Milan / Milano

Tuesday

Off to Milan. Having found two routes to the nearest vaporetto stop with only one bridge each, the move was a quite manageable, even with our luggage. The high speed train (Frecciarossa) to Milan was comfortable and we arrived on time. After some brief exploration we found the loooong line for taxis outside the rail station. 

We dropped our luggage at the apartment and headed toward the center. Our target was the Galleria Vittoria Emanuel II shopping center, the elegant 19C shopping arcade, noted for its collection of boutiques, architecture, and restaurants with a view of the Duomo/Cathedral. We headed up stairs for the view and stopped at Maio Restaurant for lunch (traditional Risotto with saffron - very al dente; Veal Milanese with cardoncelli mushrooms and black cabbage chips - veal was thick but really just OK).

After lunch we met our guide for a tour starting with the Duomo. There is a forest of lacy spires on the rooftop. Fascinating. Spellbinding.

The interior is impressive as well. They skinny guy who looks like he belongs in a Day of the Dead celebration is San Bartolomeo. I'll let you research why he looks this way. 

We had unsuccessfully tried to get tickets for the opera or ballet at La Scala, so a tour was the closest we got. We visited the museum and the theater, viewing the stage from the second gallery (not the best seats for the opera but THE place see and be seen. 

Our busy schedule left little time to shop for our evening meal so we went to the nearby Grand Hotel for an evening snack.

Wednesday

We shopped our way along Via Dante (a major shopping and dining street). Pat actually bought a pair of jeans. 

We stopped for lunch at Cafe Dante, a street side cafe. We again had traditional Risotto (less al dente & very tasty,) and Veal Milanese (thin & much tastier) accompanied by Amarone Valpolicella Ripasso. For sides we had a tomato salad with mozzarella, maize, olives, and carrots, along with fries served with ketchup and mayo. Finally, Pat didn't have to order mayo specifically. (Note the English menu listed maize instead of corn. Otherwise the translation was quite good.)

After lunch we made out way to Sforza Castle. The towers, fountains, wall paintings, and gardens are well worth a stop. It was particularly interesting to see the statue referred to a the Rondanini Pietå by Michelangelo in his later years (quite different from the one in the Vatican, done when he was young.

On our way home we stopped to get pastries and fruit for breakfast as well as meat, cheese, veggies, bread and wine for evenings.

Thursday

We purchased Metro passes for the long treks around Milan. Very useful for cross city ventures.

The Last Supper viewing is in 15 min. intervals, It keeps the lines down and 15 mins is really enough. It is hard to see because the lighting is dim to protect the artwork. Opposite Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece is a fine piece by Giovanni Donato  depicting the Crucifixion. On our way there is an interesting display about restoring the works after WWII.

Our next stop was The Science & Tech Museum which features many inventions by da Vinci. Planes, parachutes, construction cranes, as well as models of the Pantheon (Rome) and the Duomo of Milan, a "covered war carriage (a tank)", a parachute, and a loom that recreates designed according to the wooden cards.  Nearby we found an Apple Macintosh Classic II. Getting out required not only going through gift shop (as usual with museums), but the rest of Museum (like IKEA).

We happened onto the small but highly regarded Boccon Divino for lunch. Their wine collection is impressive, with a broad selection available by the glass. We chose eggplant parmigiano, and a pasta fresca and asked the owner, chef, sommelier to recommend the wines (by the glass). His pick, a Nero D'avola (Sicily), followed by a Cannanou (Sardinia), and Pantelleria Passito with dessert (biscotti with a very well presented and tasty pastry). A very enjoyable experience.

We found Bascilica Ambrose to be delightful, a refreshing break from massive, ornate bascilicas. It feels rural as you enter with a huge outdoor space for the unbaptized to wait through mass. The interior is indeed massive but with simple decor.

Friday

We took the train to Stresa to explore Lake Lugarno and the Barromean Islands. This was our 3rd visit, but the villas and lake are beautiful enoguh to visit a few more times, if we get the chance.)

Isola Bella and the Palazzo Borromeo is as magical as ever. Pat's favorite room seemed to have faded from the sky blue of 1993 to a paler baby blue. We still highly recommend a visit of the villa and the grounds.

CW from top right: the beautiful baby blue room, terraced garden, yours truly, Isola Bella from the ferry, Belgian tapestry, one of the grottos.

We moved on to Isola Surperiore aka Isola Pescatore (Island of the Fishermen), noted for its fish restaurants, of course. We decided to eat at Pirati. (Yep Pirates). We chose two plates with a mix of local fish, one grilled plate and and one fried. We couldn't identify the fish but one notable one was melt in your mouth bite size pieces.

Isola Madre is all about the gardens and the marionettes-3 theaters. There is an impressive Kashmir cypress (planted from seeds in 1862) that had to be righted after falling during a storm. Getting out took way longer than imaginable. We missed 1 (2?) ferries. 

Once we found our way to the ferry and knew our departure time, we used the Trainline app to schedule our train back to Milan. There was a choice of 1 hr 38 minute run (gives new meaning to slow train). The fast train is roughly 58 min, the later normal regional train takes 72 minutes.  

We decided to spend time in Stresa rather than on the slow train. After wandering a little we found a wine bar named Al Buscion. For wine we chose Gavi de Gavi docg by Picollo, Amarone Ripasso doc by Montesantoccio along with racclette and braesola. Really enjoyable and made up for missing the early ferry.

Saturday

We had to check out the renowned Peck, a gourmet market and restaurant with a mouth drooling selection of pastas, hams, cheeses, wine, and other gourmet fare. Why do we submit ourselves to such torture? And we could only pick up a challengely limited number of items. 

On Saturday the restaurants are pretty much booked ahead for lunch. We eventually got a table at Dal Bolognese. The service was slow but the food was good. We had Smoked Tuna Bresaola with Grilled Artichokes in Oil to start followed by Fillet of Sea Bass with Julienne Cut Vegetables, Fried Anchovies with Tartara Mayonnaise, and a side of Stewed Corallo Beans (flat green beans), with Tomato and Basil

We went back to Peck for another peak, then a last look at the Duomo before heading back to our apartment to finish packing for our move to Bellagio.