I'm too forgetful for Milan...

...as I've brought the wrong cable for connecting the camera to the computer.

BUT luckily British ingenuity strikes again (though actually I seem to remember doing this before) in swapping the micro SD memory card from the camera into the Blackberry, as I DO have that cable. Hurrah! So without further ado, let's get on with it...

There was a mild panic around 04:30 as I got a little confused around the roundabouts at Gatwick trying to find the off-site car park. Then I went right past the turning but, remembering the MAP of the area, sorted that out, parked up, took the bus to the south terminal and checked in VERY quickly. Speedy boarding, indeed, Easyjest. I mean Easyjet, but it sounds funny so I'll leave it in. The boarding of the plane was also speedy and without incident. More controlled than my memory of Ryan Air, anyway. As we rose into the air, I nodded off for a bit...

waking up to a dawn French

geddit?!

then I nodded off again

...waking up over the alps! Fabulous.

I'd temporarily forgotten we'd be

going over the alps.

As you do

A really craggy one.

I didn't see any human signs below

Here's one without the wing :)

The landing was smooth and some people

clapped, which always makes me wonder

what kind of landings they normally get.

Maybe they'd also been watching

'10 most dangerous landings'

last night on TV

Passport control takes about 5 minutes, and

my bag's waiting for me on the carousel.

I get a return bus ticket for Milano Centrale

for about 9 Euros. Excellent.

I go into the train station to deposit my luggage

so I can wander unencumbered

Wonderful station

I buy an all-day metro ticket

and head for Il Duomo

Nearby is a cathedral of retail

Quirky cafe up there

Inside the cathedral photography

is unexpectedly allowed

Two organ keyboards and seats,

back to back. If only

Rick Wakeman had popped in.

The place is truly enormous, with huge

paintings festooned along the aisle

The ceiling, too, is rather impressive

Here's a grand view

Shut the door on your way out

I don't know who this was supposed

to be, but he was happy when

I dropped a Euro in his box

The biggest jar of Nutella ever?

Before attempting the roof ascent,

I feel the need of something to

strengthen me

Sadly that's where that endeavour

ends, as it's too icy up on the

roof for tourists.

Bah.

This looks tempting -

the chocolate,

that is

I do a little window-shopping

Fanciest ever McD's?

Now THIS is a mall!

If I had someone with me who knew

anything about this stuff I would pop in

Looking north from within the

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Back outside I take another

picture of Il Duomo

and zoom in to the spire with the

Madonnina atop, which is

as close as I'll get today

Going south, I spot this sculptural gem

...and another tower

...but THIS is the tower I've come to see,

Torre Velasca

I'm sure it inspired the tower of

Barad-Dur in Lord of the Rings

So much wonderful architecture here

...and here!

Tower!

Mural!

Another tower!

Are these the green shoots of recovery?

I'm on the right track for the stitching shop

And here it is.

Closed.

I peer through the bars

Open every day except when I'm here.

It's like Manhattan all over again.

I'll have to see if I can get here on

Thursday evening when the exams

are finished, as that should be the

earliest finish, and it might be nice

to return to Milan for an evening

This sign cheers me up, though

Another tower

Time for proper food in a

cafe off the Via Dante

Let's hope they haven't

scorched my scallops.

I enjoy two espressos.

Almost as exhilerating as

the Pocket Coffee I found.

I phone the Segway Tour people

to ask about renting one just

for an hour, but sadly they

ARE NOT OPEN MONDAYS

I've spotted more towers so it's

northwest along Via Dante

...to the Castello Sforzesco

Fountain

Gate-tower of the Castello

Inside

I like this place

Inside and out

Behind, I thought they were CLEARING snow,

but they are managing it,

creating a ski-run

Along here (I've just found out) is the

Torre Branca, which is 108m tall and

open on most nights, so that's also

pencilled in for Thursday

What's this place, I hear you ask

(but quietly, obviously).

That's right, it's an

opticians.

Phew.

Now I'm heading east towards the

Quadrilatero D'Oro, which I guess

literally means the Rectangle of Gold.

That's where the posh shops are

Stunning pictures in this gallery

I steal a photo while the

manager's not looking.

Skull candles and all sorts

in the Skitsch shop

This reminds me of Easter Island

Armani, init?

I don't really feel like going in and

looking at over-priced things

I don't need or want

I wander back to the centre past a

rather famous theatre

La Scala is not that obvious from the outside

A statue to a real genius,

and the best of the

Ninja Turtles

by far

Back through the Galleria and I pick

up a couple of things, one you

might expect to see here,

and one I didn't

Spoilers!

I hop on the metro to the Station Centrale, and get a return ticket for Monza where the hotel is, and am pleasantly surprised that it only costs about 3 Euros each way, and the journey time is only 13 minutes, so a return evening visit it looking very likely. I have a bit of time to wait, until I realise my bags are still in Left Luggage! Luckily there is no rush, and I retrieve said articles and take the train to Monza station, and a taxi to the hotel.

And what a hotel it is! It's quirky

and full of stuff a steam punk

would die for

I check in an arrange to get driven

to work in the morning. Nice.

Here's my room. A double would be better

than two singles, but probably one bed will

get covered in my stuff as usual

The desk at which I am blogging,

at this very moment.

Even the corridor is superb

Do you think they would miss these?

I discover I have a balcony

and a view of the park, which I hope to

see more of in daylight tomorrow

Good night from Monza