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Globetrotter
THE

N E W S LE T T E R F OR ME MBE RS O F T H E

FEBRUARY 2015

B R IT I SH G U IL D

OF

T RA VE L W RIT E R S

EDITED BY TIM LOCKE

Guild members in operatic mode at our January AGM in La Scala (photo Kiki Deere)

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Lombardy and the 2015 Expo

Over eighty Guild members attended the January AGM in Milan, with tours of the city
and post-fams to historic cities and the Italian Lakes. This was our first-ever AGM in
Italy. We had our Gala Dinner and AGM in the countrys second city which this summer
hosts Expo 2015. Most delegates stayed on afterwards for one of two memorable postfam tours of Lombardy.
Press contact for Explora Alicia Iglesias alicia.iglesias@exploratourism.it
www.exploratourism.it twitter.com/exploratourism

Milan: a word from the Expo organisers

Milan is an eclectic city. As the fashion capital, it is the setting for world-famous
fashion week runway shows and has some amazing shops in Corso Buenos Aires, Via
Torino, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Via Montenapoleone andVia della Spiga. It is also the
undisputed queen of design and plays host to the Salone Internazionale del Mobile
(International Furniture Fair) and Fuori Salone, which brings to life the Brera and
Tortona areas of the city with a multitude of fringe events.
As you stroll through the elegant historical centre, visit the basilicas and churches,
explore the museums and ancient waterways, enjoy a drink in the Navigli, in Corso
Como, at the Arco della Pace or in Brera. You really get a feel for the atmosphere of
Milan and can get up close to a city that has an immense wealth of history, art and
culture.
One of the most striking things about Milan is its innovative character and its huge
creativity, which is fully expressed at exhibition spaces like the Triennale, Hangar
Bicocca, Fabbrica del Vapore and Rotonda di Via Besana. It is also the capital of culture.
The prestigious La Scala theatre, the temple of opera, opens its season on 7 December
(Saint Ambroses Day) and leading figures from politics and industry are traditionally
present for this. The Pinacoteca di Brera museum showcases some of the worlds most
famous art collections.
Last but not least, Milan is an exquisite culinary hub.

Expo 2015 beckons as Milan welcomes the world

Murray Stewart; photo by Stuart Forster
Under the thematic banner Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, Milan is hosting
Expo 2015 from 1 May until 31 October. More than 140 official participants
countries, international organisations and corporations will be involved in this
Universal Exposition, firmly themed around the history, culture, tradition and
future of food, and specifically sustainable food production. Milan knows food.

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And for those who know Milan,

the makeover to which the city
is treating itself in preparation
for this massive comingtogether will undoubtedly
showcase it at its all-time best;
for those who are newcomers to
this urban powerhouse of
fashion and food, Expo provides
a perfect reason to make a first
visit.
Even before you delve into its actual content, Expo 2015s sheer numbers ought to make
you sit up and take notice. A 1.3 billion euro investment from the Italian state, enhanced
by a further billion euros from the participating countries. The return? An expected 5billion euro benefit to the tourist sector, within the six-month life of Expo. Some 20,000
trees have been planted on the million square-metre, purpose-built site (twice the area
of Euro Disney). Around 60,000 people have been employed, directly and indirectly and
15,000 volunteers recruited to help oil the wheels of the giant Expo machine. And,
perhaps the most impressive statistic of all: in excess of 20 million visitors are expected
at Expo, with nearly 8 million tickets already sold.
Big numbers that dont begin to paint the big picture. The many participating partners
have funded the design and construction of their own pavilions on the Expo site to
showcase their contributions. The pavilion contents have been carefully vetted to
ensure their consistency with the overall Expo theme, for this huge event is no
marketplace, nor an opportunity simply to sell. On the contrary, the pavilions contents
will be instructive and educational and a primary objective of Expo is to raise the level
of debate regarding the challenges facing us on how to feed ourselves. Food security,
sustainable development, water shortage and slow food are key watchwords here.
Piero Galli, General Manager, Event Management Division, Expo 2015, recites a
sobering statistic, which starkly illustrates just one of the issues: with a booming global
population, by 2040 we will need 15 billion animals on the planet to feed ourselves.
Currently, we have only 9 billion. Clearly, the debate is one with which we have to
engage.
In addition to the individual country pavilions, the transnational character of Expo is
underlined by the creation of nine thematic cluster pavilions, housing displays which
straddle geographic boundaries. The advantage of these is that smaller nations can
participate in Expo, undeterred by having to fund the construction of their own
exhibition space. Many of these multinational clusters are themed on food chains: thus,
the Coffee cluster takes you from cultivation to consumption, with plenty of tasting
opportunities on the way. To tell the story in the Fruit and Legumes cluster, Kyrgyzstan

