HK Independent Traveller Blog

14 April 2015 We were at Lake Como twice before.  The first time may be in 2002.  It was at time that Alitalia still flew between Hong Kong and Milan.  We took a cruise to different islands.  The second time was in 2010 and we walked along the shore.  Lake Como is always a nice place to return. This time we began quite late, and with lunch at Osteria del Gallo . It started the business in 1920. The restaurant's only decoration is cock. Hundreds, different styles in painting, as models, nameless but cute and sweet.  We were lucky to get one of the last tables.  Food was very good.  The owner offered two giant and most treasurable cocks for us to take photos. Exclusive! It's time for exercise.  We started with the Cathedral . It is built over a Romanesque church. The construction   took 300 years and ended in 1740. The styles are Gothic and Renaissance. Inside and outside are full of art. For me, the most striking one is t...

25 Nov 2014 It's a cloudy day and we headed up to Pavia .  It is a city in south western Lombardy, 35 kilometres away from Milan. The province of Pavia is fertile and well know for its agricultural products. Besides, it is an artistic and cultural city with several important churches, museums, university since the ancient time (founded in 1361) and a handful of colleges . We began the visit with  San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro (Saint Peter in Golden Sky).  It is a Roman Catholic basilica of the Augustiniansin Pavia. The name refers to the mosaics of gold leaf in the apse. The church is the resting place for Augustine of Hippo who died in 430. Documentaries say its body removed and subsequently his relics were back there .   The Golden Sky in the apse The exterior of the church is made with brick and sandstones.  The door frame is decorated with beautiful reliefs.  The highlight is the exquisite funeral monument,  Ark of Augustine ...