Bergamo

Wednesday 17 September. On our last morning at Ossuccio we leave before the 8am breakfast start. Michel gave us a breakfast ‘box’. “Help yourselves” he said the morning before. We put it in our fridge. Ursula drove us seamlessly to the rental car place north of Milan airport. “Why didn’t we use the Autostrada before?” we said as we sped effortlessly (130km/h) across the countryside. Only cost a few euros. Unlike the petrol which was outrageous compared to everywhere else we had seen. Silver lining was that this car was a hybrid and only used ½ a tank in our whole week.
The train took about an hour to Milano then the next train another hour to Bergamo. We met Warwick and his wife who were on their way to Vienna. Warwick ran Hamilton Island Race week for the first 18 or so years of its existence. Surname anyone?
The entry to Quarenghi 16 Guest House in Bergamo was highly computerised with a slick video explaining how to get through the 4 locked doors with codes and keys up to our apartment. Fortunately Emma met us. “Your English is very good”. This was a joke from Tony. She is obviously English. Older building superbly renovated. Soaring ceilings maybe 4 or 5m high. Large common terrace. Large common dining area. No self-cooking nor provided breakfast. After a cheerful lunch out we did some walking and breakfast shopping. Conad is a big supermarket with everything one could want. Time for some research before dinner. This was at Signorvino Cantina con Cucina, a restaurant tucked inside a large wine merchant shop. You can try small 100ml glasses of wine with the food. We had some nice dishes and lovely wine. Knowledgeable young waitress and closing limoncellos made it a very pleasant experience.
The old town, Città Alta, perches high above the main town. It is a lovely 15 minute walk through wide park-lined avenues and imposing buildings to the funicular which makes access easy. Tony has a list of must-sees so first we look at Palazzo Moroni, described as “A hidden gem featuring Baroque architecture and rich historical details”. In addition to the sumptuous palazzo there are over 2 hectares of terraced and sloping gardens. Lovely place to wander. Very sustainably managed and productive. We used the space-age composting toilet in the interests of tourist research.
There’s a fort, Rocca di Bergamo which also has lovely remembrance gardens (both WW1 & WWII fallen) and of course provides stunning views. Emma had suggested Mimì Bistrot so we lunched there and tried some local dishes. Casoncelli, a pasta which looks like like stuffed farfalle and melanzone. There’s a second funicular to San Vigilio Hill. From here there are more breathtaking views and several breathtakingly expensive Michelin starred restaurants.
On the way home we bought a Polenta e Osei di Bergamo Alta (see pic), a cake for afternoon tea. We read that it is a most renowned sweet specialty of Bergamo’s cuisine made from sponge cake, chocolate, butter, hazelnut cream and rum. Delicious, but sadly not actually local we are told by Matteo, see tomorrow.
Dinner is less successful than last night. Food a bit commercial though Luca, our waiter, tried his best. He was a bit too touchy-feely but did redeem himself at the end with limoncello digestifs.
On Friday 19th September we have booked a free walking tour, which starts in the città alta. So to warm up we walk up the hill via a cobblestone and paved path to the top – about 20 mins. Matteo is young, engaging and smart. He has a very clear voice and uses an excellent portable speaker system. About 25 people joined the tour, from a very wide range of countries. We are the only Australians together with small groups from Ireland, England, Portugal, Poland, Chile, Argentina and Serbia. We look at some of the same things we saw yesterday but with more explanation. We feel more informed now. There are green-topped water spigots all over the place. They exist in most of Italy and are safe to drink. Matteo: “I’d rather drink free water and spend my money on craft beer.” There are a few public toilets around in Città Alta. Usually clean, but cost €1. Matteo again: “Italians never use public toilets. They go to a bar/café, buy a coffee (here very little more than a euro), use the toilet there.” Colleoni is a big name in the history of this town (Colleoni Chapel is spectacular). Matteo told us it means three balls (as in testicles) which was supposed to reflect their manly prowess as powerful fighters. He emphasised FOOD, FOOD, FOOD. His favourite café provides (in his opinion) the best coffee around. They refuse to serve sugar with the coffee. The city walls are a Unesco World Heritage Site. They were built during the 16th century by the Venetians. The city has never been attacked. Matteo says the walls can be seen as either a waste of money or a great investment as a perfect deterrent. They are spectacular.
We have done a lot of walking in the last 2 days so deserve a treat for dinner. Matteo’s favourite restaurant is La Scagna, only a 5 minute walk away from our accommodation. It provides an excellent experience with local dishes, friendly service and moderate prices. Since this recommendation is so good, I’ll list here his two other recommendations for future reference. Al Vecchio Tagliere and Trattoria d’Ambrosio (the latter one of Bergamo’s historic places).
One more highlight. Breakfast on our final morning just across the road. Small but nice and very strong coffees with cornettos filled: one with creamy custard, the other with pistachio cream. Guess how much! 5 euros total. Less than 10AUD. Try doing that in Australia.Read more