Here are the annotated photos from our trip: https://pisarro.org/FrItaly26.

Here is a special image gallery from Cimitero Monumentale di Milano (The Milan Monumental Cemetery): https://pisarro.org/Cemetery26.

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 arrive at the airport before 6 am, because the airport personnel in Milan don’t go on duty until then. Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 11 — September 6th, 2026 →

When Nick and I awoke at about 9 am, he said he would like to go to Milan’s cemetery, Il Cimitero Monumentale. I wasn’t as enthusiastic about going as he was, because we had been there before, and because the outdoor temperature would again be in the nineties. However, the cemetery is  famous for being a fantastic resting place in which the tombs display art of different eras. I agreed to go. Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 10 — September 5th, 2026 →

After packing, we went back to Artisanal Bread for more croissants for breakfast. I received an email from my genealogy buddy, Umberto, who said that his wife, Roberta, an artist, recommended that we go to Pinocoteca Ambrosiana, and the four of us liked that idea. Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 9 — September 4th, 2026 →

Our hotel didn’t offer breakfast, but Agnès found a place online that looked interesting, so we wandered  over, taking in all the many sights along the way. When we arrived, Nick ordered an apple tart, and I chose a croissant filled with pastry cream. Yummy! Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 8 — September 3rd, 2026 →

When we arrived the day  before, we saw a fascinating historic car parked in front of the hotel. It was a Bentley roadster that won a 24 hour race at Le Mans in the 1920s. Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 7 — September 2nd, 2026 →

I chose yogurt, scrambled eggs, and pineapple slices from the breakfast buffet. After our meal, we packed up, checked out, and put our luggage into storage until we were ready to leave. We decided to walk around the entire  island, taking time to stroll up and down the narrow cobblestoned lanes. We came upon Jose-Maria and made arrangements to meet for lunch. Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 6 — September 1st, 2026 →

After a great night’s sleep, we enjoyed a  breakfast buffet with a view of the gardens, the sea, and the mountains. I selected  scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, and a pistachio-filled croissant.  Jose-Maria was going for a swim before we had to leave.

Soon it would be time to meet  Michaela, our guide for today’s experiences, so we packed up and  checked out of our hotel. Jose-Maria explained that Agnès’ sister had read good things about Michaela on line  and had suggested her to Agnès. We were so glad she did! Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 5 — August 31th, 2026 →

On this day we said good-bye to France and hello to Italy! Jose-Maria drove the four of us, with our luggage and the sandwiches that he had made for us, to the station. We marveled at the Alps we saw from the train’s windows, eating our sandwiches along the way. Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 4 — August 30th, 2026 →

Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 3 — August 29th, 2026 →

We awakened to the aroma of grilled cheese, which was called a snack. A short time later, our plane landed in Amsterdam. We tried to move quickly, because we had to get to the gate of our next plane, from Amsterdam to Lyon. Of course, the the gate we needed  was on the other side of the airport, Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 2 — August 28th, 2026 →

Our flight was scheduled to leave JFK airport at 5 PM. In the back of a  shelf in our kitchen, we found a water bottle from the school at which I  was a preschool teacher for so many years,  Earthplace. We decided to take it with us. Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day 1 — August 27th, 2026 →

Fifty years ago, Nick  worked for a tech company. Through that job, he was  fortunate to meet Jose-Maria, who worked  at the Paris branch of the company. Continue reading Lago Maggiore and Milan, Day Zero →