........we walk past skid row and head towards Centro and finally find a metro station, we're curious to see if it's anything like the living hell the French RER was. It's easy and well signposted and so we head to Duomo.....this of course is what every visitor to Milan comes to see. 400 years in the making. Whilst trying to sort our tickets out, we throw the unidentifiable euro coins in...the machine spits them back out....quick as a flash out comes speculator matey, who grabs the coins and pockets them. Sorry Mate it's just not the way it's done back in sunny Wales and our Italian chum is forced into a climb-down and I get the two euros coin back. His thieving however was done with a smile. I feel sorry for the guy...but it's the principle, you aint thieving off me you git. he's chosen a good spot though and don't blame him for chancing it....if the change is wrong the machine spits the money all over the floor. It's just asking for this kind of thing.

We walk out onto Duomo Square and it's very impressive...apparently there were a few wars fought over this prized piece of prime property..Napoleon ensured it was completed...all in all four hundred years of getting stuck in. We marvel at it and look at the different angles. Silence as we stand in awe at the floating buttresses....behind us, a rather rotund Myrtle from Ohio loudly announces "Oh look Peter! They' built a Burger King across the street...!" ..we move on as Myrtle & Peter waddle toward their fast food destination.

After doing our cultural bit, we decide to head back to the suburbs as we need to check into the Hotel.....as usual we get lost. We're getting very good at this. Out comes Google Maps on Grant's phone and we eventually get back on track. Milan's a big place and if visiting I suggest you sellotape a sat nav contraption to your forehead. Once again we pass the queues of immigrants heading into the government building.

Back at the hotel we check in, this place is great, it's small and got a family feel to it...there's no elevators, which suits me fine...but it's a bit of haul getting the bags up the three storeys. The room is fine and we've got a balcony overlooking a communal garden. It's impressive and this is probably the real Milan.

It's undergrundy cleaning day and so I spend an hour doing the washing...socks etc...I wont bore you with the details.


Milan is covered in graffiti....everywhere...the locals don't seem too bothered. We head to a café and have some Pasta and watch the cars and motorbikes swerve past each other. It's good out in the suburbs....the real Milan

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