Our hotel didn’t offer breakfast, but Agnès found a place online that looked interesting, so we wandered  over, taking in all the many sights along the way. When we arrived, Nick ordered an apple tart, and I chose a croissant filled with pastry cream. Yummy! Then Agnès wanted to go to a museum, while the rest of us went to the Duomo. The Duomo, the third largest cathedral in Europe, is Milan’s showcase cathedral, with an amazing roof that you can walk on, an archaeological site below, and historic tombs within.  At 10:30 am there were no tickets left for the  Duomo’s  museum or the roof, but we were able to get tickets for the interior.

Nick and I have walked on the roof before, and that walk was truly memorable, but the interior was new to me.  Light enters through stained glass windows, and fifty-two pillars support the ceiling. Jose-Maria  pointed out that  the columns that had been cleaned recently were an eggshell color, while those in need of cleaning were gray. There is a 16th century statue of St. Bartholomew, one of the twelve Apostles, that was carved by a student of Leonardo  DaVinci.  We saw the crypt of St. Charles Borromeo, whom we learned about at Lago Maggiore.

Once outside, we walked to the nearby Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a famous glass domed shopping arcade that was quite crowded. Agnès joined us there, telling us that she had enjoyed her museum visit, and it was not crowded at all. There were several restaurants in the arcade, but they were all poorly rated. We found one a  a few streets away that had a good rating, so off we went.

After our meal, Jose-Maria and Agnès went  to another museum, while Nick and  I went back to our hotel for a rest.  On the way, we saw many businessmen and businesswomen wearing suits and carrying computer cases. Soon we approached a gelato shop called Grom, which was recommended by Nick’s ophthalmologist, so we stopped in for a gelato that we would share.  Businessmen and businesswomen stopped in, too. The flavors we chose were stracciatella and peach.  Have I mentioned that the temperature was above 90 degrees?

After our rest, we walked to the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio (Saint Ambrose), which is known for its art. We were amazed by its golden altarpiece. We learned that altar was taken to the Vatican for protection during WW II, which worked out well, because  that part of the church was hit during the war.

Back at our hotel, we learned that we could get a dinner reservation at the  highly rated restaurant that was a few steps away,  at either 7 pm or 9 pm. We chose 7. I decided to order one of Milan’s most traditional meals, osso bucco with risotto Milanese. My mother used to make risotto. I loved it then and   I loved it  that evening, too. Nick chose veal marsala and enjoyed it very much. Our desserts were crème brûlée, tiramisu, and a fruit plate.

We  were still trying to make arrangements to meet my genealogy buddy, Umberto. Jose-Maria and Agnès would be returning to their home the next day, and  as our hotel was fully booked for the next day, we would be changing hotels.

During our walks, Nick and Jose-Maria enjoyed a great variety of little electric cars, some of which held only one person, the driver.

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