A Short Stop in Milan

We hop on a late-morning train to Milan where we'll catch a flight to the US the next day.  We arrive mid-afternoon and take the opportunity to wander in Milan for a few hours.  After checking into our hotel on Corso Venezia, we walk down the street toward the Duomo, past the Giardini Pubblici de Porta Venezia and the Museo Civico and Galleria di Arte Moderna.

Passing by the gardens and museums

Map along the way

The Duomo di Milan (Milan Cathedral) is dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary and is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan.  The cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete, with constuction beginning in 1386 and the final details completed in 1965.  It is the largest church in Italy (the larger St. Peter's Basilica is in the State of Vatican City) and is one of the largest in the world.

Duomo di Milan

Alongside the square in front of the Duomo, the covered Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II hosts restaurants, bars, and high end stores.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Proceeding down Via Dante from the square in front of the Duomo, we head toward Castelo Sforzesco, passing shops, restaurants, and a band playing for whoever walks by.

Via Dante, with band

Crossing the street in front of Castelo Sforzesco, we admire the old-style trams scurrying up and down the streets.

Trams

 

Casello Sforzesco is a mdieval fortification built in the 15th century and enlarged in the 16th and 17th centuries to become one of the largest citadels in Europe.  Extensively rebuilt in the late 19th century, it now houses several of Milan's museums and art collections.

Casello Sforzesco

Walking through the casello

Emerging on the other side of the museums, we enter Parco Sempione, which is full of people enjoying the beautiful weather and the expansive, delightful park.  At the far end of the park we see Arco della Pace (Arch of Peace) in Porta Sempione, a gate that was part of the original Roman walls of Milan

Arco della Pace

Through the park

Arco della Pace

We head back toward the hotel, passing through a corner of Giardini Pubblici di Porta Venezia and cutting down a side street, where we stop for an aperitivo.

Passing through the gardens

Aperitivo on a side street

After our walk and aperitivo, it's time for dinner and we wander over to Sabatini, a few blocks from our hotel, where we dine well on Catalana di polpo e gamberi (octopus and shrimp tomato salad), risotto alla milanese (with saffron), and spaghetti aglio e olio (garlic and oil).  Simple and incredible!

Salad

Risotto, spaghetti

Back at our hotel, we stop for a while on the roof to watch the sun set over Milan.

Sunset over Milan

What a perfect ending to another great trip to Italy.  We'll be back soon!