Bergamo -DAY 1 of a 13 Day Trip

Our Ryanair flight took off from a very quiet Edinburgh Airport at 2.30pm with a surprisingly short 2hr 15 min journey to Bergamo Orio.

(Map of our trip overall here:Tuscany, Lakes Como and Garda Road Trip -MAP

Superbly scenic views over the Alps as we approached Bergamo…in fact we flew over Lake Como, I recognised the little peninsula that Bellagio sits on.We’d be there in a few days!

I was snuffling a fair bit looking down on everything as I’d picked up my wee grandson’s sore throat and cold. Funnily enough (or rather, not so funny) on our March 2023 trip to Italy (Puglia, Basilicata, Amalfi coast – naples, puglia and the amalfi coast) I’d started that holiday too , ,,doped up with paracetamol due to my elder son’s parting gift of a cold after he was through staying with us for the weekend.Lucky white heather! Thankfully, I seem to only have one day of misery with these things and at least this was a travel day.

Landed 5.45pm, bang on schedule, Italy being an hour ahead of the UK.

Car Hire goes a bit Awry

Unpleasant scenario getting the car. We always book cars through a 3^rd party operator  – most recently, Discover Cars. Usually a good experience but this was our first with the actual car supplier on the ground, OkMobility – and our last one too! £83 for 11 days , excellent value and already paid some weeks ago but the young man at the desk could only offer us a Fiat Punto, which technically was the same small car category we had booked. Didn’t fancy that, as it doesn’t have a great reputation. Any other small cars? Nope. But we could go one size up for a whopping £160 extra! Seeing our faces he quickly said – well, what would be an acceptable price to upgrade? We were taken aback; this sounded like a scam.We’ve booked cars all over the world, from Namibia and S.Africa to California, Utah and throughout Europe.Usually, if a bigger car is offered, it’s at no extra charge. Plus we couldn’t believe that that was the only small car they had given it was hardly peak season (subsequently, we saw plenty of other small cars at their Bergamo Car Rental depot a short transfer away) Finally , we gave in and settled on a Volkswagon T Cross for an extra £60.

It was after 7pm by the time we left the car depot and drove towards Bergamo.Darkness had fallen (always more difficult to navigate in ) and I was talking Chris through Google map directions which I’d downloaded on my phone.This suggested a 20 min drive to our accommodation in the Citta Alta (Old Town) but in reality, it took twice that time. Couple of wrong turns(my fault, I get confused sometimes with turn offs on Maps which come up really quickly!) but mostly it was due to the lengthy timed access into the Old Town and the large queue of traffic waiting to get in.

Bergamo at last

There followed the usual stress of trying to find accommodation in a historic centre at night! Never easy.Tension mounted as we drove up several narrow streets before retreating to a small sqaure.Where was La Taverna della Contessa? It had huge gates outside , it shouldn’t be that difficult to find!

Maybe our eyes got used to the darkness because we suddenly realised that we were sitting just metres away from them! Numpties! A further bit of a kerfuffle followed due to VERY complicated access instructions , but at last we found the gate and house keys in a tiny stone in-shot on the other side of the road.We were in!

The apartment building was beautiful, very traditional, fronted with gardens and with excellent views over the old town across trees and parkland. Our flat was ground floor, large and with two small windows giving views onto the Citta Alta.Being a bit of a fuss pot when it comes to decor and ambience, the interior was very modern and spartan but it was clean, warm and perfectly comfortable.Plus it had free, secure parking, perfect with the car.And – location, location; we were only a 5 min easy, flat walk to the historic core. Chris had found and booked this accommodation so he always waits with bated breath to see if I like somewhere he has been ‘allowed’ to book.What a difficult to please little person I seem to have become in older age(mid 60s)! Embarrassing.Well, it got the thumbs up from me, great location and quiet, beautiful surroundings.

Bergamo and dinner

The bags unloaded( one under -the – seat size case each) we raced out, keen to make the most of our first night AND to get something to eat as we were both starving by now. Walking in the cool night air lifted the stress of getting here and all I felt now was the excitement of being in Italy again.

