Rick Steves'
Best of Italy in 17 Days
Where are we?
One of the best-known
tenor arias in all of opera, "Nessun dorma" is from the final
act of Giacomo Puccini's TURNADOT.
Who better to sing this than the great tenor Pavarotti...
 Statue of United Italy's first king, Victor Emmanuel II. |
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 Taking nearly six centuries to complete, the Cathedral (Duomo) is the largest in Italy and the fifth largest in the world. |
 This is but a small sample of what you'll see... |
 The Duomo's beautifully marbled floors. |
 A student of Leonardo da Vinci carved this statue of the apostle and first century martyr, St. Bartholomeo, who was skinned alive by the Romans. |
 Built between 1865 and 1877, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the world's oldest shopping malls and connects the Cathedral to La Scala. |
 Locals step on the bull's testicles for good luck in this Turin mosaic. |
 Opening in 1778, La Scala is one of the finest ballet and opera houses in the world. |
 This opulent theater was renovated recently to repair damage caused by WWII bombing. |
 Bust of Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) who was considered the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi. |
 The beautiful little church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie which houses Da Vinci's "The Last Supper". |
 Tranquil Maria Delle Grazie courtyard. |
 Photos of "The Last Supper" are not permitted. This copy on a nearby wall captures the essence. |
 Entrance to Sforza Castle. |
 Built in the 1300's as a military fortress, Sforza Castle was later turned into the family's residence. |
 As a military engineer, multi-talented Leonardo da Vinci helped design the castle ramparts. |
 Ornately designed Castle exteriors. |
 Facing Paris, the Arco della Pace was built to welcome Napoleon's rule. |
We arrived at Linate Airport in MILAN two and a half days prior to our tour start date. Rick Steves advises arriving at your destination one to two days in advance to overcome jet lag, have leeway for flight delays and rest for the upcoming tour. We chose to spend our "decompression" time in Milan adding another Italian city to our itinerary.
As the fashion, industrial and convention capital of Italy, Milan's focus is not on its past, but there are several note-worthy sites within walking distance of the Duomo (Cathedral). We reserved our hotel many months in advance based on its close proximity to the train/metro station and found that for the small price of a metro ticket we could be at the Duomo in ten minutes!
To take full advantage of our brief stay, we made online reservations from home with a Milan tour company, Autostradale, one of several mentioned in Rick's travel book. The guide was well-informed and our three-hour tour included The Last Supper and Sforza Castle which would have been difficult to get to on our own. Tickets sell out quickly so plan accordingly.
Milano Centrale train station
We thoroughly enjoyed exploring this fast-paced city, but agree with Rick Steves' assessment that two days here is just about right. This two day stop allowed us to acclimate to the transit systems, practice our rudimentary Italian with the locals, see the sites that make Milan famous and believe it or not.....get some rest!
Rejuvenated, we looked forward to the rest of our journey.
NOTE: BE PREPARED TO GET ON AND OFF EUROPEAN TRAINS QUICKLY. MOST MAKE ONLY BRIEF STOPS ENROUTE. THE DOORS ARE NOT AUTOMATIC AND MUST BE
MANUALLY ACTIVATED.....WE LEARNED THE HARD WAY!
ON TO VARENNA!
"When in Milan, do as the..."
How to drink from
a brass water fountain
Statue outside
train station
Great family owned restaurant near our hotel
Remnants of 4th. century Crypt of San Giovanni in Conca.
University graduates celebrate by wearing a laurel wreath crown.
Street artist
Milan's Central Square, Piazza del Duomo
PLEASE ACTIVATE AUDIO PLAYER
Lunch at Spadari Cafe
Almost too pretty to eat...
Click Map for Italy's Northern Region
Wonderful Mark Chagall exhibit at the Contemporary Art Museum
Father and son TuYo owners
Street scenes
May we recommend...
