Author: Steve Collins

This was our first full day in Europe.  We’d flown from Doha to Milan and had booked an Air B&B in Pasteur for our stay

We didn’t sleep well, as the bed was harder than we were used to.  We also had trouble using the washing machine as the instructions were in Italian, and the process wasn’t easy to understand.  However, Heather eventually got it to work.

We had no supplies so headed to a nearby cafe for breakfast.  Delicious croissants, coffee for Heather and water for me.  It was a great experience as we are not staying in a touristy area, and it is definitely not an upmarket area, but is actually quite comfortable.

Whereas Doha was modern, efficient, clean and safe, Milan is very much busier, authentic, chaotic and had personality. 

Parking is usually on the street, and people will just park anywhere.  

We caught the train from Pasteur into Duomo, a total of six stops.

The carriages have seen better days, the stations are grubby, but there’s a great atmosphere and it does all work.

As we walked out of the subway and onto Piazza del Duomo, the scale of the cathedral really hits you.

It is almost overwhelmingly massive.  It dominates the area, and the piazza is caters to thousands of people at any one time. 

It’s actually difficult to take it all in, so you hang around just to get the feel of the place. 

We had an excellent pizza at a little place opposite the La Scala  Opera House.  

After walking around a bit more we headed back to our Air BnB for a rest, then went to a local restaurant, Partenopea, which was a short walk away for a magnificent meal.  

The staff really looked after us, and we had a lovely night.