Day 3
Further Explorations of Milan
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Buongiorno,
All around Milan, particularly in our neighborhood of Isola, there are trams. We see more trams than we do buses. Grandma has been bursting to go for a tram ride since she first saw them, so this morning we went for a tram ride.
Yesterday we said we made pact, "no more churches". But we didn't say anything about castles, did we?
The tram dropped us off in front of Castello Sforzesco. Actually, this isn't so much as castle as it is a fortress. And it is huge. We couldn't find a vantage point where we could take a decent photograph to show its full size.
To be honest we didn't do much here, we just wandered across the moat, through the gate and around the immense courtyard. We simply gawped at the size of this thing. All made from red bricks, or at the very least the facades were. Can't imagine how many bricks there are or how long they took to be laid.
From here we didn't have any plans and we didn't have to be anywhere, so we just wandered with the crowds. Central Milan is just a nice city to wander through. There can be a lot of graffiti, but it is clean, we always felt safe, even at night, and there is always something to catch your attention. Such as the Lego shop that caught Koro's eye.
Walking in the heat wears you out quickly, and we needed food. This is where things got tricky.
We all know that when Grandma gets hungry, she needs food now! The problem we had is that we'd wandered back into the orbit of the Duomo. And this meant we were in the dreaded Tourist Trap Zone.
A hungry Grandma has zero patience. So, a tourist trap it was. The toasted club sandwiches were very nice, but even with a small coke each the meal wasn't worth €44.
Post lunch we took to wandering again, this time along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. This wide, pedestrian-only avenue with lovely shaded porticos is jam packed with clothing stores. Not just the expensive labels, but also the everyday brands such as Benetton, H&M and Zara.
Grandma decided to have a quick look through Zara. Inside the foyer to the Zara store were a set of very wide steps that led down to the main showroom floor. The stone steps were populated by husbands and boyfriends sitting and waiting for the lady of their life while she shopped. Koro and Buzzy Bee joined the rest of the men sitting on the steps while Grandma browsed.
Later, Grandma went into some of the other stores while Koro and Buzzy Bee just wandered up and down the street a little. It was there that Koro and Buzzy Bee came across a huge toy shop. Loud music was playing inside the store and the staff were dancing and having fun with the kids. Then the parents were doing their best to manage the tantrums when it was time to leave.
The signage at the door spoke of a huge selection of soft toys. “Huge Selection”, it said. Buzzy Bee was keen to see if perhaps he might find a cute girlfriend for himself.
We went inside and we looked and looked. We searched all two stories of this place. They had toy cars. They had Barbie. They had Batman and Wonder Woman. They had board games. They had Star Wars. They even had a make-your-own-bear service. But no bees.
Not. One. Bee.
What sort of stink toyshop is this outfit?
Later, after Grandma joined us, we wandered further up the road and came across another, bigger Lego store. A city that has TWO Lego stores?! Yep, this Milano place sure is a flash.
And look at this. They had a wall of flowers, all made from Lego. This was much more to Buzzy Bee's liking. Make-your-own-bear-service indeed.
It is stinking hot in Milan right now. Hot and humid in the afternoons, Speaking to locals, it is cooler than it was a few weeks ago when the temperature was 35C. Despite today's temperature being 30C, the UV index was only 6. In New Zealand, a summer's day in the mid-twenties would result in a UV index of well over 10, and you'd be sun-burned to a crisp.
To beat the heat, Buzzy Bee always prescribes a cold beer.
This evening we travelled a short distance to Quartiere Cinese, or Chinatown. This neighborhood is very close to Isola. The main street was full of al fresco bars and street food. The street was packed with people. We had a Chinese/Italian fusion of dim sum, while sitting next to a trio of Australians and watching the colour of the street life.
Then it was back home to bed and a big sleep. We feel like we're still a bit jaded from our travels.
Love to you all from Grandma & Koro and Buzzy Bee.
