Into Italy in the Fall of 2022. First Stop, Pavia, Lombardy.

The last 12 months were very busy. We fell behind with the blog. So this post is the first in a series of posts about our travels in Italy in November and December of 2022. On November 1, 2022 we took a Flixbus from Annecy, France to Milan, Italy via a night transfer in Geneva. The long distance bus station in Geneva is just a few meters from Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman), and as the bus was over an hour late we had time to walk over to the waterfront to eat our packed dinner.





Passing through numerous tunnels, we arrived in Milan after midnight and took the local night bus to a stop near our hostel. After a 500 meter walk, a friendly prostitute dressed as in a movie, pointed us to the lights of the not-so-visible hostel. The next morning we rode the Metro and Trenord through Milan and then 40 kms south to Pavia.

We visited the striking brick churches of Pavia, starting with the Cathedral (Duomo).

Then, Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine.

Leaving the rest of Pavia for the next day, we boogied out to Certosa di Pavia, a 15th-century church and monastery complex. Wow! The church with its fabulous marble facade (1st and 2nd below - no photos inside), cloister (3rd) , and the 22 sumptuous monks quarters (4 and 5 below).









The famous brick Covered Bridge of Pavia.



And the also famous three medieval brick Towers of Pavia.



Pavia City Center at night.



Inside the Cathedral there are unusual carved pillars supporting the pulpit (2nd below).







Finally, the amazing 16th-century fresco Map of Pavia in the Church of Saint Teodoro. Check out the brick tower and the covered bridge.