FOUR DAYS IN MILAN, ITALY: The Duomo, Museums, Cimitero Monumentale, Canals, and More

Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II, Milan, Italy. 

Milan is the bustling center of modern Italian design and fashion. Even babies in their strollers are well-dressed. The city also has a long history, with countless churches, palaces, museums, and historic sites to entice visitors. In early June, Art and I spent four days in Milan at the beginning of a ten-day trip to northern Italy.

Display welcoming the 2026 Winter Paralympics to Milan/Cortina.

Like all of our trips to Europe, a nine-hour time difference from our home in California, we allowed several days to adjust to the time change. We arrived in Milan on a Sunday, and after checking in at our hotel in the city center, walked to a nearby pizzeria for a light supper, ending with our favorite Italian dessert, caramel panna cotta. Every meal we ate in Italy was delicious!

The Milan Duomo (Cathedral).

The next day our focus was the Duomo, the cathedral that sits in the middle of Milan like a giant stone wedding cake. As we stood in the piazza gazing up at the roof spires, we could see tiny people walking up to the top. We then made our way to the back of the cathedral to wait for our turn to ride the elevator to the roof. (We had bought tickets online ahead of time. Alternatively, you can climb up the 165 steps to the top—a cheaper ticket and different line.) Security is strict to get into the Duomo. Women are required to have covered shoulders and knees and flip-flop sandals are not allowed. If you show up in shorts or a sleeveless top you can purchase a thin white cover-up garment.

View of Milan from the roof of the Duomo.

As we emerged from the elevator we found ourselves on the first roof level, amongst the flying buttresses and 135 statue topped spires, and with a spectacular view of all of Milan. In the distance was the modern business center of the city, with its skyscrapers and the needle-like tower, the Torre Pirelli . Until it was built (1955-60), the Duomo was the tallest building in Milan.

Walkway around the roof of the Duomo.

As we followed the route around the roof we got close-up views of the elaborate stonework and hundreds of figures perched on the spires before our final climb to the roof peak. Once again we admired the view, and then from there descended the narrow circular staircase to the inside of the Duomo.

Marble floor of the Duomo. Woman wearing cover-up over her bare arms.

Some of the 52 pillars inside the Duomo.

Sculptured panels on the central doors of the Duomo.

We had purchased an audio tour for our phone to guide us around the inside of the Duomo and this helped us appreciate the history and significance of its various parts. Everything in the cathedral is over-the-top, from the huge stained-glass windows (said to be the largest in Christendom), to the marble floor, the pillars (52 of them, one for every week of the year), the numerous side chapels, and the huge paneled doors on the front.

Detail from one of the windows of the Duomo, displayed in the Duomo Museum.

Gargoyles from the Duomo, some from the 14th Century, moved to the Museum for conservation.

The construction of the Duomo began in the 14^th century but was not completed until Napoleon’s time. The Duomo Museum, next to the cathedral, displays statues, gargoyles, building models and artifacts that tell the Duomo’s 600-year history. A side doorway in the museum takes you through a courtyard to a small hidden chapel, San Gottordo in Corte, refreshing in its simplicity. A fresco from the Giotto School was recently discovered on one of its walls.

Courtyard leading to the chapel of San Gottordo in Corte.

Before returning to our hotel, we did a short tour of the Vittorio Emmanuel II shopping arcade, located at the side of the Duomo Piazza, and billed as the Rodeo Drive of Italy, with its glamorous designer stores. However, most people in the crowded mall were tourists, not shoppers, taking selfies under the magnificent domed roof.

Center of the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle II. 

The next day began with a visit to the weekly street fair and farmer’s market on Viale Pepiniano. The wealth of available fresh fruits and vegetables on display explains why Italian cooking is so good!  

Stall at the Tuesday farmers' market on Viale Pepiniano.

We purchased super-sweet cherries just in season. On our way back to our hotel we stopped to visit the Basilica and monastery of Sant' Ambrogio one of the most ancient churches in Milan.

