Milan and Venice in late December .
Jan 3, 2019, 10:42 am
#16
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
As someone who lived in Milan for a few months and commuted across the city via subway, I'll speak up in defence of it. It's definitely not touristy (even the Brera, via Montenapoleone areas) but it is the real Italy in a way that say many of the smaller tourist towns in Lombardia/ Veneto/ Emilia Romagna are not. Definitely worth a visit if for no other reason to stop orientalising the Italians. The food, art (Last Supper, Pinacoteca Brera) and shopping are good too. But don't expect beauty otherwise.
After the fall of Mussolini, in order to get the Italian government to really surrender, they dropped hundreds of tons of bombs, mainly incendiaries, and burned the city down. The whole city was burned down. And that was just the start. To really get the Italian government to give up they finally dropped over a thousand tons of bombs and half a ton of incendiaries on Milan.
Milan asked for an armistice but violated it, so another major raid took place. About 2/3rds of dwellings in Milan were destroyed, as was most of its cultural center and heritage such as cathedrals, and basilica. Almost nothing was left standing.
Because Milan was basically leveled and had to be rebuilt almost from scratch, that's why today it looks like Newark, New Jersey, not like Italy. The only difference is that the signs are in Italian, not in English. Of course, they have built some nice, attractive neighborhoods, and there is a great deal of wealth there, but it is not the Italy that people go to see. I was just there for the umpteenth time in November. It still has some good restaurants and some nice neighborhood, but you wouldn't tell the difference between being there, or being in Chicago, except that Chicago is much nicer.
Jan 3, 2019, 2:29 pm
#17
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 139
Sorry for being slightly OT - does anyone know of a reutable
tour operator or other method for seeing the Last Supper? I’ve been hawking the official site for a while but the day we’re available doesn’t have any tickets available. Not the end of the world, but we’d like to see the masterpiece if at all possible.
Thank you.
tour operator or other method for seeing the Last Supper? I’ve been hawking the official site for a while but the day we’re available doesn’t have any tickets available. Not the end of the world, but we’d like to see the masterpiece if at all possible.
Thank you.
Jan 4, 2019, 4:55 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, CC Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold, DL PM
Posts: 526
I would check with your hotel first. They might have access to tickets. If that isn’t an option, then I would look at Viator. They have several operators that have “guided” tours. Also a little OT - but we booked a wine Tour with MilanoWow via Viator. This was a well done tour! I was a little put off by the price, but the three wineries were excellent as well as the lunch made by one of the wineries.
One thing that I did find disconcerting this year was the number of armed soldiers in Milan. It has been 4 1/2 years since I was in Milan and don’t ever remembering seeing them out like this. I don’t know if it was because it was the start of the Christmas season or if it is normally like that.
One thing that I did find disconcerting this year was the number of armed soldiers in Milan. It has been 4 1/2 years since I was in Milan and don’t ever remembering seeing them out like this. I don’t know if it was because it was the start of the Christmas season or if it is normally like that.
Jan 4, 2019, 11:23 am
#19
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 139
I would check with your hotel first. They might have access to tickets. If that isn’t an option, then I would look at Viator. They have several operators that have “guided” tours. Also a little OT - but we booked a wine Tour with MilanoWow via Viator. This was a well done tour! I was a little put off by the price, but the three wineries were excellent as well as the lunch made by one of the wineries.
One thing that I did find disconcerting this year was the number of armed soldiers in Milan. It has been 4 1/2 years since I was in Milan and don’t ever remembering seeing them out like this. I don’t know if it was because it was the start of the Christmas season or if it is normally like that.
One thing that I did find disconcerting this year was the number of armed soldiers in Milan. It has been 4 1/2 years since I was in Milan and don’t ever remembering seeing them out like this. I don’t know if it was because it was the start of the Christmas season or if it is normally like that.