Thursday 16th October, 2025 - Travel day Tarino to Genoa

 

We had breakfast a Mezzini's before making our way to the train station to catch the train to Milan.  While waiting we were chatting another Australian couple from Brisbane.  The lady was saying she had been to a world wide conference on statistics.  We gathered from the converation, that she was senior in Australia and had once been President of the World Statistics Community.

The train took approximately 2  1/2 hrs to reach Milan, where we had a 45 minute wait for the connecting train to Genoa. 

We arrived into Genoa 1 1/2 hrs later.  My memories of Genoa railway station were not good from our previous visit, and this was confirmed again.  There is not lift or escalator from the platform level to street level, which is a nightmare with large suitcases !!!There was another couple struggling with luggage as well, so the men helped each other out !!!.

We caught a taxi to our apartment.  It was an apartment, on its own in a building. The owner had sent an elderly Italian gentleman, who couldn't speak or understand english, to check us in.  Eventually, he called the owner on his phone, who was English, and apologised for her mistake.

The apartment was large older style apartment, with 3 bedrooms, large living area, bathroom and kitchen. 

We wanted somewhere close for dinner, and found a Chinese Restaurant.  Unfortunately, it was probably the worst Chinese food we have had !!! but then I guess we are in Italy !!!!

15th October, 2025 - Tarino, Italy

 I wasn't feeling 100 % this morning, but we went to Mezzini's for breakfast and then walked to the train station to buy our tickets to Genoa tomorrow.

We again caught the free bus, this time to the Central square, where we found a nice cafe

 and another church, but unfortunately it wasn't open. 

 However, there was an antique shop across from the church that was open, and had been a chapel

We went back to the original cafe that we had dinner in on the first night, to find a table waiting for us.  

 

14th October, 2025 - Tarino, Italy

 This morning John went for a walk around the town, and I stayed in the apartment for the morning. He returned saying there was a bus stop just across the road from the apartment, and there was a free city bus every 1/2 hr, and there would be one at 12.26pm.  We got organised and went to the bus stop, but no bus ! He forgot that they didn't run between 12.26 & 2.26.  So instead we checked out the local supermarket, and then returned to the apartment to work on the blog, but the internet wasn't working, which we reported.

We left in time to catch the 2.26pm bus and this time went to the Basilica Madonna di Tarino, 

which dates to the 1500s and opened in 1505.  It is built on the spot where it is alleged that the Virgin Mary appeared to a local resident, Mario Omodei, on 29th September, 1504.  The Bernina Express train passes within meters of the church.

The church is very ornate 

and has amazing woodwork organ 

and an incredible central dome

and a special chapel to the Madonna

We went and sat at a little cafe in the church square and had a beer and aperol spritz, and were able watch the Bernina Express come through the squar

I actually have videos of the train passing through the town, but ufortuamtely I can't get them to load !!

We caught the free bus back to the apartment, where the internet still wasn't working !!

We had dinner at a restaurant call Victoria's and intended to get ice cream from the cafe across the road, but it was closed.  We lost power at the apartment, as did out neighbours, for about 45 mins

Monday 13th October, 2025 Bernina Express

We caught a Taxi from the hotel to Chur Train station, allowing plenty of time. There was no lift to the platform - either stairs or a quite steep ramp. we took the ramp - but it was hard work.We boarded the Bernina Express and it left right on time.

The Bernina Express is a narrow gauge train that runs from Chur in Switzerland to Tarino in Italy, and travels through 55 tunnels and many bridges.  It was an incredible journey with magnificent scenery.  There really isn't much I can say, the photos say it all

We arrived in Tarino at about 6pm. and dragged our luggage (along very rough paving) to the hotel reception, which wasn't actually at the hotel !!! so after checking in we dragged the luggage across the road and back towards were we had come to our apartment.  

By the time we decided to eat, at about 7.45 not much was open, but we found a Italian cafe owned by Asian people, down near the railway, who were just lovely.

At the end of our meal, we asked if there was anywhere to buy a bottle of scotch, but everything was closed so they sold us 2 scotches in take away coffee cups to take back to our apartment.