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shares space with Equatorial Guinea, while in Cereals and Tubers Haiti is brought
together with Bolivia and Mozambique.
So there are serious messages to be delivered at Expo 2015, but a whole load of fun is
promised, too. On-site, youll find the worlds biggest restaurant, as well as a 12,000seater open-air theatre, childrens activities, DJ sets, cooking shows, concerts and the
world famous Cirque du Soleil performing a show designed exclusively for Expo 2015.
In addition, most participating countries will host a National Day during the six
months, pushing themselves temporarily towards centre-stage, with many Heads of
State expected to grace Expo with their presence.
Its Not Just About Technology, Tourism, and Trends
The theme for EXPO is Feeding the Planet and to this end millions of people will
converge on Milan and other towns in Lombardy to enjoy a rich programme of events
from May to October 2015. From art exhibitions to scientific conferences, from sport to
tourism, the events on show will cover everything that impinges on our planet. Milan
being the city of Leonardo, the artists work will feature in many events as will other
iconic artists during this Expo 2015.
More on this from Mari Nicholson on http://wizzley.com/expo-milan-2015/
In a continent currently searching for economic growth, the benefits of Expo 2015 are
expected to stretch far beyond Milan itself, embracing not only Lombardy and Italy, but
wider Europe as well. The logical assumption is that, if youre coming to Expo from the
Far East, youre likely to visit London, Paris, Rome or some other European highlight, as
well as Milan. For evidence of Expos global appeal, we resort, once more, to the
numbers. Around 1.5 million tickets have been sold in China; over 150,000
Bangladeshis have already booked their place.
Away from the Expo site itself, the whole of Milan is putting on a truly outstanding show
for its guests. There are new and refreshed museums to drool over, the largest
Leonardo da Vinci exhibition ever hosted in Italy, sculpture and tapestry exhibitions,
jazz, poetry and dance. A Pianocity festival in May, with pianos deposited in unusual
locations across Milan, will feature 300 performances over three ivory-tinkling days.
Even the stately La Scala will join in the party, hosting recitals, opera and ballet amongst
its 140 events during the lifespan of Expo.
Putting the sweet icing of Expo as well as the myriad associated events onto the already
tasty Milanese cake of art, food and fashion should be more than enough to challenge
the prospective visitor with one question: not Shall I visit?, but rather How long can I
spend there?
Whatever the answer is, there will not be enough time to exhaust the possibilities
offered by Expo and Milan in 2015. The city is hosting a thought-provoking, unique,

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truly special party, with an open invitation to all. The city is putting on its most stylish
outfit: you should do the same, engage in the debate and join in the fun.
A privileged view of Leonardos Last Supper was made available for the Guild (its
normally closed on Mondays); huge thanks to our hosts for arranging that. Restored,
bombed, repainted, repaired and nearly taken to Paris by Napoleon its surprising theres
anything left of the original, multi-layered composition, completed 516 years ago. For its
last restoration in 1999 several layers of heavy repainting were removed.

