We travelled to Milan, Italy, by plane over the snowy Swiss Alps, descended through a low bank of cloud, and landed in cold foggy and frosty like conditions at Milano Airport.
Our Milano Friends met us, we dropped off our cases at the hotel and went for a walk along the canal. So cold!! I was so pleased I had 3 coats!! It was freezing!!
The canal area was a place of contrasts. One small section had been closed off and filled in. Around here it was dirty, littered with dog poo and cigarette butts, and had graffitti everywhere. Just across the narrow road, and around the corner, where the canals were filled with water and were used, were shops and cafes, and some hardy people with market stalls.
This area had always been the working part of Milano, warehouses and homes. We were shown a trough of water, which apparantly was used for domestic washing. Today the warehouses and homes are very expensive apartments and restaurants with one or two shops thrown in. However the outsides, as required by regulations look exactly as they did many years ago.
Apparently this canal area is extremely busy in the summer - everyone in Milano comes here, to dine but not today in the very cold. In fact, when we came by the next evening to eat, we had lots of choices from many nearly empty restaurants.
At the end of our brisk cold walk on this our first day in Milan we retired to the car, to inspect some interesting buildings our friend discovered elsewhere in the city.
it is so easy travelling to Europe in winter - you can go anywhere and there are no crowds and queues!
But wait - read more in my next blog about queues.....
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