Mosaic of Christ the Pantocrator (4th to 8th C.) in the apse of the Basilica of Sant' Ambrogio.

In the afternoon we met my cousin and her husband who live in Milan, who gave us a personal tour of some sites that I had read about in my guidebook but were outside the city center. (They had a car.) The first was the CimiteroMonumental, a burial ground for the rich and famous begun in Victorian times, that is more like an open-air art museum than a graveyard. (Entrance is free.) A map at the entrance marks the mausoleums and graves of particular importance. 

Reclining figure at the Cimitero Monumental.

Ziggurat-like sculpture at the Cimitero Monumental. Tomb of Antonio Berocchi, created by Giannino Castiglioni.

It seems that every Italian artist worth his salt has been invited to create a sculpture here. Themes vary from the intimate to the majestic, with many references to ancient history. The shaded walkways were welcome on the warm day of our visit and there were almost no other people there on a weekday afternoon.

The Bosco Verticale apartment building, designed by Boen Studio in the Porta Nuova area of Milan.

Our next stop was at the Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, a unique pair of apartment buildings covered with so many trees and plants they appear as giant trees themselves.

Summer evening in the Navigli (canal) District, Milan, with its restaurants, shops, live music and giant video screens.

Our day ended with dinner at a restaurant in the Navigli, or canal, District. At the time that the Duomo was under construction in Milan, a system of canals was dug (including a lock designed by Leonardo) in order to transport marble from the quarries in the mountains to the city. In the last century, most of the canals were filled in, but a few remain. Today they are lined with shops and restaurants and have a lively night life. Next to the canal, a communal washing station is preserved, from the time that women gathered here to wash their clothes and chat.

Science Museum. Models of some of Leonardo's flying machines.

Science Museum. Cat drawings by Leonardo da Vinci.

We did not see Leonardo’s Last Supper, perhaps Milan’s most famous artwork. Limited tickets are available and need to be purchased months ahead of time, which we didn’t do. But, on our last day, we visited the Leonardoda Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology where most of the second floor is devoted to Leonardo’s life and many inventions, with models, drawings, artifacts and multi-media displays. One section focused on the many works of art inspired by and modeled on Leonardo's Last Supper.

On the bridge of the canal.

We didn’t visit La Scala, the Sforza Castle, or go shopping while we were in Milan. Not enough time to do everything. But we did see a lot and enjoyed delicious Italian food. And after four days we had made significant progress on our jet lag and were ready for our driving trip to the Alps.

SPRING WILDFLOWER WALK on the Montclair Railroad Trail, Oakland, California

Allium triquetrum on the Montclair Railroad Trail.

One of our favorite walks near our house in Oakland is along the Montclair Railroad Trail. Once the path of a busy commuter rail line, it is now a mostly shaded, level path through a forest of California oaks, eucalyptus and redwoods. 

Montclair Railroad Trail (east end).

In spring, the edges and open areas are home to a variety of wildflowers. Here are some that we encountered on a recent warm, sunny weekend. 

Broom (an invasive species.).

Nightshade, sometimes called horse nettle.

Daisies.

Cow parsnip, a California native plant.

Lupin.

Forget-me-not.

The trail is 1.5 miles long. Along the trail are several information boards telling the history of the railroad and how local residents saved the land from being developed after the railroad stopped running. I'm glad they did.

"It is silent now, but long ago you would hear the shrill scraping of iron wheels along a track as a green interurban electric train would suddenly appear and pass along the very path on which you are walking. From 1912 to 1957, the popular Sacramento Northern carried passengers and freight between Chico and Oakland."

The trail is accessible from the parking garage in the Montclair village shopping area. A short climb up the hill behind the parking lot leads to the main path. It is a popular trail for walkers like us, but also for people with their dogs and bike riders. If you go on a Sunday as we did, between 9:00 and 1:00 pm, you can finish by stopping at the Farmer's Market just down the street from the parking garage where you can buy fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, or a wide variety of prepared foods (dim sum, bao buns, crepes, samosas, cornish pasties and more) to eat at picnic tables or take home.

