Bergamo

It was such a relief to be in Bergamo after 2.5 months. I really needed a friend by then and so did Ruby. It was also great to see Paul after he'd been on the tour for a few weeks. Our meetings were brief between his commitments but made a real difference.

Elena and her son Giorgio welcomed us into their home and city. She lives in the hills about 30mins walk from the Citta Alta, the historical centre situated on top if the hill. Eating breakfast in her front courtyard, you could hear the herd of goats passing by. We also stayed in the historical centre for a week. I loved exploring the gorgeous streets with beautiful churches and buildings, gardens and villas. I had daily long walks in the surrounding hills that they call Colli verde. We enjoyed pizza by the slice at Fornaio and dinners at Da Mimmo. Ruby wasable to go out by herself to explore the shops in the sin street of the historical centre. She'd ring and tell me where's news within 10 mins and she always came home with gifts for me. We loved our yogurt and lemon gelato at La Marianna and buying our fruit and breads from the local stores. Cherry picking off the vines was a highlight and supplied us with about 4kg of cherries for €20.

Another highlight for me was meeting Elena's friends Pier and Cinzia who took me on a 5 hour hike up to a summit on the Orobie Mountains about 30 minutes from Bergamo and overlooking Lecco in Lake Como. The valleys, mountains, flora and company was unforgettable. I hope to do more hikes in this range of mountains in the future. 

This day was so special for me!

Thanks Elena for your hospitality and friendship.