Lake Como

The next day I had to catch up on sleep and adjust my circadian rhythm. I was awake at like 4:00am, trying to sort out what to do. Thankfully i had kept this day and the following day devoid of plans, which made it easy for me to rest if needed. 

I had complimentary breakfast at the hotel. Normally i don’t mind if i have complimentary breakfast, since I’d rather get food in the city. But because it was complimentary, i figured it’s a waste of money if i didn’t join in.

And boy was i glad i did! The breakfast was pretty good! Croissants, focaccia, eggs, bacon, sausage. It was all really good and refreshing. I was especially impressed with the focaccia and croissants. 

After breakfast i went back to bed. I used this time to sort out what i was doing that day. The weather was great. It was sunny and 45 degrees but i don’t mind the cold. It was going to rain the next day so i figured that if i was going to do anything outdoors, today would be the day. I opted to take a day trip to Lake Como, which is right outside of Milan.

This taxi driver took me from my hotel to the central train station in Milan. We drove past the San Siro and talked about soccer. Hes an interista. He asked me about these glasses i put on the seat. I thought he wanted them, so i passed them to him. Turns out he was asking if it was mine or not. I guess he was going to try to return them to the previous person. 

I handed him my credit card. He didnt have his POS terminal plugged in. He asked if i had cash. I told him i only had card. He asled again for dollars. I read about how taxi drivers prefer cash, for tax purposes. I insisted on card. I lied and said i only had card.

In the end, he plugged in his POS terminal and charged me €32 when his reader said €31.50. He rounded up which rubbed me the wrong way but it’s only €0.50. I can spare that lol. I felt weird about him insisting on cash instead of card, and then rounding up. But i still tipped him $4 cuz why not. He was delighted and invited me inside for some coffee. He got me a cappucino and we drank really quick before he headed on his way. What a nice guy!

My train arrived in como and saw what i swear was a path that i walked when i was here back in 2019. I walked to a theater to watch captain marvel. It was a trek because i couldn’t figure out the bus system lol. 

I arrived and knew immediately where to walk. I got to the hotel that i stayed at last time and the water ferry was right there. Such nostalgia. Got my one way ticket and the slow ferry took its sweet time. Which i was fine with, como was the only thing i had on my itinerary. I want to watch the derby d’italia back in Milan but that’s secondary to lago di como. 

The boat ride was nice. Seeing the villages along the lake was nice. I saw paths that i walked last time. I saw a spot that i slipped and fell into water. I saw birds flying alongside the boat. That was sweet. I was also super sleepy at this point. My circadian rhythm hasn’t caught up yet. I only slept five hours if you don’t count the 40 minute nap i took last night. That part isn’t so sweet, but today isn’t an intense day so it’s all good. My one way ticket to bellagio isn’t as intense as the hop on, hop off thing i did last time.

When we arrived in bellagio, i tried to spot the famous spot overlooking an alley with the lake and mountains in the background. I couldn’t spot it but when i got my feet on the ground, i knew exactly where to go. The gelato spot was there at the bottom of that alley and i indulged in the first gelato I’ve had this trip. And it didn’t disappoint.

I trekked to the top of the alley and there were more people this time, taking pictures and taking in the scene. I got a quick photo or two and hung out for a bit.

After that i went to look for the park that i posted up at for a while previously. I ended up finding another path with more nice views. Shoutout to exploring and getting lost. It’s one of my favorite parts of traveling. 

I eventually found my way back and ended up at the park. I chilled on a bench, admired the view, and listened to music. Another staple of Ryan manalili solo travel adventures. So much fun. So relaxing.

I started to feel the need to pee so i went looking for a restaurant or bar. They were all packed and i ended up making my way to punta spartivento, the tip of bellagio and probably the best view in all of lake como. I hung out and chilled there for a while.

Then i made my way back to the ferry landing, looking for a bathroom spot. No luck, so i bought a ticket to the next ferry. I figured I’d just get on the ferry and pee in the bathroom there. 

Well when i got my ticket, the person at the kiosk asked if i wanted the fast ferry or the slow ferry. I opted for the fast ferry which, as it turned out, wouldn’t arrive for another 1.5 hours lol. So i found the next restaurant, sat down and ordered, and used their bathroom. I got a slice of pizza and a medium graffe of house red wine. That medium graffe was a lot and i ended up getting drunk. It was pretty nice, getting wine drunk and watching the sunset while listening to podcasts.

I waited in line and finally got on the fast ferry. Still drunk, i knocked out about 10 minutes into the ride. I woke up and saw we were arriving at some spot. I looked and we were already at como! I got my act together and hopped off the ferry.