My first AGM
Lottie Gross; photo of Lynn Houghton at the AGM by Stuart Forster
Beyond the act of travel itself, there is perhaps nothing more inspiring than
sitting down to dinner with some of the (probably) most well travelled people in
Britain. Through the eyes of my esteemed peers, this weekend I explored
Antarctic icebergs (thats you Nori), traversed Ethiopian mountains (thanks
Trisha), and felt the sting of fire plankton in the middle of the ocean (ouch, Lynn).
I had been warned of two things before heading to Milan for the Guilds 2015 AGM: the
heated debates at the day-long meeting, and the post-gala dinner hangovers. As it
turned out, neither was a problem.
I was unsure of what to expect really
except for long speeches and perhaps some
soporific talk on the finer points of the Guild
constitution. And after I spent Saturday
strolling Milans sunny streets, eating pizza
and sipping hot chocolate as the sun set, all
while talking travel with a couple of
colleagues, the prospect of Sundays AGM
was less than exciting.
But in reality, sitting in that room for five whole hours, discerning, debating, and voting
on important Guild matters from membership fees to wording of the Articles of
Association for the proposed incorporation of the Guild was an engaging and
pleasingly democratic experience. I felt, for the first time in my so-far short
membership, completely involved: I was no longer just a newbie, I was allowed to
weigh-in on the important decisions, to vote with direct impact on the results, and hear
every point of view to aid my understanding.
Of course at times the room was tense, but at others there was a sense of complete
togetherness: unanimous votes of thanks or rounds of applause and rightly so for
various committee members and the secretariat showed me just how powerful this
union of creative travellers really is.

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What followed was an evening of excellent food, compelling conversation and some
wonderfully smooth Italian reds (fortunately, good wine never gives bad hangovers).
This weekend I realised how much there is for me to learn, and that I might even have
something to teach others. As the weekend drew to a close, I sipped my final Negroni,
and reflected on how lucky and excited I am to be a member of this group of successful,
professional travellers. So thank you for a wonderful weekend, and see you all at the
yearbook launch.

Hidden Gems
Words and pictures by Tricia Hayne
Im not sure what Id expected as hidden gems, but Milans Duomo wasnt one of them.
With its intricately carved embellishments soaring skyward above the square that it
dominates, the cathedral is one serious architectural statement. Castello Sforzesco, too,
makes quite an impression at the end of the Via
Dante, currently set off by the twin white A-frames
promoting EXPO 2015. And La Scala surely needs
no introduction, even to the least musical.
If the logic remained unexplained, our personable
guide, Laura, did reveal facets of these Milanese
icons that were not immediately visible. At La
Scala, we were privileged to share the audiences
view of the richly adorned auditorium, and to gaze
out from the royal balcony, once the preserve of
powerful dukes. Yet although most day visitors are confined to two lesser boxes, the
opera house is by no means exclusive to the wealthy: anyone can queue for the 150
tickets in the gods that are released just a couple of hours before each performance, a
snip at just 1015 though a head for heights would be handy.
A promenade through the Galleria delivered on the gem front, too: four mosaics
encircling the central dome, each depicting one of the four (yes, four) continents
Africa, Asia, Europe and America as if to put the likes of Prada, Versace and Giorgio
Armani in their place. But beyond lay the real jewel, the Duomo. Framed by a cold blue
January sky, the top of its magnificent faade appeared to be crawling with tiny people.
For 12 you can be beamed up to join them; for 6, you can tackle the 200 or so stairs.
Either way, the reward is exceptional, as if a magnifying glass has been taken to the
artistry of the cathedrals stonemasons. At each turn, marble walkways and staircases
worn smooth by the passage of time perhaps by those very stonemasons, or by priests
drawing nearer to God reveal dragons and dogs and improbably tall saints on long,
thin pillars. And then, right up on the rooftop, the glittering golden Madonnina keeps
watch over her city spread out below.

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And so to the Castello, not so much hiding as

masquerading, for almost the entire building is a
reconstruction. Twice destroyed by fire, it was
rescued from demolition and rebuilt in 1905, taking
as its model one dating to the Sforza dukes of the
15th century. Today it houses many of the citys
treasures, prime among them the last of
Michelangelos three Piet, which he agonised over
for the final ten years of his life. Its kept in the
Museo dArte Antica, which closed at 5 oclock. So one gem at least remained hidden
this time.
Our guides in Italy were top class and really made the trip for me entertaining,
engaging and really knew their stuff three cheers for Cesare in Milan, Elena in
Cremona and Giulia in Padova.
Mike Pedley

