Day 2 Milan LaScala

Still raining, and raining hard, we metro'd to the Duomo and walked the short distance to LaScala.

First was a stop in the gift shop where someone got a Carmen mug as his souvenir. Why not, I said, knowing I was not going to be the one to have to pack it! Then we got in line in the lovely gold and white lobby and found our seats. There are a lot of ushers wearing large medallions but they seemed to be milling about with librettos/histories whatever, and no use whatsoever in finding our seats.

Fortunately, that was a easy matter. One letter, and one number.

The house is gorgeous and even I could see how the size and shape would make for great acoustics.

My arms aren't quite long enough to get us at better angles, but I suppose this is about as good as we can look.  We made it and that's what counts.  "Carmen" at LaScala...it doesn't get much better than this.

Day 2 Sunday lunch in Milan

Lunch was at alla Collina Pistoiese.

We shared some bruschetta Toscana, a tuna topping. I could not pass up the carciofi - artichokes - served as a salad with parmesan slivers, with pasta or with scallopini. I chose the scallopini and oh yes, it was good.

He had the pesce spada tagliatelle Mediteraneo which was thin slices of swordfish.

We each- yes one each! - had a creme brulee/flan and they were very good.  We decided to pass on a coffee as someone wanted to take a nap and someone else wanted to start her packing.

btw, the restaurant was certainly family run and full of families. Of course they were well behaved Italian children who are used to sitting in a restaurant for quite a few hours and either being entertained by their parents or amusing themselves as the adults talk. I wished I could have taken a photo of Mama/Nonna who sat in the center of the restaurant in a little booth, checking every bill submitted by the waiter and taking every credit card or cash payment from the customers.  Ah, no doubt who ran the show there.

Next on the agenda ...the Opera.

Day 2 Sunday am in Milan

Day 2 started with breakfast in our hotel. I gladly missed the end of daylight savings and let him go down to get caffe-d up first. When I joined him, I had a cappuccino before a pot of English Breakfast so that was quite a jolt of caffeine for me.  There were eggs, scrambled and cold hard boiled, meats and cheese, lots of cereals and fruits with yoghurt or milk to moisten. Croissants, toasts, hard rolls, and the dry toasts. Butters and jams, and of course cake and tarts for that Italian morning sugar.

Since it was going to be a long night at the Opera, we decided to make Sunday an easy day and go to the high mass. Ok, we decided along with a zillion other people. I had forgotten it was also a day with - I think- a visit from the Papal delegate. Security was tight but we got in and eventually got to the sides with a view of the procession around the church. There was a lot of very upbeat, modern singing and tv monitors all around. Amazing.

After our time in church we decided to look for LaScala in the daylight and avoid a possible panic trying to read street signs in the dark. And yes, it was still raining. We walked through the Galleries again thinking maybe we'd have a coffee  or lunch but decided to pass on the pricey ones as well as McDonalds. 

We took the shortcut I thought would get us towards LaScala but only found a small coffee shop open. Too early for lunch of course but with a view of toy buying families that was fun to see.

Finally we made it to LaScala and knew we would be able to get back there in a much easier fashion in the pm. Just walk through the V.E.Galleria, But the boy was happy...though I'm not sure about the redhead standing near him.

Well now it was time for lunch and I knew just where we'd go unless we drowned on the way. How that rain went on...

Day 1 Milan pm

After our delicious lunch, he wanted to find the Vodafone store to see if we could get a 'dongle' or internet key as they call them here. The weather was a bit overcast but not raining yet. With a map in hand we followed this turn, that turn and a lot more turns and eventually arrived at the Vodafone store on Via Torino. After some discussion, we ascertained that the internet key would work in Italy but to use it in the UK, we would have to get a new SIM card. The Italian key is not locked so switching the SIM card should be easy. Should was the operative word. We decided to think about it even tho the price seemed quite good.

At this point, it was time to see the true heart of Milan. But his feet were tired, and so instead of walking with a gelato we sat inside and had gelato and espresso. btw, I saw very few people walking with gelato. Perhaps it's not the thing this far north as it is in Rome. I said I'd have a gelato a day but while this was good it wasn't great, or am I getting jaded with gelato???  btw, we passed on the spooky cookies but I thought the marzipan teeth were something I'd eat.

After our pricey gelato break...sitting costs money...it was straight to the Duomo. It is quite a site to behold, and I had never seen it cleaned. Back in the 70s it was either under renovation or still quite dark. My memory doesn't tell me which.  We had a walk inside and saw all the Saint Charles Borromeo hoopla/information as this is the 400th anniversary of his canonization.

After this spate of holiness, it was time for as short nap. Jet lag hadn't bothered us but with an 10mg Ambien instead of my usual 5mg airplane dosage, I was a bit loopy and decidedly not all there mentally.  On our way back to the hotel, we had to go to the Italian Touring Club bookstore. OMG. Maps, maps, and more maps and so we came away with a large map book of Italy. (That calls for future trips!)

In the evening we decided we didn't want a full dinner but just another walk with a snack.  Back towards the Duomo, another Vodafone visit to be sure we understood what we thought we understood, and a sandwich and espresso from a 'bar' near the Vittorio Emmanuel Galleries. We were fortunate to see some tables outside not put away yet for the night and so we sat and watched the passing parade go by.   I also found a full bag of roasted chestnuts on the table behind me and yes, I took them and ate them. I don't suggest you do the same but I'm willing to risk things like that on occasion.

Not a bad day for a first day.

Day 1 Milan am

After seeing those mountains, and getting off the plane, we took a train and a subway to get to our hotel in Milan. First of all was getting ourselves centered and having an espresso. While I am usually a tea drinker, I find that in Italy the espresso suits me just fine.

When we travel, we often say that together we make up almost one whole brain. What one doesn't know, the other does, and together we can usually figure something out. That was finding the train, paying the 11 euros each and getting ourselves to the Metro. We decided to get a two day travel card for 5.50 Euro each. (Some day I will figure out how to find a euro keystroke on the keyboard. However, today is not the day.)

We ended up finding our hotel, despite taking the most distant Metro exit. We settled in and by then decided it was time for lunch. We had a rec from our hotel for a restaurant not too far away, and set out to eat. Eat we did. The restaurant was "Manhattan" near the Missori Metro stop.  Lots of modern art on all the walls.

I had a salad of 'just born' fish with greens and it was delicious. The wee fish reminded me of fish I had in the Italian Lakes way back in the 70s. I'd say this was the same fish but marinated not fried. He had a 'pizza' that was called a foccacio with salami and ricotta. I had ravioli with shrimp as my secondi.  Ah the food, the food. This is why we come to Italy.  Yes, there is culture, beautiful scenery but first of all there is the food.

Being non drinkers we passed on all the lovely bottles of wine siting by us, as well as the frozen grappa and limoncello that our waiter thought we might like.

Thus ended our first morning in Italy on this trip.

My Return

Well it isn't a return if you haven't gone yet, but I hope to do some more recording of trips on this blog. It certainly helps in making scrapbooks - printed Shutterfly books - afterwards. At least my memories will be a bit clearer, and if I don't have a great net connection, I can at least get the text done in Texteditor and do a quick save. We shall see.

Now I just need to think of what to wear here. Elegant black no doubt, but with sensible shoes fit for walking I'm afraid.  ciao ciao