retiredmartin

June 2024. Citta Alta. Bergamo.

Last set of Italian holiday snaps before, you’ll be delighted to hear, it’s back to pubs and curry in Sheffield, Cambridge, Stockport and Grenoside, which is about as good a run as you could hope for having left the cappuccino and croissants of Bergamo.

I wasn’t quite as keen as Mrs RM on the cappuccino at Caffe Tiraboschi, or those brioche chocolate croissants, but they looked great, and again eating out in one of Italy’s richest cities seemed better value than expected.

It’s staying here that burns the budget, but Inn 21 was the classiest place we’d stayed at for a while, and we’ve stayed at Maidenhead Travelodge I’ll have you know. Maidenhead is a bit short on the “splendour on every corner” quotient.

“A brilliant, unassuming place” says RockinRich, astutely, Bergamo seems to have bounced back from being the epicentre of the COVID outbreak, though I note the duty free dolls are still required to wear face masks.

The local football team just won a European trophy, and a city of Cambridge size was swarming with young and old tourists on a humid Wednesday as we left our bags at the bus station’s lovely left luggage centre (5 euros, “small one will do you”).

Perhaps the best toilet sign of the year here;

And then Bus No. 1 to Citta Alta, the magical top town,

where we had lunch even earlier than my Mum and Dad do.

Dai Gustosi looks touristy (daily menu from 12 euros) but that spag bol was even better than the one I used to pay 31p for at Cottenham Village College in 1980, and the Italians do ice cream almost as well as the Welsh.

Two hours of walking the cobbles,

staring out over the plain, staring up,

and popping churches with big “No mobile phones” signage, just like a Sam Smiths.

If you want more pics and vids take a look at Mrs RM’s Instagram.

My first visit for a decade, and I remembered a good craft bar but I’ll spare you that, and tell you that if you can hang on till the airport the little café next to Gate B1.

Yes, not just local IPA, but sexy IPA. Makes all the difference.