When we arrived, i saw the skating rink and Christmas tree were lit. I hung out and chilled there for a bit. There was a portopotty which i took advantage of. I walked around and reminisced on some spots i had been to. In my reminiscing, i came across a Christmas market!

It was the first one I’d seen this trip. It was small but it was dope. Mulled wine, charcuterie, Christmas ornaments, it hit all the things you want to see. It had the wooden stalls, it was great. I grabbed some mulled wine and took it all in; why not? I was already drunk from the wine in bellagio lol.

I kept walking around and saw a huge church in didn’t see last time. I walked to another end of como which reminded me that i had been to a Brazilian churasscario or whatever it’s called! That was a nice moment.

I kept walking and finally made it to the train station. The train taking me back to Milano centrale wouldn’t arrive for another 50 minutes, which was fine because i needed time to sit down and write all of this down anyway. Now i plan on going back to Milano, taking a taxi back to the hotel, and watching the derby d’italia in my room 😀

Milan-Fiorentina

Walking to the San Siro is such a special feeling. You’re walking alongside thousands of other fans. It feels like a real spectacle. I got inside and once i entered the stadium and looked around, i got caught up in the emotion of how huge San Siro is. Milan won 1-0, not necessarily in convincing fashion, but a win is a win. We’re in the middle of an injury crisis so its tough for us to scrap out wins, but we pulled this one out.

The highlight of the game is a 15 year old named Francesco Camarda got to play, making him the youngest ever player in Serie A history. He’s only 15 so he should be playing with the under 15 teams, but hes been breaking records when he plays at that level (almost 500 goals). So he’s been playing with the Primavera (under 19 team) instead and has been holding his own. It’s annoying that we have an injury crisis but it’s nice to have been there to witness history.

Evergreen

 Let’s catch up. I want to journal more. This will help with that effort. 

I’m writing this while sitting on a couch, listening to a dope playlist, in Milan. I’m jetlagged and finally getting over a cold. I’m wearing a bathrobe provided to me in a room that i got upgraded to. I’m energized and in a mood. 

What a flex that I’m able to do this in my lifetime! My heart is so full.

During thanksgiving, i shared my coachella story with my cousins. I was reading some of the details from this blog so that i could share every gory detail. My cousin asked if i journaled and it reminded me that it’s something that o want to do. They say that journaling is one of the only things that all great leaders do (source needed, lol). And here i am, doing some journaling.

My flight here was cool. I was flying from San Diego to Newark, Newark to Milan Malpensa. The flight from San Diego to Newark was okay. I used one of my 2 passes to the United Lounge and it was a nice reprieve, nothing crazy. The flight itself was okay. I was in coach and it was like any other flight I’ve taken. 

I arrived in Newark and had an almost 4 hour layover. I used my other United Lounge pass and returned to the nice lounge that i went to last time i was in the Newark airport. I chilled and recharged my devices. I helped a random middle aged Indian man connect to Wi-fi. He started to annoy me with a bunch of requests, including letting him use my mobile hotspot, so i moved to the other side of the lounge.

My flight from Newark to Milan was dope. I was in premium plus (not exactly business class, but one step below). The seating configuration in my area was 2-2-2 and i had a window seat. I checked the seating chart and someone had the seat next to me, but they never showed up. I had the whole row to myself! The seat itself was comfortable as hell, but having the row to myself made it soooo much easier. I watched Bridesmaids and Parasite. That flight was a breeze.

I arrived in Milan and got annoyed with the customs line. I made it through and touched foot in Milan! I took a train from Malpensa into the city center. I wanted to avoid taking a taxi, but my hotel is far from the city center and would require multiple transfers. I opted to shell out the extra cash and took a cab. 

The cab driver was an Interista but he was nice enough. He gave me some recommendations and was chill. I got the hotel and checked in. They had an upgrade to a junior suite available but i would have to wait a couple of hours. I didnt mind waiting! I had a four day stay planned, so i would absolutely appreciate the upgrade.

Well the room definitely took a few hours before it was ready, lol. I chilled in the hotel lounge for a couple of hours. I walked to the San Siro and took it in. Its so crazy to see. It brings emotion each time you see it.

I grabbed a pizza and went back to the hotel. It was pretty cold! I had a coat that I had just bought and loved it. I posted up in the lounge for a while until my room was ready. I dropped all my stuff off in the room and freshened up. I had Milan-Fiorentina to attend that night, i had to make sure i was feeling good!