at the local restaurants of Custelnuovo.

It is another town, where I do not meet people in the streets. Probably, they all are gone to the bigger cities for working. Where are people? Though, there was nobody to answer my question.

I should admit that the bridges in Italy are something exceptional. People always found the source of wonder in these constructions, which miraculously connected the divided banks. I also fall in love with these ancient constructions, built in the Medieval times and preserved till the present time. In truth, there are many bridges at Custelnuovo, so I could not but take time and admire some of them.

I am back home. And again I am at the restaurant 'Da Mamo' eating pasta with tomato sauce. Good food and exceptionally warm service.

Tomorrow I am leaving this pictorial place of Bagni di Lucca and moving to another area of Tuscany with absolutely different scenery. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to visit the neighboring places such as the town of Barga, the hidden mountain villages and the healing thermal spa resorts. Besides, there are so many organized tours for bikers and hikers here. Anyway, now I have many reasons to return to Bagni di Lucca and continue my exploration.

Saint Petersburg, Rain and the city

I feel satisfied that yesterday we could visit the seashore and enjoy the comfortable weather. Indeed, the weather in Saint Petersburg is very changeable, and today they forecast the rain for the whole day. However, nothing can prevent us from strolling around Saint Petersburg and admiring its remarkable sights. Eventually, we set off to the centre city. And, as usual, we start with the Nevsky Prospect.

When travelling around the world, I have noticed that every city has not only its unique look, but the unique taste as well. Nowadays in Saint Petersburg the puffs are very popular. And there are so many bakeries in the city, where you can taste this simple, yeasty, delicious dainty. So, we started a day with visiting one of such bakeries. Be sure, that three puffs are just enough, because they are extremely fat. And do not forget to take hot coffee or tea.

While walking around the city I can not stop wondering at the facades of the historical buildings again and again. The architecture is different here, and it varies from Baroque to Neoclassicism and Modern.

Every time when I arrive to Saint Petersburg, I visit my favourite museum.  And this trip was not an exception. Well, I am in love with the Russian museum, the largest depository of the Russian fine art. It includes the outstanding collections of paintings, graphics, sculpture etc.

The good thing about this museum is that it is not as enormous as the Hermitage. It means that you can observe the whole exhibition in 3-4 hours. Besides, it is not crammed usually.

Repin, Vasnetsov, Surikov, Serov, Levitan, Brulov, Aivazovsky are my favourite artists, which I've known since school. I remember, how I was studying the famous paintings on the covers of the textbooks of the Russian language and literature, wondering how skillfully they were done.

By the way, my favourite hall in the museum is the hall with number 14, where the extraordinary masterpieces "The last day of Pompei" and "The ninth wave" are placed. I always stay there for a while occupying a bench and dipping into the thrilling world created by the authors. At the same time, I constantly discover new canvases, which resonate with my soul.

The rain is still in progress. However, many people feel absolutely positive and contented. Furthermore, Saint Petersburg without its gloomy sky, strong wind and heavy rains would not be the city, which attracts so many people. All these "nasty" conditions build a special atmosphere, which distinguishes this city from many others.

I also like its unique atmosphere and I am very happy to stay here and stroll around for hours. In fact, during this short trip of 2 days, I have walked more than 40 kilometres. And the only thing I regret now is that I have not walked more.

Europe, Long Way to Flooded City

The idea of my next trip came to my mind rather spontaneously. In fact, I could not decide how to spend my next vacation for a long time, and the first sketchy plan popped up while talking with a fellow by the bar counter.

The thing was that I wanted to make the trip as cheap as possible. So, I started scanning the offers from the low budget airline companies. Honestly, we do not have many lowcosters in Russia, and currently the monopolist in this area is Pobeda. The most affordable price at that moment was for the flight to Milan, but it was with the transfer stops at Yekaterinburg and Moscow. The beginning of my trip looked rather tough. Still, after buying a ticket I realized that the real challenges would be ahead, because I have planned to stay in 9 cities during 13 days. Exciting, indeed.

It is true that travelling with lowcosters is generally cheap, but very often there are few restrictions and drawbacks. First of all, the flight may be multiple and tiresome, as it was in my case. Secondly, you can count on the small luggage only, but for the extra space you should pay extra money. And lastly, there is no free lunch on board. Enough reasons not to deal with the low-cost companies if you are a demanding tourist? Sure! But I am not that kind.

Well, my flight starts at 9:55, and it is very convenient for me. However, I have to arrive to the airport two hours in advance, because today we have had an election day, and we should vote for the president of the Russian Federation.

Honestly, flying with Pobeda is my first experience. Miraculously, the plane was in a good condition, and there was no delay.

Boeing 737-800. It is a modern aircraft. Unfortunately, the seats are not reclining, and there are no pockets behind the armchair. At least they offer some water on board!

We arrived at Yekaterinburg in 2 hours and 30 minutes. The next flight to Moscow is in 40 minutes, so there is enough time to be inspected and to reach the gate. 

Another 2 hours and a half, and we arrived to Vnukovo, Moscow.

I am aboard again. Milan is much closer now. Only 2 hours and 50 minutes divide us. I was pleasantly surprised by not having any neighbours next to me. So, I could relax and eat in comfort from my lunch box, which I took from home.

It is Bergamo airport, which is located some 45 kilometres from Milan. They say that it is the third busiest international airport in Italy, and for the most part it serves the low budget airlines.

I would say, that the crossing the border was really prompt, and the custom officer did not ask a question.

It is drizzling outside, but it is warmer than in Siberia, for sure. It is plus 8 degrees Celsius. Frankly, I am glad that it is not hot here, and it is so easy to breath.

At the arrival hall I picked up the ticket, which I booked with Pobeda, to get to Milan. I located my bus and took the seat close to a window.

It is evident, that the spring already came in Italy to rule. The grass is green, and figuratively it smells Spring. However, the trees are still bare.

The bus stopped at Milano Centrale. The huge building of the train station looks gorgeous inside and outside. I let myself walk around and take some photos of this imposing design.

There are almost two hours before departure to the next city. So, I headed for Duomo square using the directions from my mobile navigator.

First of all, I wanted to see the biggest church in Italy. However, before I found myself in front of the Cathedral, I walked through the magnificent shopping arcade, named Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This is undoubtedly one of the best attractions in Milan.

Having glanced around the square I quickly headed backwards for the central station. I should continue my journey with the train to Venice.

In advance I have booked the premium service for a rather reasonable price, and therefore I had a comfortable leather armchair and some snacks included.

In two hours and a half the train arrived at Santa Lucia station, which is located not really far from my hotel.

It was late evening, and Venice was already hidden under the cover of night, but there were two outstanding features noticeable - unpleasant smell and flooded streets.

I reached my room absolutely drenched, and my shoes were squelching. Obviously, I should have taken wellingtons with me.

The hotel is cheap, but with the symbolic name of Leonardo, which actually attracted my attention. It looks like I am the only visitor here these days. I am a little bit scary. Nevertheless, I felt happy to find myself at this dry and warm place. A weary traveler after a long road wanted to sleep. And it was the only wish at that moment.