Blogs from Milan, Lombardy, Italy, Europe - page 7

Geo: 45.4637, 9.18813Early start today up at 5.30 - Wendy drove us to Heathrow (Thx Wendy) bit of a struggle with the traffic on the M25 but we got there with plenty of time to spare. Flight delayed, but we got to Milan without any stress and the weather is beautiful. Bus into the city and a taxi to the Hotel Lancaster.Feeling much cleaner after a shower and a bit of a rest.Had a walk around/ near our hotel, fiund a nice pizza/pasta restaurant for dinner.Now I just need to workiut how to upload photos, and we can show some food pictures!... read more

This morning at breakfast we were talking with Fabio about the best way to get to the Expo. It's a good thing that we did has we learnt from him that, in addition to the Metro trains and the Regional trains, there are Suburban trains. Bernie thought that we would have to take two Metro trains to the Expo, but Fabio told us that if we went to Garibaldi station we could take an 'S' train that would take us directly to the Expo site in just four stops. Local knowledge is a wonderful thing! We didn't come to Milan for the Expo but, since it is on (and we are paying a premium price for our accommodation because of it!), we thought that we might as well check it out. The Expo opened at the ... read more

With a 12.00 noon checkout and a train to catch to Milano at 14.02 we were able to fit in a little bit more sightseeing this morning. We completed most of our packing and then walked into the old city again to visit Castelvecchio. The Old Castle was built by the Scalinger Dynasty that ruled Verona during the Middle Ages. Construction was carried out between 1354 and 1376 and included a fortified bridge across the Adige. The building now houses the Castelvecchio Museum which consists of a number of Romanesque statues, an impressive collection of ancient weapons and an EXTENSIVE collection of mediaeval religious art. Never before have we seen so many renditions of the Madonna and child. After our visit to the interior of the castle we crossed the Ponte Scaligero to photograph the bridge ... read more

Getting to know the area where the hotel is located, John took an early walk around the streets, ending at the Duomo. Although much of the area was impacted by the allied bombing during World War II, there are many areas where the older buildings are still there, on small and narrow streets, with great personality and a sense of community. And as John came back to the Galleria and the Duomo the grand buildings took over the space. Most enjoyable. Walked some of the great shopping areas between the Duomo and the Castello Sforzesco (Milan’s old fortress) … in preparation for walking the area with crowds later in the day!!!! Breakfast was very busy – met and talked with a couple from New Zealand – and then went out to see the Duomo inside and ... read more

July is the best month to travel around Europe, so when my friends from Finland came to visit me in France, we took a road trip to Milan the second largest city in Italy. My first time in Milan was way back in 1983 when my Swiss friend took me there when I was visiting her in Lugano, Switzerland. I don't remember much of that trip, except that we went to see the Duomo which is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Needless to say, this is the city's main attraction. I do recall that when I was buying postcards near the cathedral I noticed that they were all made in China. Little did I know at that time that some 25 years later, almost all products sold in Europe were to be made in ... read more