The Long Way Home

Move over Notre Dame, here’s Milan’s Duomo…

Patrizia, Giuliano and Giannino live in the town of Cerro Maggiore, near the station of Rho, a short train ride from Milan. In Greek, the letter Rho (ρ) is also the name of a south-east Aegean island. A rocky outcrop near Kastellorizo, it was inhabited for many years by a remarkable lady, the ‘lady of Rho’. Every day of her life there she raised the Greek flag in very close view of Turkey. Rowing there from Kastellorizo with her husband and mother, she was soon alone as they both died shortly after arrival. She rowed her mother’s body across the sea back to Kastellorizo alone for burial, then returned to Rho and continued the flag raising until she died.

Follow this link for the fascinating story:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_of_Ro?wasRedirected=true

Photos: ‘Pig Island’, an art installation in Milan; Can someone tell me, is this Tibulus and Fibulus, or Romulus and someone else? Leaving Milano Centrale.

After the few places we’ve been recently, Milan seems nice and cheap. Martina’s first pizza was almost as exciting as her first coffee. When you can get a ristretto for 70 cents that’s better than anywhere in Melbourne, you know this is Gemmola heaven. Patrizia and Giuliano picked us up and are hosting us, but Giannino is in Rome and we won’t see him before we leave.

Photos: Our first pizza – Patrizia, Martina, Anna, Ari and Giuliano enjoy a first pizza in Milan.

Italy loves Pizza nearly as much as us:

The first cafe e panini got the Italian genes kicking in Gemmola:

Unfortunately, our blog photographer Emilee got a better job offer back in Paris, and left us in the lurch. This leaves me in charge of iPhone pics again, so you won’t see many of me again now.

Planning our hike in the alps, a short ride from Baden:

More things to avoid doing, this time on the chairlift:

The hills were alive with the sound of Christos, Ari, Martina and Natalie, on a spectacular hike:

Click to see full panorama:

A final quiet beer at the Baden Beergarden.

Baden is an interesting, clean and peaceful place. The council supplies pharmaceuticals to every resident; in the event of a meltdown at the local nuclear power plant, one is alerted by siren and must take the pill, which protects the thyroid against radiation damage. Also head immediately to the basement of the apartment building, closing the 30cm-thick concrete door behind you. Strangely enough, Zurich, just 15 minutes away on the train but in another council zone, does not offer these life-preserving services, even though fallout would likely spread there in a very short time. Maybe this is why Baden is a great place to live…

Zurich does have fantastic trams. Amazing trams in fact. Being in a country where cars are not a neccesity, is very much a pleasure. If only cars were a luxury in Melbourne, and you could get to every place you needed to, including snowboarding, hiking, and work, by public transport.

What not to do on the tram in Zurich, from left: smoke, turn out your pockets, play guitar, saw seats into pieces, or put your rollerblades on them:

Inside a German car inside a Swiss tunnel, as good as automotive quality can get:

A free open-air concert in Zurich:

Paris to Baden to visit Christos: 2nd class train seats + sealed windows + no a/c = 5 hours of roasting:

But, Martina was lucky enough to discover Bolognaise chips!! Spag Bog on a fried potato:

Hanging out with Christos in Baden and Zurich: a White bratwurst, staple fare in these yonder parts/

Novelle Vague live: over-priced, brief, and bad choice of venue – but entertaining:

Michael Jackson tribute at the Palais de Tokyo:

And an original black and white photo booth, bargain price of 2euro for four shots:

A scene from ‘The DaVinci Code’:

Napoleon’s dining table. I’d love to host a Greek Easter here someday:

And his Louvre-ly balcony:

More imposing Parisian perspectives:

Brooding clouds over the tower:

The Death of Cleopatra, by Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli:

Don Eiffel:

How can the Mona Lisa look at this all day, every day?

Notre Dame, metro entrance and a station:

Emilee is joining our team as the new blog photographer. Here’s her introductory Paris self-portrait on the staff camera. This should ensure a few more photos of me…

Busy eating icecream in the background, we are…

Our new location was right by the famous Paris cemetary.

Reminiscent of Martina after hours of coffee-less walking: