With two days off between the Bruce Springsteen shows (Monday 30.6 and Thursday 3.7), we took a little trip on Tuesday to Lecco by Lake Como. We wanted to escape the blazing hot and overcrowded streets of Milan. We had heard that all other Bruce Fans were going to the city Como so we choose Lecco, which is a small town under an hour by train from Milan on the other end of the forked Lake Como. It turned out to be a good decision. It was a beautiful town surrounded by mountains and the water. The streets were almost empty and the air was cooler. Every photo I took look like a postcard. On the walk down from the train station to the lake, we stopped for ice cream at “Il Pinguino”. Their gelato was tasty and melted fast in the heat. Before heading back to the busy Milano we shared a pizza and had some beer at the waterfront.
In the evening, we had dinner at a hip pasta place near Milano Centrale, ”Miscusi Pasta Fresca”, where you order and pay by scanning a QR code at the table. It’s a clever system, but it does make things feel a bit impersonal. I had the Ligurian pasta, which was really good.
Before meeting up with Werner, we couldn’t resist another gelato, this time from Duomo Gelateri. Their ice cream was smooth as silk, and the dark chocolate in particular had a deep, rich taste, a proper treat. Places like that are everywhere here; it seems there’s an ice cream parlour on every corner. The Italians really love their gelato, and they take pride in making it themselves.
We met up with Werner at the train station. He came directly from Max Weinberg’s Jukebox show earlier that evening. Oliver had found a place called Milano Birrifico, but unfortunately it was just closing when we got there. Thankfully, they let us grab a takeaway beer, so we could still sit and catch up for a bit while Werner gave us a quick recap of the show.
On Wednesday, we kept it simple and decided to walk around Milan for a bit and maybe do some window shopping. We strolled along Via Buenos Aires, browsed a few stores, but didn’t end up buying anything. Later, we headed over to the Navigli area with its canals, where we met up with Werner again before making our way toward the Nicki Germaine book signing at Diecisei in Milan.
Her book, Springsteen Liberty Hall, is a beautiful collection of photos from Liberty Hall in Houston, taken in 1974, long before Bruce known worldwide. The pictures capture both the energy on stage and quiet moments behind the scenes. The foreword is written by Bruce himself, and there are also essays by Nicki Germaine, Robert Santelli, and Garry Tallent. I can really recommend it to anyone interested in the early days of the E Street Band.
When we got there, a crowd had already gathered outside. It turned out it wasn’t just Nicki there, her boyfriend Garry Tallent was with her, and so was Southside Johnny, who I was especially keen to meet. Unfortunately, the woman guarding the entrance was very strict. She made it clear that only people who had signed up in advance or were buying the book would be let in, and she enforced that rule with military precision.
Werner had decided to buy the book, so he got in without any trouble. When she looked away for a second, I pushed Oliver through. When she noticed him, he coolly said he was with Werner and it worked. But I was stuck. I’d already bought the book and had it signed in Gothenburg back in 2023, so buying another one just to get in didn’t feel right.
While I stood there considering my next move, an Italian couple arrived and seemed to think I was in charge of the queue. I explained the “rules” to them, and when the man said they were buying the book, I said, “Then you’re allowed in, but please take me with you.” He smiled and agreed. And just like that, Zack!, I had one of the yellow wristbands on my wrist.
As we approached the podium, Werner and I exchanged a few words with Southside. I told him I had seen him in Gothenburg back in 2018 and asked politely if we could take a photo with him. He graciously agreed. After that, Werner had his book signed by Nicki, and I went over to Garry. We also chatted briefly before posing for a photo (Oliver took on the role of photographer).
Once we were done, we left the venue, which was packed and quite hot, and headed to another bar where we cooled down with a well-earned beer.
One thing we noticed wherever we went in Milan was the number of tiny cars. They are absolutely everywhere. I became a bit obsessed with photographing them, especially the ones that looked particularly toy-like. On some of the photos, Oliver is posing next to them, which makes the whole thing even more hilarious. He looks like Gulliver in the land of microcars (”Golliver”). Look for yourselves. Don’t they also crack you up?
The days between the shows turned out really well. Lecco was beautiful and a nice change of pace and a chance to escape the heat, the book signing was a bit of a mission but fun in the end and the tiny cars were a fun part. A good mix of relaxing, exploring, and just enjoying being away. Next post will be about the last night at San Siro.
Stray Bullet 
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