Tuesday 26.04.2011 - we rode the short 114 km to Milan and rocked up early at our the Hotel Monopole that was about 4 km from the centre of the city. The main aim of our visit was to fulfil a basic need that Kerrie has - shoe shopping! We walked to the Metro about 300 metres from our hotel. On walking through a small park on the way we noticed several low lifes sitting down watching us. As we approached a ticket vendor machine one, who had obviously followed us, came up and said, "English", meaning I can help you with buying your ticket because the instructions are not in English. Back in Izmir Turkey, one of the group who imported their bike was stung with the same gimmick. They offer to help you with an ATM or vending machine, watch you insert it together with your Pin number and then grab your card and run so they can use it before you have a chance to cancel it. Anyway, after a stern refusal from Greg (obviously learnt at the Police Academy) the guy got the message and left us alone. Greg decided to carry our back pack at the front, just in case, and made him look like he was 6 months gone! Judge for yourself.

We then caught the Metro into the city

and spend the afternoon walking around and checking out the sights

and, of course, the shops. By 2 pm Greg was knackered so Kerrie left him sitting in a park opposite the world famous opera house named La Scala, which is rather a plain building by the way, and set off for her shopping adventure.

Greg, right on cue, fell asleep on the bench and only woke up in time to stop himself falling onto the ground. Lucky no Carabinieri were around else they may have locked him up as a vagrant!

Kerrie duly returned to claim her 'old man river' and show off her new pair of shoes. Greg was then "invited" along to give his pre-purchase approval of a nice, white, lacey blouse that Kerrie decided would match whatever, and it was quickly purchased. We then found a post office to post the new acquisitions to Greg's cousin Betty HUGHES, who lives in Southampton, for collection by its new prior to return home.

Dues paid, we ate a nice meal at a Mexican restaurant around the corner from our hotel
and retired for the night with indigestion!