Art & Culture Tour

Words and photo by Kiki Deere
A procession of dishes flowed to our tables at LARTE on Via Manzoni, a unique
restaurant-gallery in the heart of Milan with a funky and stylish interior where stacked
wine bottles and wall art add a pinch of fun.
Bellies full, we made our way to the world-famous La Scala Theatre nearby, where we
were fortunate enough to have a private tour of the premises. Built on the site of the
Church of Maria della Scala, the theatre was commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa
of Austria and opened its doors in 1778. Many leading Italian composers have had their
works premiered at the theatre, including Giuseppe Verdi, whose first performance of
Nabucco took place here, and acclaimed musician Arturo Toscanini was Principal
Conductor and subsequently Music Director of the theatre. Every year the theatres
opening night, held on the festival of Milans patron saint St Ambrogio (7 December),
sees Milans elite don lavish ball gowns and dinner jackets. A ticket for this exclusive
venue is a cool
2000.
From La Scala we
leisurely sauntered
across the
sumptuous Galleria
Vittorio Emanuele
II, a 19th-century
covered walkway

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today a shopping arcade that links Piazza della Scala with Piazza del Duomo. Beneath
the glass cupola is a circular mosaic with the symbols of the cities of unified Italy,
including a bull for Turin. It is considered good luck to place ones heel on the bulls
testicles and spin round three times (which some BGTW members eagerly tried their
hand at!)
We soon found ourselves in Piazza del Duomo, home to the worlds largest Gothic
Cathedral, and the third largest Roman Catholic Church in the world. Construction of the
Duomo began in 1386 although it was only completed in 1813, resulting in an eclectic
mix of styles. Our tour ended on the cathedral roof, where we strolled around pinnacles
and statues while enjoying the fine views of the city and the Alps beyond.

A food and fashion tour of Milan

Stuart Forster
Milan is, of course, one of the cities at the forefront of the worlds fashion industry and
Italian food is immensely popular. So when I was offered a choice of guided tours in
Lombardys capital this one grabbed my attention.
I would have loved to have learned more about the works of Leonardo da Vinci and
view The Last Supper in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. However, one of my
great passions, after a long day in front of my laptop, is cooking supper, so any
opportunity to gain insights into Milanese style cooking and recipe ideas took priority.
Among the dapper dressers of downtown Milan our band of notebook bearing, camera
toting Guildies shambled through the broad streets behind a guide named Laura. Not
Law-ra, Low-ra, she explained with rising and falling hand gestures that would not
have looked amiss on the conductor of an orchestra.
We were stood outside one of the neoclassical palaces that date from the late 18thcentury, a period during which Lombardy fell under Austrian rule. Italy was not then
unified and a mere geographical expression, according to the 19th century Austrian
statesman Metternich. The Risorgimento Italys national awakening would change
that. We were stood in front of the house once occupied by Alessandro Manzoni, the
author of The Betrothed, and a key figure in the evolution of patriotic feeling.
After pausing outside the Teatro alla Scala, the opera house commissioned by Austrias
Empress Maria Theresa, we sashayed onwards into the airy Galleria Vittoria Emanuele
II. Some of the best known names in haute couture have stores in the glass-ceilinged
shopping mall. Keeping a group of journalists together is often compared to herding
cats. Laura let us off the leash to view store windows dressed with clothes fresh from
the catwalks then rounded us up to head to the Duomo. The cathedral was not
completed until the mid-20th century though the ornate Gothic faade hints at its
origins 600 years earlier.

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No-one wanting to see the current seasons designs in the flagship stores of leading
fashion houses should fail to stroll along the Via Monte Napoleone, Corso Venezia, Via
SantAndrea and Via della Spiga, all streets in the fashion district. Perhaps it was a cold
January breeze that caused my eyes to water when I saw the price of 21,000 neatly
printed by a chic red handbag in one shop window. Many stores dont display prices,
making me wonder if viewing their displays then counts as window shopping or merely
as an observational walk.
Prior to the commencement of our tour wed eaten well during lunch at Larte (Via
Manzoni 5, +39 0 2 89096950, http://lartemilano.com), a chic restaurant serving wellpresented, modern interpretations of traditional Italian dishes. Food though, had been
conspicuous by its absence subsequently. In a city such as Milan, with strong culinary
and couture credentials, perhaps it would have been best for a tour to focus on one or
the other, as either subject could have kept us occupied for significantly longer than a
single afternoon.
Laura said arrivederci (goodbye) to us the wonderfully named Eataly (Piazza XXV
Aprile 10, +39 02 49497301, eataly.net) food concept store. Occupying the site of a
former theatre, this cavernous place should be on the itinerary of any foodie visiting
Milan during the Expo. Its a combination of delicatessen, book store, grocery shop and
wine emporium with several areas to eat and drink, including a Michelin-starred
restaurant, Alice (+39 02 4949 7340). Eataly has a kitchen for cooking lessons and live
music is performed up on the stage each evening.
Who says that food needs to be regarded as any less stylish than fashion when it is
presented correctly?

