We were up early on the train heading to Brescia to see some cousins we hadn’t seen in quite a while. I stayed with Dad’s cousins Rita and Arrigo for a month when I was here in Italy studying so I thought as we were going to Milan we would stop for lunch and a visit.
How lovely it was to meet up with them and Tiziana. Arrigo commented that Dad and Rita are like two women who have just met up for the first time after being separated for a long time- they reminisced about so much! It was lovely to watch.
We had an amazing lunch full of seafood and laughs. The seafood was absolutely delicious and though I couldn’t quite believe how much we managed to eat, it was so light and fresh that it didn’t leave us feeling heavy. After we walked around old Brescia so we could spend a little more time together.
It was another hot day. You would have never guessed that it was already the middle of October. It had been 30 degrees all week. Hot! What a sweet surprise when we found that our place in Milano had air conditioning.
Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. Perhaps I had gotten used to the warmth and sweating while sleeping because having the air conditioning on all night had left me all congested and foggy in the morning. Oh well, no time to be sick. So few days, so much to see! We were up early, before it was too hot and heading to the Duomo.
With Rick Steve’s in hand there is never a need for a tour guide. We rode the elevator to the terraces, wandered around, took the stairs down, walked 15 steps forward, turned to the left looked up and started the tour!
From the Duomo we headed back out and through Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II which was something to see. I love that Rick writes about not only the history but the craftsmanship. There is so much to appreciate. And while we didn’t take a spin on the bull’s testicles, we did enjoy a spritz and some lunch nearby which I think was luckier!
With renewed energy, we headed to La Scala and finally Piazza degli Affari to check out the infamous middle finger sculpture in front of Borsa Italiana -the stock exchange.
Hot and tired we decided we would head back to relax for a bit. SOMEONE was restless and had found a fishing store nearby so decided while Mum spent some time reading and catching up on the news, we would go for a little wander to find the shop. We found the shop, realized it wasn’t the right kind of fishing so listened trustingly when the shopkeeper told us the fishing shop that would suit us better was just 10 minutes up the street on the corner. 30 minutes later, completely drenched with sweat and with 5 minutes to spare before the shop closed, we arrived. By the time we got back, we’d been gone for almost an hour and a half. Poor Mum wasn’t sure what to think.
As always, there was no time to rest. I caught my breath, sat under the air conditioning to try to stop sweating, freshened up and changed clothes and then began to search for a restaurant that served traditional Milanese food and was in walking distance. Luckily we were in such a great location that this wasn’t a super hard challenge.
And that was it! My time with Mum and Dad had come to an end. How fortunate I am to have had this time together with them. In the morning we tidied up, and then made our way to the station. A little sustenance before parting ways and that was that! I got them on their train before heading to find mine. Next stop- Alghero, Sardegna!
Memoirs of a Wannabe World Traveller 