About Me

45 and full of life... Lecturer/consultant in IT Service Management, still visiting new (and old) places on expenses. New-ish at stitching, blogging, motor-biking, french cooking, running an online shop (www.sewstitchy.co.uk) with my partner Kristina

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Thursday, 19 January 2012

I'm too lucky for Milan






I've got a golden ticket!

Well, not really, but they will
save €55 today so that's
pretty good.


Set off this morning about 06:30,
to be on the safe side


Nice to actually see
something of Monza


Peek-a-boo


Monza's own 'duomo'


The fabled Monza bus depot


It's not Formula1 but I'm happy


Lunchtime and I head for the centre again.
Note here they've gone for trinity emergency
grouping rather than the oft-used
'bohemian-rhapsody' formation


Lunch is camp chicken



The training's finished, and the exam is early
(although they did work until 18:30 last night)
so people can catch flights.

I catch the z321 to Monza


I catch the train allegedly to Milano Centrale
, but it stops at the other main station,
so I get the metro to the Duomo,
and what do you know? the
roof terrace is now
open, as I hoped.


I'm up!


Great views


Down below


Sunset in Milan - epic


Better view of spire and
Madonnina from here


Say cheese, random people


almost works


That crazy Torre Delasca again


Ah - Freddie et al are
remembered here, too


So it's not a cafe, but a meeting room,
which is great, if anyone can
concentrate with all this
splendour around



Yes, it's me.
And a shiny.


Through the...complicated window


So much detail


This is Milan's equivalent of Harrods


That mall again


A very special shop


...as you can see


...but not taste from here.

Note the GIANT panettone,
top right

The smell of chocolate was incredible.
Bought one selection bag, and left.


I dodge trams (not really) on my way
back to the metro


Look! The map tells you where the
OTHER MAP is, like some
adventure game


Second time lucky, too, at the stitching shop


They didn't have lots of cross-stitch stuff,
but a few, and some were Italian.
Helpfully, one of the two
ladies was English :)


I pop into the Meat-ing Place for dinner


An apple-spritzer - wonder if that's
like an Apple-tini a la Scrubs?


Bread and something red and green
The red is nice, whatever it is.
A bit salsa-ish



Meat and tomatoes and olives


Triple taster starter


I'm having Milanesitas in Milan - result!
(bit like schnitzel)


I consider - back to the hotel, or have
a look at the remaining tower,
Torre Brancha?

What am I thinking? I head for the
tower, noticing the Castello is
now nicely illuminated.


Looks like a giant tower birthday cake.
Now THERE's an idea!


Ice creams! But it's late, and cold,
and I don't need one


Back to the Duomo for a last look before
getting the metro from there


And the mall, of course


This is what Milano Centrale looks like
around 22:45


I want to take you to a Self Bar


Fountain near Monza station


Some kind of statue, which I
completely fail to recognise
in the darkness


Back towards the hotel.

It's been a very good day



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