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.

GUATEMALA, CELEBRATING LENT IN THE HISTORIC FORMER CAPITAL: Guest Post by Tom Scheaffer

Antigua, Guatamala. Former colonial capital.

My brother Tom Scheaffer loves to travel and has recently returned from a trip to Guatemala. I thank him for sharing his excellent pictures and impressions of his trip.

Antigua, Guatemala, a colonial city going back to the early 1500s was once the capital of Guatemala. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated at the base of a volcano, it is famous for its celebrations of Semana Santa (Holy Week), the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. My brother Tom was there at the beginning of Lent. On the first Sunday of Lent processions of people carrying huge shrines march around the city on streets carpeted with colorful floral designs. Crowds of people dressed in purple line the streets to watch. It is an impressive sight.

Here are a few photos taken by Tom during his visit:

Painting the carpet.

Tom writes, "They are painting these huge carpets with flowers and other things on the street because today is Cuaresma, the first Sunday of Lent. There is a huge procession with people carrying huge shrines through the streets." (Cuaresma is the Spanish word for Lent, the forty days before Easter. It comes from the Spanish word for forty--cuarenta.)

Cobblestone streets and colorful buildings are typical. (Paint colors are restricted to a few choices.)

St. Catalina Arch. Volcanos tower over the Antigua. Some of them are active.

Waiting in front of the historic Church of San Pedro for the Cuaresma procession to arrive.

Enormous shrine carried through the streets by teams of young men dressed in purple.

Antigua, Guatemala. High altitude (5029 feet) promotes a mild climate.

For more information about visiting Antigua, Guatemala go to this website.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA: Art, Food and Music

Vienna, Austria. Saint Stephen's Cathedral

Why go to Vienna? The answer is easy--the food, the music, the art and architecture. Vienna, center of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, is still one of Europe’s great capital cities. The glory of its powerful past is reflected in the magnificence of its churches, public buildings, and surrounding parks and plazas. Large and impressive, they form the heart of the city center. Most are constructed of white stone and they tower over plazas and courtyards. In typical Baroque fashion, every ledge, parapet and rooftop is decorated with some sort of statuary.

Ceiling in the foyer of the Vienna Opera House

In early October we spent two days in Vienna with our friends from Berlin, who had been there before and showed us around. (This was our first time in Vienna.) We enjoyed great music ( La Boheme at the sumptuous Vienna opera house, the Haydn Quartet playing in the Brahms Hall at the Vienna Musikverein, and a concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at St. Stephen’s Cathedral.)

Vienna is famous for its pastries, most notably Sachertorte, a chocolate cake originally made at the Sacher Hotel

In between, we toured the historic sights of this beautiful city and feasted on schnitzel and other Viennese delights. At our last supper together on Saturday night, I ordered marmeladepalatschinken--a very close relative of the egg pancakes made by Art's grandmother, and just as delicious.

One of the many buildings of the Hofburg Palace complex

Our first day was bright and sunny (although crisp!)--perfect for a walking tour of the city. We joined a small group with an English speaking guide at the Vienna tourist center, and she led us through the labyrinth of streets of the inner city, filling us in on the historic significance of the buildings.

The Baroque Karlskirche (Church of St. Charles)

We woke up to rain on our second day in Vienna, but since our main activity was planned for inside--a trip to see the Red Vienna exhibit--the rain didn’t matter, except that, instead of walking, we took a trolley around the “ring” to the museum. The Ringstrasse is a circular grand boulevard that serves as a ring road around the historic inner district of Vienna. The road is located on sites where medieval city fortifications once stood, including high walls and the broad open field ramparts, criss-crossed by paths that lay before them.
For our visit to Vienna we stayed in the Beethoven Hotel, conveniently located just outside the center of the city. (Vienna's musical history was evident everywhere--we ate breakfast at the Mozart Cafe (coffee, fresh rolls, hard boiled egg), saw statues of Wagner and other composers at the opera house, and visited the church where Haydn performed.) Our stay in Vienna was short but full and we saw a lot. Here are pictures of a few of the many highlights:

Augustinerkirche. In 1634, the Augustinerkirche became the parish church of the imperial church. Many Habsburg weddings took place there. The hearts of 54 members of the royal family are held in special urns in the Herzgruft, or “Heart Room,” in St. George’s Chapel of the Augustinerkirche

One of the Lipizzaner horses going to morning exercise and training for performances in the Winter Riding School at Hofburg Palace.

Royal crown on display at the Emperor's Treasures Museum, a collection of the Habsburg family jewels and other treasures. My favorite treasure was a giant narwhal tusk, once believed to be a unicorn's horn.

The Virgilkapelle, dating back to 1220-1230, was discovered when digging for a new subway in 1973. It has been preserved and has a small museum.