Lombardy: an introduction from our hosts

At the core of the Northern Italy, Lombardy is one of the biggest regions in the country
and boasts a wide variety of landscapes, from mountains to plains, hills and lakes. When
you say Lombardy, you think of Milan, the city that will open its doors for Expo 2015,
but also the Italian capital of fashion and design, of the happy hour, of art and science.
Lombardy, however, is all this and much more. Just take the street along the famous
Navigli (canals) to find out: youll hit the treasures of the Province of Pavia, where the
rice paddies and sparkling marble of the Certosa await you. Or walk a few kilometres to
find yourself in the Province of Monza and Brianza, a green land, famous for its
craftsmanship and the Formula 1. The wonder of the plains and its running waters lead
to the beautiful Province of Lodi, dotted with castles, vielle di campagna and abbeys, or
to Cremona or Mantova, citadels of flavour. An almost untouched wilderness and
glimpses into the pastoral life await you in Valleys of Bergamo and Brescia, while the
most celebrated Italian lakes can be found in Como, Lecco and Varese. The alpine arc
occupies the zone to the north, where the Valtellina remains a paradise for skiers and
wilderness lovers.

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Whether youre travelling solo for business, in the romantic company of a partner or
with the whole family, Lombardy is ideal for every kind of vacation and budget.
Ill long remember the evocative smell of wood and varnish in the workshop of violin maker
Stefano Conia in Cremona such a treat to see the work of a true craftsman.
Loved the rendition of Land of Hope and Glory played for us on the church organ in
Cremona. And to hear the organist admit that its different every time he plays it. Such talent!
Fabulous spread of organic farm-produced fare at Lago Scuro near Cremona.
Gillian Thornton
Chris Hawksworth got more than he bargained for after this years AGM. Not only
Milan, Cremona and Mantova, but an extra day in Dusseldorf, courtesy of a strike by
security staff at the German airport. After all the efforts by senior Guild members,
particularly Lisa Gerard-Sharp, to get Chris and other guilders to Malpensa in time for
their return flights to Manchester and London, a strike at Dusseldorf scuppered the
Yorkshiremans connection home.
But Chris was impressed by the response of Lufthansa low cost partner German Wings.
A night at the Tulip Inn, meals and taxis before a flight next day. Home Friday night
eventually. The extra unwanted 24 hours gave Chris time to reflect on a productive, well
debated AGM with splendid sights, sounds and hospitality from our Italian hosts. It
could have been a more uncomfortable delay in Dusseldorf. Our man from the Pennines
was told he had bagged the last hotel room in town and that all the other stranded
passengers behind him in the queue were getting camp beds for the night.

A musical tour of Cremona

Words and pictures by Tim Locke
Id hardly stepped off the bus before the musical heritage of Cremona began to make
itself apparent. Firstly, in its street names: Via Claudio Monteverdi give a nod to the
composer of the very first operas, who was born in Cremona in 1567 the annual
Monteverdi Festival of early and baroque music is one of the citys big events. This
street leads into Via Guiseppe Verdi, who lived out of town. The third opera house to be
built in Italy, the early 19th-century Teatro Ponchielli honours Cremonas Amilcare
Ponchielli known pretty much solely for his opera La Gioconda (those whove seen
Walt Disneys Fantasia will hardly be able to forget the animated dancing ostriches of
the operas Dance of the Hours). The theatre
is a luscious, scaled-down version of Milans
La Scala, in a horseshoe arrangement of
boxes rising tier by tier.
Fausto Caporali, the organist at the
cathedral, treated us to a virtuoso
performance literally (I think) pulling out
all the stops in variations on Land of Hope

