Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como by Emilio Galo

Lake Como is the third deepest lake in Europe, at about 1,300 feet deep.  Also, the bottom is more than 600 feet below sea level. The lake is shaped like the letter Y, and it is located in the Grigna mountain range, at the foot of the Alps. It is located to the north of Milan, just before the border. The lake has an average temperature of 49 degrees in the summer (about 9.4 degrees Celsius), and it is 30 degrees( -1 degrees Celsius) during the winter. 

There are many local shops and restaurants you can go to, and there are some museums as well. Julius Caesar sent 5,000 Romans to settle in the area around what he dubbed Lake Lairus. Settlers lived in the town now called Como. The settlers helped develop and protect the trade routes along the Via Regina, the road from Rome to the Roman province of Reatia (modern day Switzerland). Among Como's famous resident were the Roman authors Pliny the Elder and Younger.

Lake Como by Emilio Galo

Me at Lake Como (Emilio Galo)

Today, it is a ski resort town, operating in the winter time, and there are boat excursions as well that go across the lake. The Tren Italia goes right through the town, and you can enjoy a day in Como, and go back to Milan. The weather in Lake Como is about 10 degrees warmer, despite being in the mountains. One of the villas in Lake Como was used in the Star Wars 2 movie, "Attack Of The Clones". It is still there to this day.


In my own opinion, Lake Como is a beautiful place, surrounded by mountains. This place is a must see destination. I was surprised to find out that this is where Naboo in Star Wars was set.

- Emilio

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Duomo in Milan, Italy

Emilio, Solina, and me at the Duomo in Milan (Li Galo)

Duomo, also known as Milan Cathedral, is an masterpiece. Known for its statues and roof top view, hundreds of tourists flock to see this magnificent sight. It was built 5 centuries ago and is the oldest church. 

According to Famous Wonders (website), it is also one of the most beautiful churches, often being compared with other cathedrals. It has no bell tower, but it continues to hold church services to this day.

Also, according to Famous Wonders, you can get a view of the city and the Alps by taking a roof tour of the cathedral. Keep in mind, you'll have to buy the ticket to be able to access it. There is the option of the elevator or the stairs. However, tours are only held during the first week of July and the end of September. Aside from the roof, there is a archaeological site which has different relics that tell the story of the cathedral.

Picture taken by Cristiana Galo

                                                                         

Picture taken by Cristiana Galo

Blog written by Cristiana Galo

** European Union laws require me to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require me to obtain consent. Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies are mandatory in the EU. Your continued reading equates to your consent.

Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame was designed by Bishop de Sully in the 11th century AD. Construction officially began in 1160 and ended in 1345. In 1548, Huguenots damaged parts of Notre Dame, considering them idol-like. During Louis XIV and Louis XV's reigns, the church went under renovation as an effort to modernize churches in Europe.

  

The cathedral is considered to be one of finest example of French Gothic architecture. It atoned the Gothic theme in the 18th century. Before that, in 1793, the church was rededicated to the Cult of Reason. During this time, the many treasures of the church were either stolen or destroyed.

A restoration program began in 1845, overseen by architects.

    

Someone made a replica of Notre Dame out of little pieces of wood!

We each took a turn writing a prayer in the prayer book.

There is fantastic stained glass windows inside and amazing art.

The program lasted as least 25 years. However, in World War 2, there was more damage. Windows on the lower tier were shattered by bullets. By 2014, most of the lights had been replaced by LED lights.      

                       

- blog by Cristiana

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Time for an Update!

** European Union laws require me to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require me to obtain consent. Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies are mandatory in the EU. 


What's New?

Since the last time you read this blog, we've had some big changes. We've moved to Texas (awesome!), made a whole new group of friends, zigzagged a couple of times across the USA again (we're kind of tired of that now) and something new! We have moved to Europe for six months. We ARE excited about that. I started this blog when I was 13 years old but I'm just about 18 years old now. So, I'm passing the torch to my sisters. Each of us will blog once a week. We'll sign off with our own names. We hope you enjoy our future adventures in...

France
Italy
Spain
Switzerland
Austria
Croatia

... and possibly a few other places, too!

Cheers!

Emilio

Me and my sisters in front of Notre Dame in Paris, France