Pre-Tour destination
Milan
We flew into Milan four days before the start of our tour to get a better price on airline tickets, and to get over our jet lag.
It was raining and hot in Milan so we took a chance that we could check into our room early. The hotel we chose, Hotel Berna, was just a couple of blocks away from the Milan Centrale Station. The desk clerk was very friendly, and allowed us to check in right away - room 425. The air conditioning felt so good!
After getting settled in our room, and freshening up, we went out to see the town. A 40-minute walk took us to the city center.
Hotel's lobby
Hotel's "happy hour"
Old Market
Milan Central Railway Station
Palace of the Palatine School
Breakfast!
Teatro alla Scala
First Aperol Spritz!
Pirelli Tower
Original Galleria
In addition to 24 platforms, the railway station has several restaurants, shops, pharmacy, bank, etc. There is also a large multi-level bookstore downstairs. Don't miss the many beautiful mosaics built into the walls.
"The Apple Made Whole Again"
Before we left for our walk, the desk clerk told us about the nightly "happy hour," and encouraged us to be back in the lobby area by 6:00.
When we got to the city center, we saw the opera house, Teatro alla Scala, and the old ancient "galleria" where they held their markets. Our first task was to find the restaurant for which we had made reservations before we left home. It was a restaurant that Lee had enjoyed when he was in Milan many years ago. It turned out to be an area that had a lot of construction and dust - not quite the romantic setting we had anticipated. When we got back to the hotel, I went to the Viator app on my phone to cancel our reservations.