Mailand

The Duomo

Did you know that there is a world south of the Alps? The Alpine Penguin had heard rumours that there was, so he decided to check it out along with M after the hectic days of carnival. So he got on the 11.30 train bound for Mailand (Milan) and arrived four or so hours later after a journey through the high-alps and along beautiful, Italian lakes.

Milan was a change after London and Basel. A new place, dirty and hectic in a different way, warm and humid(ish) and a language that was completely alien to both of us. We spent three nights there.

Castello Sforzesco

On the Friday, our first full day, we walked into the city, through the arcades and onto the huge square that stretches out before the squat duomo. We climbed the steps for views across the city. We walked along to the Castello Sforzesco and around the massive park behind it. We hunted (in vain) for a supermarket and instead plumped for delicious salads for lunch in the afternoon sun. We found the Scala opera house and walked along the streets of the "golden quarter", window-shopping from Prada, Dior, Armani.

On the Saturday we woke up and got into town at about eleven. We went first to the castle, because it housed a variety of museums (most shut), and we got to see some cool castle artefacts and a room that was painted by da Vinci himself. After a lunch of pasta we went first to an exhibition of Archimboldo (you know, the guy with the portraits made up of fruit and fish?) which was really interesting, then wandered more around the city. We had a couple of beers before heading back to the hotel where we waited out a giant thunderstorm.

It was still going on when we went out for a meal in a restaurant not too far from the hotel, on the Corso Como. It was our treat meal, and the food was excellent. A starter of home-made chicken live parfait on rye bread was followed by a wild boar stew served over creamy polenta. On the other side of the table this was mirrored by braised artichokes and olives and, sliced steak covered by a mountain of rucola and grana padano.

A view from the afternoon

The next day the weather had turned again, but it didn't matter- the views up and over the mountains and the tunnel under the Simplonpass were beautiful.