My wife and I spent most of the previous week in Italy, with a hotel room booked in Milan. We flew there on the morning of the 11th and came back on the 15th.
On the first day, we landed at Malpensa Airport, took a train to the city, and had lunch near the central train station. Then we occupied our room, and walked a bit downtown, checking the Sempione park and Sforza castle.
On Monday we took a train to Lecco on Lake Como and spent the morning and early afternoon there. We went on a boat trip and ate pizza for lunch. The weather and scenery was really great.
Back in Milan we visited the Libreria Militare bookstore where I made an order for three books previously, all had arrived so I picked them up. If you are ever in Milan check them out.
On Tuesday we took an Intercity to Genova. The train stops at Pavia and the railway line crosses the area of the former Visconti park where the famous battle took place. This is the Repentita hamlet where Francis I's headquarters were located, visible from the train window.
In Genova we visited the Galata Museo del Mare, the exhibit including a replica 40-meter galley which can be boarded. You can also try and sit at the rower's bench at another nearby location.
The museum is located in a large five storey building with exhibitions on every level. Here's a diorama of the old port of Genova with more galleys.
The museum ticket includes a visit to the submarine Nazario Sauro, to which they provide helmets because of the narrow bulkhead doors. You can board the submarine at her tail and walk forward through the engine, command and torpedo rooms.
We then walked two piers in the harbor and checked the movie prop warship Galeon Neptune, then took a train back to Milan. We had dinner in a traditional Lombardian restaurant.
Tuesday night it started raining and it did not stop until Wednesday noon, but we planned to be in Milan all day and had a reservation for the Duomo di Milano, so on Wednesday morning we took the elevator to the roof, then descended to the interior of the cathedral. It was an amazing experience.
From the Duomo we walked to the Palazzo Poldi Pezzoli museum, housing some arms and armor, and many pieces of art.
We then took a tram to the Navigli district, which we did not find suited to our taste, so went back to the train station area and had a lunch there.
We finished our last full day in the Sempione park and Sforza castle area again, retiring to our hotel room and getting prepared for an early afternoon flight back home the next day.
We had previously talked about taking a train to Florence, but in the end skipped that tour, because the speed train tickets doubled in price since the last time we checked, so most likely we will connect it with a trip to Rome and Naples instead in the future.
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