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and Glory, improvised in our honour on one of the largest church organs in Italy. We sat
listening to this glorious sound in the magnificence of the building, an amalgam of
Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque, and every square inch of which inside is adorned
with decoration. The fresco frieze, painted 1508-22, contrasts archaism and mannerism.
The cathedral is part of an astonishing ensemble, including Europes tallest brick tower,
itself sporting a huge astronomical clock that still works with its original mechanism.
You cant go far in Cremona without being reminded of its heritage as a musical
instrument making centre. Within the Museo Civico is a world-renowned collection of
early guitars, lutes and other plucked instruments made in Cremona; one guitar here is
faithfully reproduced in every detail in a Degas painting.
Most famously, in this town of Stradivarius and Amati, its violins: some 150 violinmakers are based here, and the industry is celebrated by the magnificent new violin
museum (Museo del Violino) which features Stradivariuss tools of his trade and one of
his most celebrated violins, the Cremonese, worth around 12 million and owned by the
municipality. The concert hall within the museum is itself shaped like a musical
instrument like being inside a huge cello and within its perfect acoustics we were
given a recital on a Stradivarius by the young violinist Lena Yukuyama of the Meditation
from Thais by Massenet and Paganinis 24th caprice.
In the evening gloom we entered
Stefano Conias violin-making
workshop. Within, a sweet smell of
resinous varnish greeted us. He is 42,
and tells us he made his first violin in
his grandfathers workshop at the age
of 14. Each instrument takes two
months to make, and he completes 12
a year, selling them for 10,000 a
time. We ask what makes a great
violin stand out from the others its
down to attention to detail: They are
my children. I put my personality into
them, and they are the mirror of me.
Accommodation: Imperia Hotel (www.hotelimpero.cr.it/en), a very adequate four-star
hotel right in the middle of things, and a minutes walk to the cathedral square. On the
day we left, the Wednesday market was setting up stalls right outside the front door.
Eating: Lunch was a supremely memorable, unhurried event at the Cascina Lago Scuro
(http://www.cascinalagoscuro.it/ENG/index.html), an agriturismo serving home-grown
country food, including their own cheeses: seating around one long table. Theyre
adherents of the Slow food movement, and the farm itself is endearingly rustic and

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unfussy. For dinner we ate close to the hotel in the modern minimalism of the excellent
Locanda Torriani, www.locandatorriani.it
Guide: our excellent tour guide was Elena Piccioni of Target Turismo
www.targetturismo.com
Cremona is renowned for its musical heritage and I enjoyed gaining insights into the
citys violin making. Id recommend anybody visiting does so on market days, which
prove a great opportunity to stock up on attractively priced regional food products.
Mantua is a lovely place to wander. Its compact, pedestrian-friendly centre makes
strolling to explore the citys history and architecture a real joy.
Stuart Forster (go-eat-do.com)

Palatial Mantua
Roger MacDonald; picture of Hall of Mirrors by Stuart
Forster
The four great lakes of Mantua one dried up at the end
of the 18th century once formed part of a network of
inland waterways that enabled continuous travel by boat
between the land-locked towns and cities of the
Lombardy plain. William Shakespeare said as much in
Two Gentlemen of Verona and revealed a remarkably
detailed geographical knowledge of Italy in his plays.
Perhaps as a humble actor in the entourage of the Earl of
Oxford, during the seven long years when nothing is
known of Shakespeares whereabouts, he may have seen
the medieval wonders of Mantua for himself.
Shakespeare probably borrowed from a 15th-century
Italian novel to create Romeo and Juliet, in which Romeo
of the Montagues is banished to Mantua after slaying
Tybalt of the Capulets.
The patronage of the ruling Gonzaga family reached its zenith at Mantua in the midsixteenth century but much of their famous art collection had to be sold off to Englands
Charles I to make ends meet. Only the vaulted ceiling frescoes escaped, most notably the
scene of Olympus and the Chariots of Day and Night, whose horses, in an ingenious trick
of perspective, seem to change direction at either end of the glittering Hall of Mirrors.
When the Austrians ousted the last duke, he stripped the Ducal Palace of its fine
furnishings; but many of the carts sent to collect them disappeared, complete with their
contents, on the way to Milan. The Palace remains almost empty and a relentless
draught permeates its corridors in winter.

