Layover at Orio al Serio

If you want to be as glamorous as me and have breakfast in Germany, lunch in Italy and supper in Spain, then being broke and patient always helps!

Because a layover saved us money on our way to Spain and because Ryanair doesn't fly directly to Milan, we found ourselves with a lengthy layover (7 hours) in Bergamo, Italy. Factoring in picking up our luggage, storing it, transport to and from town and checking in for our next flight (not to mention Italian Time), we had about 5 hours to enjoy and explore the town. Having never heard of the place, I instinctively looked into going to Milan but it was much further away and I couldn't get tickets to see the Last Supper. The Duomo will have to wait until next time.

For 3.50€ we purchased a day pass, hopped on bus 1A to the funicular and in less than half an hour, we'd landed in what my father described as a movie set. We stuck to the "Città alta" (upper city) and it's narrow cobble stone streets and extremely old cathedrals. In case we never go to Italy again, we made sure to eat as much stereotypical food as possible ( lasagna, pizza, canoli and gelato), while exclaiming " Mama Mia" as often as possible. Before we left, we watched some kids playing "soccer" in the old town square and tried to recruit them for Team Canada.

It might have been short, but it was sweet and I'd recommend a layover there any time.