We are now in Switzerland but let me finish up Italy with this post.  We drove (partly back roads and partly highway) from Florence to Milan on Monday.  The drive was not bad and I even drove about 90 minutes (my first time driving on this trip).  Randy happily played with his Blackberry to catch up on the College World Series (baseball).

We arrived in Milan in good time but were confused where to park for our B&B.  A call (so expensive!) to our hostess Beatrice told us where to park (and for free - amazing!).  We found Beatrice's place.  What a nice find - she rents out one room and a bathroom.  Has great internet, A/C (this was very important because it was bitchin hot in Milan - literally a record heat), big bed and serves a great breakfast (see photos) on her terrace.  She also has cute dachshund Ned and black cat Sophia.

After relaxing with the internet and a glass of French rose and enjoying the A/C, we walked to downtown Milan (about 30 minutes).  We looked at the main square but knew we would see everything on the tour tomorrow so we walked to a restaurant I had found in Trip Advisor (a great website BTW).  This was Don Carlos, in a 5 star + hotel (this is the technical rating) and known for its traditional food and service.  It had an opera theme and was very expensive.  But, so worth it!  We had lobster (Alice) and Pata Negra pork (Randy) - the latter being extremely rare black pigs in Spain who are fed on acorns.  There was other amazing food and the atmosphere was comfortable and sophisticated.  It was a good choice for a splurge.  We cabbed back to Beatrice's and went to bed.

Randy in front of Beatrice's apartment block on a small private enclave in the middle of Milan

Teslas for sale in Milan - Bob Bulfin - this photo is for you!

Decor of Don Carlos honoring opera's past greats

My amazing lobster from the Med - as delicious as any from North America

Randy's even more amazing Pata Negra pork

Our complimentary desserts - each was delicious

The key to Beatrice's - how antique is this?

We had no room view due to the shutters being closed against the heat but here is the window

The breakfast spread on Beatrice's penthouse terrace where she grows honeysuckle and climbing roses

The La Scala - better inside than out

In the shopping arcade  I do the traditional three spins on the bull's (Taurus) testicles for good luck

The Duomo of Milan - if you are into Gothic you could love it

Our cute Italian tour guide (in white pants, of course)

Detail of the brickwork at Castle Sforza

The Milan coat of arms which involves a snake eating a man (I don't know what to read into this)

Stairs at the Castle Sforza which were built wide enough for a horse to go up to the rooms of the King

Outside of the church Santa Maria delle Grazie where the Last Supper resides in the refractory

The nice ladies who helped me choose some wonderful handmade stationary just across the street from the Last Supper

Beatrice's place's facade - our room was on the top with the single red flower and her terrace can be seen at the very top

Beatrice's door with the amazing keyhole in the middle

The next morning witnessed breakfast on the terrace where I surprised Beatrice by asking for a second pot of her extremely strong and extremely good coffee.  It fueled me all day.  We cabbed to our tour starting point and took a tour of Milan which included La Scala (smaller than expected but worth seeing), the cathedral (big and dark and Gothic), the enclosed shopping street Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (ho hum), the Sforza castle (blistering in the heat) and, the piece de resistance, the refractory where Leonardo's Last Supper resides.  It is hard to get admittance to see this fresco as only 25 people are admitted every 15 minutes.  That is why I booked us with the (expensive) Viator tour.  But the fresco did not disappoint.  Actually having 15 uncrowded minutes with it was just about right.  It is large and beautiful with superb perspective and design.  We felt uplifted after seeing it.

We cabbed back to Beatrice's and said goodbye to this lovely lady and jumped in the car to drive to Switzerland.  Watch for my next post about that!