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Federico II Gonzaga brought one of Italys most famous artisans, Guilio Romano, from
Rome and by 1535 Romano had rewarded him by creating the Palazzo Te, an exquisite
example of Renaissance architecture. One of the villas earliest rooms to be finished was
the Sala di Amore, noted for its erotic frescoes that leave nothing to the imagination and
its candid observation in a frieze that Federico spent the summers here in honest
idleness. With him was his beautiful mistress Isabella Boschetti, despite the vehement
objections of her husband the Count of Calvisano, destined to suffer a violent death in
mysterious circumstances.
To many, however, Mantuas most memorable edifice must be its 18th-century Teatro
Scientifica, designed in late Baroque or early Rococo style by Antonio Bibiena. The
theatres bell-shaped design, with four rows of boxes that even run behind the stage, is a
breathtaking masterpiece. One of the first concerts held here, on Tuesday 16 January
1770, was by thirteen-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart but it nearly did not take
place. Mozarts fingers were frost-bitten and painful and he was only able to play after a
local poet, Signora Edvige Sartoretti, eased his discomfort with a liberal application of
bear fat.
Eating The memorable last supper in our mini tour of Lombardy was at a family-run
agriturismo Corte Costavecchia, with local specialities (very local zero kilometre)
served in a beautiful brick-vaulted room. Has deservedly got very impressive internet
reviews. www.costavecchia.it

Bergamo a town in the clouds

Words and photo by Lynn Houghton as published on her blog
http://theroamingscribe.co.uk
Many years ago I embarked on a journey to Italy with a group of opera buffs; one of my
first ever forays abroad as a grown up. Being obsessed with singing at the time, part of
the reason to visit Bergamo was to see a museum dedicated to Donizetti. Actually, it was
a school that had a few exhibits dedicated to the great composer but it was still very
interesting. I remember gazing into orderly shop windows in this medieval town and
taking a ride on the funicular from the Citt Bassa to the Citt Alta.
But the most powerful memory was the pealing of church bells.
Now, on returning to Bergamo, I understand why I remembered the bells. As our tour
guide, Marco, regales us with stories of yesteryear, he tells us that the church bells are
sounded every night one hundred times to announce the closing of the city gate. This
tradition began many hundreds of years ago and continues to this day.

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The stunning hilltop fortification,

which had built up over
millennia, was virtually
abandoned once town folk
decided it was safe to build
homes on the valley floor below.
Bergamos Citt Alta, so the story
goes, became a ghost town
overnight. This came after the
unification of Milan and Bergamo
in the early 19th century under the rule of the Austrians; Bergamo was jointed together
with much of the surrounding area including the alpine lakes.
Austrians had a strong influence on the Bergamese dialect which is full of distinctly
Germanic umlauts. An example is the word for a polenta dish: Chisl.
About a century ago, many Bergamese realised that they had a treasure on their hands
and began to move back to the old city and to renovate it. The popular and populated
Citt Alta is now one of the most expensive places to live in Italy, if not Europe.
As we drove through the city gate and began our tour, the first place to be mentioned
was the famous gelateria and caf La Marianna www.lamarianna.it. La Marianna is
famous for creating the chocolate ice cream flavour Stracciatella renowned the world
over.
We walked through the Piazza Vecchia which was revealed to be built upon Roman
ruins, something only recently discovered. We were amazed at the beauty of the
Cappella Colleoni (Colleoni chapel), which is annexed to the equally impressive Santa
Maria Maggiore, a masterwork of Renaissance architecture and decorative art. It
contains the tomb of the soldier Bartolomeo Colleoni. On leaving the Santa Maria
Maggiore, we noticed a strange coat of arms on the steel gate. It was a bronze depicting
three sets of male genitalia!!
We also popped into the stylish 5* Relais Lorenzo Hotel to see the ruins of the city wall
which are nestled in the basement room of the hotel. An extraordinary place to stay and
spend a few days in this unique and ancient town.
On this occasion, another highlight was a wonderful lunch at DaMimmo Restaurant on
Via B Colleoni. Featuring local specialities we tried the Piccolo antipasta (made from
pollenta), a dish of traditional ravioli followed by a charred, roast lamb shank on a base
of polenta. The pice de rsistance was a simple dessert of cheese accompanied by miele
del Parco dei Colli (local honey). Bellisimo!