MAP for parking and trail access.

Wood Sorrel (Oxalis)

FROM MAI TAIS TO MAHI MAHI: Eating Out on the Big Island of Hawaii

Mai Tai at Jackie Rey's, Kona, Hawaii

When you get a slice of pineapple in your drink, you know you are in Hawaii. For a long time Art and I have been making regular trips to the Big Island of Hawaii, where he attends a meeting every three years. (While he is at the meeting, I enjoy being a tourist.) In our search for good places to eat we have tried out various restaurants, returning to our favorites. 

Hilo

Sushi at the Hilo Bay Cafe

Our favorite restaurant on the whole island is the Hilo Bay Café, located in a former boat house on the bay in Hilo. We had dinner there on the first night of our recent trip to Hawaii. (We made a reservation a week ahead of time.)The food is fresh and the menu original, featuring, not surprisingly, seafood.

Our hotel that first night was The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls, about a fifteen minute drive outside of Hilo past fruit and nut orchards and fields of purple sweet potatoes. Breakfast, which was included, was served on a deck overlooking their own private waterfall. We chose our food from the menu the night before (eggs, bacon, toast, fresh pineapple.)

Breakfast patio with view of waterfall below.

The next day, after a morning at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, we headed for the food stand where we have eaten on previous trips called What's Shakin just a mile up the road, but when we discovered that it is closed on Sundays, we went back to Hilo and got tasty pork barbecue sandwiches from a shop across from the Hilo Farmer’s Market.  

Kona

Our hotel in Kona, the Royal Kona Resort

The rest of our trip was spent in Kona, where most of the restaurants, especially on Alii Drive, the main street along the waterfront, cater to tourists. Our first night, after enjoying complimentary mai tais at our hotel, the Royal Kona Resort, we ate at a nearby restaurant, Thai Rin, sitting on the outside patio watching the sun set. We ordered fresh spring rolls and pad thai and had more than enough food. 

Crab cakes at Jackie Rey's

Two of our dinners in Kona were at Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill Kona, a more upscale but casual restaurant located away from the tourist strip. (There is also a Jackie Rey's restaurant in Hilo.)

Linguini with clams, Jackie Rey's

Another night on this trip we met friends at Sushi Cocoro, a small hole in the wall café, just off Alii drive, chosen because it was near the conference hotel. The food wasn't that great, but at least the restaurant wasn't noisy, so it was fine for talking.

Ba-le Kona Restaurant was our discovery of this trip. Located in a strip mall just a few blocks from the beach, the atmosphere is like a diner. Both times we ate there all the other customers appeared to be locals. The main dishes they offer are Pho (large bowls of noodle soup) and delicious pork sandwiches Vietnamese style, made on freshly baked French rolls. 

Across the street from Ba-le in another strip mall are the Island Corner Café (75-5595 Palani Rd STE A-10, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740) and Land L Drive Inn--L and L Hawaiian Barbecue, where we went for breakfast. Both are open early, an advantage when coming from the U.S. and waking up early because of the three hour time difference--or more if you are not from the West Coast. 

Waiting for the sun to set at Lava Lava Beach Club.

On several of our previous trips we ate dinner at Lava Lava Beach Club, the perfect place to watch the sunset and listen to Hawaiian music while enjoying our drinks and meal. Some of the tables are literally on the sand. It is in Waikoloa Village, about a half hour drive from Kona.

You can't go to Hawaii without having poke (pronounced PO-kay), raw fish cut into small cubes and flavored with various spices, often served with rice and vegetables as a poke bowl. In Kona we have gotten poke at Umeke's, both to take out from their fish market, and to eat in.

For snacks to eat in our room, we went to one of the convenient ABC stores along Alii Drive. And at the Farmer's Market in Kona (Wed-Sun), we bought a supply of macadamia nuts to bring home as gifts and souvenirs. 

Hawaiian food is basically American food, with a tropical twist. There is no shortage of places to eat or buy food in Hawaii. You may have your favorites. These are some of ours.