Milan - day 1

It was still wet when we woke up at and after breakfast we headed out. Sadly, the rain lasted most of the day and didn't really dry up until late afternoon.

We walked to the Duomo, variously as either the third or fourth or fifth largest church in the world. Next we went to a large shopping gallery and saw the beautifully tiled floor, and the one mosaic which Italians seem to think brings them luck if they stand on it and spin around meaning there is now a hole in the floor.

From here we walked through the shopping centre to see the Scala opera House. Sadly, lots of buildings in Milan seem to be covered in scaffolding, presumably being renovated in time for the winter Olympics in 2026.

With rain continuing we decided to take a not open top bus tour which took us around Milan. It was a bit of a shame that the top was closed as it did limit some of what you could see but at least it gave us an impression of the city.

The tour took almost 2 hours and so by now it was time to get something to eat and after that we walked to the castle.

We took shelter in a bar for a rest and some refreshments before catching a tram to the Navigli area, a canal lined with bars and restaurants.

After a couple of drinks we caught another tram back to the area of our hotel for a quick freshen up.

Our evening was spent having drinks and a pizza before returning to the hotel for bed.Read more