Milano

We got into Milan early yesterday morning after a 12 hour flight from Singapore. It is the first time our family is vacationing in Italy, although we have driven through some parts of northern Italy two years back when we visited Switzerland. My wife's last visit to Italy was when she was younger than my daughter. I spent a grand total of 4 days in Italy after my first year in university. But Milan is a first for all of us and I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I was planning the itinerary.

Well clearly not the best planning because I only found out after I booked the flights that we would arrive on L' Immacolata Concezione, a public holiday to commemorate the Immaculate Conception. Fortunately, most shops, restaurants and museums are still open. I wanted the kids to rest in the hotel from the long flight but they were wide awake and making enough noise to wake the other hotel guests up. So we decided to take a slow walk from our hotel near Milano Centrale to Brera for breakfast. Most things were still closed at that time of the day but there was lovely window shopping in this artsy district. We found a cafe serving wonderful pastries and hot chocolate, which was literally melted chocolate. By the time we were done, the two younger kids were starting to look sleepy - the classic why-didn't-you-take-a-nap-when-you-could situation that most parents of young kids are familiar with. 

So instead of walking around Brera after our breakfast, we went to Parco Sempione to look for ducks. Ducks and chasing pigeons are their all time favourites wherever we go, and it motivates them to stay awake. On the way to the duck pond was the massive Castello Sforzesco built by the Duke of Milan in the 14th century. And after looking at the ducks we visited Arco della Pace, which is also the site of the northern gates to the old city of Milan. (As I was writing this, I suddenly realised what Arco in Arco Lamp means, and just remembered that Milan is its birthplace)

Next we walked to Santa Maria delle Grazie to look at Leonardo da Vinci's fresco of the Last Supper. The kids got to chase pigeons around whilst waiting for our turn. You have to book the ticket in advance and the session allows you 15 minutes in the refractory where the Last Supper is on one end, and Donato do Montorfano's depiction of The Cruxifixion is on another. We were in the same session as a Japanese tour group. The female tour guide was explaining quite a few things about the church, which was extensively bombed in WW2, and the painting. I wondered whether she explained the significance of the Last Supper and why Jesus had to die for all of us on the cross. Amazing opportunities to share the Good News as a tour guide for Italian holidays.

We could not locate an Ubervan and the taxis do not take a family of 5. We were considering taking 2 cabs but eventually resorted to walking. Our phones died along the way so we didn't have access to Goggle Map but fortunately we sighted the church we walked pass in the morning and figured the rest of the way back. We rewarded ourselves with a lovely Italian dinner across the road from our hotel and crashed out immediate after shower.

I was surprised how much less the kids complained about walking. But it is only Day 1.