We woke up to this stunning view of the mountains, pink with the sunrise light.

Off we go to Milano.

The drive was easy, just about 2 hours.  Took a cab to the Navigli, a district based around a system of five canals. We are in a very different Milan—south of the Duomo area, lively with lots of young people and tourists. 

Here’s the view from this new place:

We checked into our new digs with the help of the teenaged son of the owner.  He recommended, for lunch, a place right down the canal.  Luca e Andrea was our first lousy meal.  I had the traditional, veal Milanese and Ken had a pasta dish.  Both were mediocre. Disappointment!

We went for a nice little walk about and came back for rest time.

Aperitivo is the name of the game here. We went to Rita and were so not disappointed. The bar is beautiful, full of great energy and not too loud. I got the Casablanca and Ken the Peach Pit. Both were really top notch delicious, complex cocktails. And they gave us a little tray with some focaccia, celery and carrots, olives and potato chips. Later, the waiter brought us each a little glass with a warm potato soup with ham on top. The cocktails really require a blog of their own but…

It was super windy and cold so we walked home really fast. I did shoot this graffiti for all of us Italy Lovers: