October 5, 2003
Sunday Oct 5: Certosa di Pavia to Milano and return (by bus)
It was a stormy day; it was a sunny day. I froze at times; I boiled at times. Milano has dirty areas; Milano has very beautiful areas. In short, a day like many other on this trip. (Yes, name that author.)
I took the bus into Milano, then the Metro into the centre and got out metres away from the Castello. Then I walked up to the Duomo where the incredible cathedral is. Look online to get an idea and you'll see what I mean. Unfortunately it was raining, but... I went inside the cathedral for part of the service and when I came out, the sun had come out. (Though the strong winds were still present. There was a cold front coming through.) So of course, I had to take the stairs up to the roof for views over the city and north to the Alps - with snow on them. Oh-oh.
The fashion district is so chic, there are no words to describe it. And I thought Geneva and Zurich were an eye-opener. Moreso here, by FAR.
I was able to get into a bookstore in the Galeria Vittorio Emanuele II (again, look it up for now) where I had my pick of a few Ludlums and a pile of Dickens. So, Bleak House won out for now. That should last me a little while!
I was also able to pick up a map holder at a Decathlon store (I never knew they were in Italia as well as France) so I don't have to jump off the bike and open my bags every two minutes.
Anyway, once I got a bit tired, I figured it was time to go. By now the front had come in and it must have dropped to about 10 C, so I just about froze waiting at the bus stop. So, when I got back to the hotel, a hot shower never felt SO good.
And that was the rest day - nice and restful!
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