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The Italian Lakes

Words by Yolanda Zappaterra. Photos by Karoki Lewis
On a three-day whistlestop tour of Lombardy, Guild members discovered a region filled
with stunning art, culture, wine, crafts, gastronomy, and architecture in Brescia, Bergamo
and the lakes of Como and Garda all of them within easy reach of Milans Expo 2015.
Our first stop was
Brescia, and what a
revelation it was. We
could easily have spent
days in this beautiful
town, with one of them
devoted entirely to the
wonders of the Museo
di Santa Giulia.
Deservedly gaining
UNESCO status in
2011, the complex is
made up of a clutch of
beautiful sites and
buildings. Inside these buildings are everything from impressively preserved Roman
mosaics and frescoes to treasures like this the ninth-century Desiderius Cross.
Decorated on both sides with more than 200 stones dating as far back as the Roman
period, this processional iron cross is rightly given pride of place in the medieval Santa
Maria in Solario. It left most of us awestruck, and the surrounding town didnt
disappoint either.

The first of our many

amazing meals was at La
Sosta in Brescia. In these
sumptuous surrounding
we ate a feast of local
dishes, beginning with
caramelle alle erbette al
burro e salvia. These
exquisite little pasta
parcels filled with cheese
and herbs, and served
with just butter and crispy

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sage leaves, proved the old gastronomic adage, keep it simple. By contrast, the wine
served with our meal, a Curtefranca rosso Barone PIzzini from nearby Franciacorta, was
complex, nuanced, and a perfect accompaniment.

As the sun began to

set on a day filled
with pleasures and
treasures, we
arrived in the
lakeside
promontory town of
Sirmione. Here, on
the banks of Lake
Garda and the
border of Lombardy
and the Veneto, we
found a castle fit for
Rapunzel, just one
highlight of a beautiful little walled town that looked like a Disney film set. Another was
our hotel, the Hotel Sirmione e Promessi Sposi, and its thermal spa pool. A sliding glass
door from the indoor pool to the steamy outdoor pool was a nice touch once we
realised we didnt have to swim under it!

Setting off from the elegant

town of Como at the
southern tip of the 60kmlong lake Como, and
travelling as far as Bellagio
on a beautiful boat ride, we
eagerly bobbed between
port and starboard to take
in the pretty villages
tumbling down the foothills
of the Alps to the waters
edge. Our guide Laura
regaled us with absorbing
tales about the numerous lakeside villas, their inhabitants and the films theyve starred
in among them Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (Villa del Balbianello), Oceans
Twelve (Villa Erba) and Casino Royale (Villa La Gaeta). And yes, she pointed out George

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Clooneys swanky pad, and we all zoomed in and snapped away like amateur paparazzi.
Well, when in Italy

In praise of Rob and Benita

Organising and hosting a successful AGM and quality FAM trips requires a lot of
planning and effort behind the scenes. Id like to extent thanks to the Secretariat, the
Guild members who were involved in making things happen and all of the people in
Italy who played a role in ensuring things ran well and smoothly. I enjoyed the fruits of
your labour and gained positive insights into Milan, Cremona and Mantua; for that Im
grateful.
Stuart Forster
Although we all appreciate how much Benita and Rob did to organise the AGM did you
know that Rob also composed the great music which accompanied those evocative
photographs he compiled to illustrate highlights of the Guild year. Perhaps that film
with sound, with credits to Rob, should be on the website?
Penny Visman

A quick note to congratulate Mary, Benita, Rob, the committee, our sponsors and
everyone else concerned with the organisation of another first-rate AGM.
On a more personal note, I would like to thank all my fellow members who lent me
assistance during the event. Your comradeship is much appreciated and I hope that with
a little kind help I will be able to attend many Guild meetings in the future.
Roger St Pierre

My first AGM
Lots of people warned me to expect high drama, contention and arguments at the AGM.
In the event, business was conducted in an orderly and harmonious fashion with barely
any fuss.
I couldnt get over how incredibly welcoming and friendly everyone was. I half expected
to be treated like the new kid at school but it wasnt like that at all.
I quickly realised that it wasnt just us newbies who were constantly having to enquire,
And you are...? Even long-standing members didnt always know each other by name.
Andrea Montgomery (with a reminder that next year we should reintroduce name tags!)