![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pisarro.org\/aboutnick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_4793.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe arrived at JFK at 7:30 pm Milan time, and 1:30 pm in New York. The walk from the plane to customs took 3,000 steps. There have been changes to make the wait at customs shorter. It used to be fun to get my passport stamped, but \u00a0stamping \u00a0has been replaced by having one’s picture taken, and sometimes, fingerprints, too.<\/p>\n
At home we discovered that we had both lost a few pounds. With all the eating we did, how was that possible? In Italy portions are smaller (including \u00a0gelato), the food is always fresh, never processed, and everyone walks whenever possible. After dinner, there is the passagiata<\/em>, a walk \u00a0that is a social event during which locals catch up with their friends and enjoy their surroundings.<\/p>\n Nick and I will always be grateful \u00a0that we met Jose-Maria and Agn\u00e8s 50 years ago and that \u00a0the four of us \u00a0have remained friends through that time. We agreed that this had been one of our very favorite trips.<\/p>\n Next week we will be traveling to Montreal and Quebec City to meet up with our adult children, Nicholas and Carla. There will be a blog and photos, but we won’t start posting them until we are back \u00a0home.<\/p>\n 8,000 steps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our driver arrived to take us to the airport at 4 am. I wanted to leave early, because my guide book said the drive to the airport would take an hour. Actually it took much less time than that, probably because there was absolutely no traffic. We learned that it was not an advantage to … Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 11 \u2014 September 6th, 2026<\/span>