I was so tired after the concert and after arriving home the next day, I didn’t even write just a daily sentence so I’m doing a double post about Milsna and the journey home.

As we were checking out late, there was no need to get up at the crack of dawn. Slow and leisurely was iyr pace. We did this mainly because I had to work at midday, so it would be easier to have a very good breakfast (and it was too!), then check out and work for the shortest time possible, in the lobby. Then off to central Milan.

We had decided to use backpacks because we thought it would be easier to get around. Although we travelled light, we had to take computers, well, laptops, and carrying it all on our backs was fairly heavy going and it tired us out faster. We had found a DHL bag drop online so we decided to drop our bags to free us up for easier going for a few hours. Unfortunately, we used GPS on our phones to get us there, and in true form, it took us on the very scenic route instead of the direct route which meant that we were walking to the bag drop for over an hour, when it took less than 20 minutes on the direct route. The bag drop service is absolutely brilliant and the staff were lovely. One of the women there pointed out the direct route back to Milan Central Station and off we went. Also unfortunately, we’d used up a big chunk of our sight seeing time. Luckily, we’ve already “done” Milan pre-Covid so by the time we’d taken the metro to the Duomo in Milan, we decided to head for our favourite pizza place and grab a pizza and forego the touristy bit for this trip. We needed to eat well, because we knew dinner would be around 11 pm.

The pizza place was very busy but open all day. I knew that it would take a while to order our pizza so, being zen about much that life sends my way, I went with it, and anyway, we could rest our tired feet for a bit! My pizza arrived quickly after ordering and was a delicious Rustico (how apt!) with mozzarella, smoked cheese, radicchio sauce and walnuts (noce). Absolutely delicious!

After our delicious and filling pizzas, off to the next hotel via the airport. We were trying a service where we bus to the airport (worked very well), then take a shuttle sent by the hotel to get us there (not so well organised!). The shuttle from the hotel was half an hour late and we even had to phone them to ask where it was. Novotel, Milan Linate, not good. We discovered the next morning, doing the reverse journey, that it only takes ten minutes to get there from the hotel, so it would appear that the shuttle hadn’t even left until we rang. On arriving at the hotel we had a free upgrade, good. Only for us to find out that our twin room had been “upgraded” to a double, not so good. As the shuttle had been late, we only had time to freshen up then get out to the nearby concert venue (we walked!), otherwise we’d have gone down to reception to point out their mistake!

The concert was a great experience. Small venue with bar, which we didn’t use. I was a concert goer in my youth but with Covid as well as age, I don’t feel the need anymore to push my way to the front row. Quite the reverse, the back row for me! It was up some steps on a plinth and near to the bar. I got one of the best views of a concert ever, without being in any way cramped and with loads of space for a dance! We were masked up but many, indeed most weren’t.

After our late night at the concert in Milan, we got back to our hotel room and ate the best Indian takeaway ever! We’d ordered it to be delivered when we were out and it was absolutely delicious!

I didn’t get a photo of the Indian takeaway (I was too busy eating it!), which was still warm, exceptionally tasty and, even better, vegetarian. I was a vegetarian for 20 years and went onto fish again after being bullied by my ex partner into doing so. I am considering going back to being a full vegetarian again as I feel better on that diet. I don’t actually eat much fish at all and will eat sushi maybe every three or four months.

After the delicious takeaway meal, sleep!

Up early the next day though.

After not a very good night’s sleep, up at 7.30 am to get up and out early. No breakfast here as we wanted to grab brekkie in Milan. We checked out and waited for the airport shuttle to pick up the bus to take us to Milan Central station. OMG WHITE CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS. I haven’t got a sweet tooth but we were famished when we arrived and we found the Mercatino Centrale di Milano. A food, sort of market hall within Milan Central Station. We were actually looking to buy a takeaway lunch for the journey but stumbled on these…