Years ago we had briefly visited Bergamo’s old town and had been really impressed with it.It feels less touristy than many other cities and towns yet is SO handsome.

As ever and despite many experiences of poor or so- so food in flashy places,  like a moth to the flame I was attracted to a restaurant lit by fairy lights in the Bergamo’s main square, the elegant Piazza Vecchia. ‘Lalimentari’ was busy (good sign at least, lot of Italian speaking customers too) and we sat outside under heaters, well wrapped up like everyone else.

In fact, we really enjoyed our meal (hunger makes good kitchen) – Spaghetti Alla Genoese Pesto for me and Meat Lasagne for Chris.Mine was very rich,  almost viciously salty and – always welcome- absolutely doused in parmesan. I don’t have a blood pressure problem but I’m sure that pasta dish did its best.
The Piazza was such a lovely place to be too.I like a good view and nice ambience with my food and Lalimentari offered that in spades.
I’d googled supermarkets and this helped us find a tiny grocer’s near the restaurant which sold fresh milk.I was really desperate for a cup of tea now.Chris had moved onto ‘much better stuff’ as he calls it: a nice Chardonnay which he’d bought in Edinburgh’s Duty Free.

Church bells were now ringing, so evocative of Italy. I love hearing them though Chris , as ever less romantic, remarked that I might not appreciate them in quite the same way at 3am! Strolled back to the apartment, through quiet , lovely streets and were asleep by 10.30pm.

A Morning in Bergamo

Woke to a beautiful sunny morning, church bells ringing for 7.30am Mass and a green woodpecker calling too.Delightful start!
Now we could see the beautiful view of the Old Town from our apartment…

Quick breakfast of tea and toast then off we went to explore.Back through the grand gate entrance (the city walls are a World Heritage Site) and we were soon strolling down past the impressive barracks building towards the Piazza Vecchia.

The streets were pristine, not a bit of litter or graffiti to be seen. Next to the Piazza Vecchia is the Piazza Duomo and the site of the stunning Cappella Colleoni. This in turn is adjacent to the Basilica, Duomo and Battistero. It’s a truly stunning collection of buildings.

The Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore opened at 9am so we headed in there first(6 euros each.) Absolutely breathtaking inside with a superb ceiling.In fact the interior was incredibly grand and really a bit of a jaw drop , despite the fact that we have seen many, many fine church interiors in Europe.

The adjacent Colleoni Chapel has been called Bergamo’s most beautiful building and no wonder.It has an exquisite exterior of pink, white and black marble and phenomenal carving which we admired for quite some time.

Opening time at 9.30am came and went as we waited to enter.Then a man appeared with the keys – ‘just 5 meenutes’ he said and disappeared off for 10. I knew the interior wouldn’t match what we had just seen but I was keen to see the tomb of Bartolomeo Colleoni’s daughter, Medea. Colleoni was one of the most famous Italian military captains who lost his beloved daughter when she was only 15 years old. I was moved by the story of how he had her last resting place beautifully sculpted in stone.

We walked up the steps of the town hall which gave a fine view over the Cappella with the background symphony of church bells ringing out.

Time for coffee and we sat in Bar Flora’s pretty terrace in Piazza Vecchia . Cafe Lattes for us both plus a Chocolate Croissant for me which was excellent and turned out to be the best of the trip.Not the Pain au Chocolat we get at home but with a softer, gooey-er filling.

It was time to leave Bergamo as we had a 3 hour+ drive ahead to the outskirts of Florence with a stop halfway to explore the World Heritage city of Mantua.I was looking forward now to 4 nights in Tuscany and a revisit to some much loved cities and towns.Unknown to us (though we should have guessed perhaps) but a bit of a nightmare drive lay ahead on the motorway south!

TUSCANY and the LAKES: Florence , Siena, San Gimignano

Next 3 days: Florence, Fiesole, Siena, San Gimignano and a great lunch in tiny Monteriggione.