Watercolors, Flamingos, and a Castle

I spent today exploring new areas of Milan. I read an article a while back about some fun, hidden places in the city. Today, I went to three of those.

Taking the 24 tram to the Crochetta stop, I walked to Giardini della Guastalla. This is a public garden/park area. It was very nice and peaceful. A number of people were enjoying the sunny day but it wasn't crowded.

From the park, I walked to (what the article called) the Milan Watercolors. There is a small street called Via Abramo Lincoln and the houses on either side of the short street are each painted a different color. It was a lovely and peaceful street but also very green with many trees. It was hard to see the houses and impossible to get a picture really showing all of the colors. I enjoyed walking down the street and trying to picture the colors coming more alive in the winter season.

My last planned stop was to see some flamingos! (Not plastic ones.) I wasn't sure if this would really happen or not... but it did! And I saw a castle on the way : )  That was a fun surprise. The large, ornate building stopped me in my tracks (and that says a lot, considering I was on my way to see flamingos). There was a plaque that showed the building is Palazzo Berri-Meregalli and was built in the early 1900's.

The flamingos were all out and enjoying the gorgeous day! If you go to Villa Invernizzi on Via Cappuccini, you are able to peak through the gate and into the yard. There is a small pond in the middle of a lovely yard. Four flamingos were enjoying a one-legged lap in the pond, while about 8 or so others were in the yard... some eating and the rest just hanging out.

Fun day!

This is one side of the castle: Palazzo Berri-Meregalli

Handmade Ziplining, Corn, and a Castle

Our head guide, Gunther, told us that we would be making a zipline one day during the week. I wasn't sure what he meant. I figured that we might 'make' a zipline and then take it down, not really using it.

In the end, we walked along here:

...Played some team games in the forest:

...And went to a lovely spot in front of a waterfall TO BUILD A ZIPLINE!

I am still amazed that this worked and we were actually able to use it. Gunther had a group of students on each side of the river and he bounced back and forth, helping set up ropes with carabiners. That was really it -- ropes and carabiners. (Thankfully, a helmet was also involved.)

I wasn't sure the first student would make it across! The kids were great -- they took turns up top being the 'brake' while a student zipped across and others caught the student at the other end, pulling his/her feet up to a large boulder to climb down from. It was GREAT fun! Overall, it sounded like this ziplining activity and the mountain biking were the kids favorite parts of the week.

A lovely castle:

All the churches in this area have red steeples like this one:

Out of 39 students, 3 did not know how to ride a bicycle. Since my knee was hurt from the long hike a couple days before, I stayed with them while the rest of the group went mountain biking. Part of me would have loved to have gone on the ride but it all worked out and we still had fun.

We took a walk through the cornfields and the town and... sang about corn. It was quite hilarious. What started as a joke kept going and we all sang about corn. We still do when we see each other in the hallway at school!

One of my favorite photos from the week and my non-biking buddies:

"CORN!"

Torino Train Trip

Before moving to my new apartment, I took a train trip to Torino (Turin). It is less than an hour's train ride from Milan and it was my first time to this beautiful city. I spent the better part of two days in the city and enjoyed walking and taking many photos between coffees.   : )

Not only did Torino hold the 2006 Winter Olympics but this city was also Italy's first capital AND home to the royal family in the mid-1800's (Turin - Wikipedia).

Palazzo Castello with the Royal Palace straight ahead:

Also in Palazzo Castello -- Palazzo Madama:

These beautiful arch-covered walkways are throughout much of Torino.

I've seen a few places online that say Torino is one of the most portico-covered cities in the world!

One of my favorite photos:

...so Italian and so romantic.     : )

I really, really enjoyed my time in Torino. The city is historic and beautiful to walk through -- amazing sights just kept coming!

Vernazza - Cinque Terre

Julie and I took a train ride that lasted about... ohhh... maybe 3 minutes  : P  and went to another one of the five towns that makes up Cinque Terre -- Vernazza. It rained fairly hard in the morning when we were still in Manarola enjoying coffees and brioche but then the day luckily cleared up for the most part. We were able to enjoy the little jaunt to another one of the 5 towns... we even walked up to the castle and were treated with wonderful views!

Julie's yellow sneaks fit right in!

Julie and I could see a castle above us when we were at the waterfront in Vernazza. People were up top... and we decided that we also wanted that view! ...We began weaving our way through narrow alleys, up and up the steps... and... ended up at Castello Doria. Yeah!

A few views from atop the castle:

Vernazza... still gorgeously colorful on the cloudy day:

Cute  : )

Bishop Castle, CO

Bishop Castle is a weird, amazing place near Rye, Colorado. I first heard of the castle on some list of travel places that most people don't know about. Well... I had surely never heard of Bishop Castle and it's less than 3 hours from Denver! Lenny, Lexey, and I went by way of the castle on the way home from Yurtstock -- definitely worth the detour! Crazy place.

A man by the name of Jim Bishop began building the castle about 40 years ago and still continues adding on today. There must be plenty of safety issues with the castle (my entire leg could have gone through one part between a landing and a staircase!)... but there were a ton of visitors climbing all over the castle the day we visited and everyone we passed was commenting on how nuts the place is (and awesome!).

Lenny and I climbed our way around and around a spiral staircase until we found ourselves at the very tallest point... the left side of the castle in the photo below. ...Gorgeous views!

View from my perch at the top:

Hey Len!

Hey Len!

Gorgeous Colorado

castle FAVORITES

Some of my favorite photos from the castle where we went to the Monet exhibit   : )

I love the colors of the homes in town beyond the castle's brick: