Arne Holt from Caffe Calabria and I arrived in Milan to a crisp, cold temperature, which was quite a shock. Much of this city is cold and industrial, artistic in it’s own right, but not what I was looking for to incorporate into my Italian images. I must say that the Duomo there is absolutely stunning though and worth seeing if you are ever in Milan for any reason.

Piazza Del Duomo, MIlan

Duomo, Milan

Duomo, Milan

Hundreds of statues are carved into the walls and spires of this impressive Duomo.

Statue on the Duomo, Milan

Inside the Duomo

Flanking the Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a shopping center built between 1865 and 1867 and hosts some very expensive shops and cafes.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, MIlan

Lost Pegasus – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, MIlan

Milan, Italy

Milan, Italy

Milano Centrale railway station

From Milan we took the train to Como, a beautiful village on Lake Como just in time for a nice weather change along with the leaves changing color. Lake Como is 35 minutes north of Milan by train and is at the foot of the Alps.

Lake Como

Autumn Tree on Lake Como

Just before the bite – Como, Italy

Statue at Villa Olmo – Como, Italy

Villa Olmo – Como, Italy

Lake Como, Italy

Arches, Piazza Alessandro Volta – Como, Italy

Statue of Volta, an Italian physicist known especially for the development of the first electric cell in 1800. He was born in Como and taught here. Someone adorned his statue with a real over-sized tie for the fall season. This statue is about 25 feet tall.

You can take the furnicolare to the top of the hill above Como to Brunate. Here you’ll find majestic views of Lake Como with the Alps in the background and several unbelievable Villas.

A view of Curnobbio from Brunate, Italy

Church of San Andrea – Brunate, Italy

From Como, we took the train back through Milan to Florence just in time to see the Ponte Vecchio at twilight.

Ponte Vecchio

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

We stayed in the beautiful boutique Hotel Anglo American in Florence, a hotel which dates back to 1792.

Hotel Anglo American, Florence

The following morning I walked around Florence, or Firenze as it is called in Italy, amazed by how much beauty is everywhere here.

Ponte Vecchio

River Arno

A gondola parked under the Ponte Vecchio

The number one mode of transportation in Firenze

Lungamo degli Acciaioli at Ponte Vecchio – Firenze

Walking around Firenze, it’s easy to turn a corner into an unassuming, perhaps dark and dreary alleyway and find an absolute gem so I highly recommend exploring all the dark corners too. The following couple images were found in places I almost didn’t explore.

Big Bike – Via de Girolami, Firenze

Walking down one dark alley I came to a dead end, turned around and saw this, perfectly framed across the street. This man stopped mid-walk to focus on an article in the paper. Given the fact that it was such a strange spot to stop on this street with such a narrow sidewalk, I felt it was meant to be.

Graffiti is everywhere in Italy and although it’s a nuisance, sometimes it may be a nice additional touch to an otherwise ordinary image.

Maestro Cellini Bust – Ponte Vecchio, Firenze

The RIver Arno is much like a mirror, beautifully reflecting the ancient architecture in Firenze.

River Arno at Ponte Vecchio

Reflective Arno

Skimming across the glass – River Arno

Inside-out

A beautiful fall day in Firenze, Palazzo Vecchio in the background

Next we took the train with Mirkò and Giovanna to the gothic-era walled-city Lucca, one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen. The sites here are unbelievable. Everywhere you look is a perfect picture waiting to be captured by camera or by memory.

Everyone is happy in Lucca, and why wouldn’t they be?

Little Bike, Lucca

A small church in Lucca

Lady in Red, Lucca

Lucca at night

Next we headed out to Chianti to have some good wine and view the old vineyards among the beautiful rolling hills. We were lucky enough to have Shad of Solutions Espresso and his wife Tammy pick us up, as they were staying in a farmhouse out in the countryside. We had a great time exploring the area with good people.

Greve in Chianti

Fattoria Montagliari – Montagliari Vineyard, Chianti

Fattoria Montagliari – Montagliari Vineyard, Chianti

Castellina, Chianti

Castellina, Chianti

Our last day, we walked up to Piazzale Michelangiolo to view Firenze from across the river and visit the Basilica di San Miniato

Firenze from Piazzale Michelangiolo

Headstone at San Miniato

A street violinist plays beautifully as we walk by, a perfect way to end our trip.