Mambo italiano

After a few days in Bergamo and Milan the thought of returning home to mundane living is not too inviting!

How boring is it when someone shows you the slide show of their holiday snaps? I thought id go one step further and give you a little snippet of my holiday in the form of a blog.

Bergamo is split into 2 parts Citta Alta (uptown) and Citta Bassa (downtown) pronounced Chi-ta!
Citta Alta is also the old town, its full of boutiques and quaint streets and has a real authentic italian feel. Lots of people have dogs and cycling is also popular. You can hire bikes from Citta Bassa which are free for 45mins then a small fee after that for however long you want it. Traffic in Citta Bassa is typically italian though, so if you arent used to cycling then it might not be the best idea!

I stayed in Citta Alta in a 15th century Mansion which has been converted into apartments. Fully equipt with a good kitchen a TV lounge and a huge bedroom, furnished with antique 18th/19th century furniture that I wanted to take home with me. The views over looking the mountains and Citta Alta are stunning. There was also a beautiful enclosed courtyard perfect for an afternoon bellini/book reading/contemplation time.

www.bedandbreakfastbergamo/ilchiostro

When I arrived the owner Alessandra greeted me and I noticed she was reading 50 shades of Grey (the italian version) I laughed and pointed at the book and she told me she had read all of them and that she loved reading them. Personally, I couldnt finish the first book, it was so badly written, maybe its better in italian! But it did make me think, the book has taken over the world and women EVERYWHERE are reading it, i also saw a lady in a cafe reading it whilst drinking a spritz and smoking a cigarette, typically italian.

Speaking of Spritz, an Apperol Spritz appears to be the drink of choice here, its a refreshing cocktail made up of apperol, prosecco and soda water, on average it costs about
€5. Everytime you buy a drink in a bar you get a plate of crisps, olives and peanuts which are includes in the price of your beverage. If you got a drink and lunchtime you could have a free lunch!
I've always been a fan of Bellinis, first invented in Harrys Bar in Venice, a refreshing mix of peach puree and prosecco, mmmm ive had a few of those in the last few days too!

I think Bergamo is a little hidden treasure, i didnt come across many brits, it was mainly locals, french and spanish people. Its definitely somewhere you need to have a phrase book!

Gelato

Italy is famous for its Gelato and my favourite flavour is probably the pannacotta flavour, I also discovered a gelato and fro'yo shop called Safara'soft, it was magnificent, a whole range of fruitty flavours and "icecream sandwiches" and lots of chocolate themed lollies. Check out the website, i want one to open in england!
http://www.safarasoft.it/
Its all in italian, but, who doesnt understand the language of ice cream?

There were lots of Bakery's and Deli's selling pizza, pasta and pastries. Lots of Polenta based sweets and biscuits. We picked up some "brioche" (croissants) for breakfast which were filled with apricot jam, and some ciocollata biscotti, delicious. Im surprised there arent more overweight italians! We did alot of walking so we may have overindulged slightly!

We took the Funicolare to the very top of Citta Alta where there were some amazing views and a lovely breeze. Lots of conker trees and a popular place for keen cyclists. All the cyclists were fully decked out in the tight lycra cycle gear, it must be a very popular thing to do in this part of italy. It was so peaceful and calming just sitting on a wall looking at the view in the sunshine.

Enjoy the pics x