A sampling of delicacies at Meinls Gourmet Nacht, a delicatessen. Upstairs is a restaurant where we had a delicious lunch overlooking the center promenade of Vienna's commercial area.

Inside Saint Stephen's Cathedral at night.

Das Rote Wien (Red Vienna) documents the period of time of social reform in housing, education, health and community life, beginning with the first free elections in 1919. The Social Democratic Labor Party emerged with an absolute majority, creating the possibility to implement many of their ideas from before the First World War, helping to improve the living conditions of the working class.

One of the exhibits at the Vienna Museum. For more about the exhibit click HERE. The photographs, models, books and other objects in the exhibit are all well labelled in both German and English.

VENICE, ITALY: Torcello and the Outer Islands

View of Torcello and the Venice Lagoon from the top of the Bell Tower 

During our recent visit to Venice, we spent a day on Torcello, one of the small outer islands of the greater Venice archipelago. The large island at the center that we know as Venice has been a trading center in the northern Mediterranean for more than a thousand years. Densely built and intersected by a maze of canals, it hums with activity. By comparison, our visit to Torcello felt like a day in the country--the island is mostly open fields and wetlands plus an old church and museum.

Torcello vaporetto stop. Torcello is of 114 small islands spread across the Venice Lagoon.

To get to Torcello we took a vaporetto (water bus) from the Zattere stop near our hotel to the Fondamente Nove stop on other side of Venice, where we transferred to a boat that went on Torcello. The first stop was at Murano, home of the Venetian glassware industry, and where most of the passengers got off. On our first trip to Venice we had visited Murano, watched the glassblowers and visited the museum. 

Walkway to the center of Torcello and the Ponte di Diavolo (Devil's Bridge)

The “town” of Torcello is just a few houses, a church and museum. To get there we walked about a quarter mile from the boat dock along a paved path next to a small canal.

Torcello. Church of Santa Fosca

When we bought our tickets for the church and museum, the ticket seller recommended that we visit the bell tower first.

At the top of the Campanile (Bell Tower)

So we climbed the stairs to the top, where we were rewarded with a spectacular 360 degree view of the island and surrounding lagoon. It was easy to imagine that this is what the main island of Venice might have looked like in Roman times, before it was developed into an urban trading center.

Roof of the Basilica as seen from the Bell Tower

The church at Torcello, Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, has been in existence since the 7th century,  and is the oldest church in the greater Venice lagoon. It is filled with magnificent mosaics, which are explained with an audio device that we paid for with our ticket. After visiting the church we went to the museum where artifacts from Torcello’s Byzantine past are displayed. (Photography was not permitted in either place.)

At the Ponte de Diavolo restaurant with our Aperol spritzers

Our destination for the day was the Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo restaurant, which had been recommended by a friend, and where we had a delicious lunch. (I had baby octopus for my first course!) The weather was perfect and we sat under an umbrella on the restaurant patio enjoying our leisurely meal. By the time we had finished our coffee and tiramisu dessert, it was time to catch the boat back.

On our way back from Torcello to Murano, we passed the small island of Burano, distinctive for its  brightly painted houses.

A woman in the seat next to me commented about Torcello that “there wasn’t much there.” I disagree. That’s exactly what we liked about it–a refreshing ride across the lagoon, a fascinating old church, and a relaxing day in the country.

GETTING TO KNOW GREENLAND - PART 1: NARSARSUAQ Guest Post by Caroline Hatton

From the plane: the Greenland Ice Sheet, glaciers, and lakes with clear blue to milky beige waters.

My friend and fellow children’s book author Caroline Hatton and her husband Bill visited Greenland in July 2019. She took all the photos in this post.

Ever since I first saw Greenland from the air, as a teen tourist flying with my parents from home in Paris to New York, I’ve dreamed of visiting this world of snow and ice and mountains with unknown names. Half a century later, I decided to go to Greenland before global warming makes it “all melt away.” Considering the headlines about the June 2019 Greenland IceSheet record melting spike, I hoped July 2019 wasn’t “two weeks too late…”

What should we see and do? We found no tour books. Old Iceland tour books had only a paragraph about Greenland. With insufficient info online, choosing destinations was too hard.

What does the landscape look like? Are there hiking trails or maps? How many days should we spend in each place? In the end, my husband picked a packaged tour, a sampler combining a Viking archeological site, icebergs, the midnight sun, history, culture, cuisine, and free time for hiking. The package included flights to three towns, “one with a name that starts with an N,” Bill said, “the capital, and one that starts with an I,” my first clue that Greenlandic is a challenge.

Flying from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Narsarsuaq, Greenland. Image courtesy of NASA, with red added.

We flew 2 h 20 min from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Narsarsuaq in South Greenland.

Greenlandic Bluebells (Campanula gieseckiana ssp. groenlandica)

I found Greenland phenomenal because of the enormous size and fluorescent blooms of its Greenlandic Bluebells (Campanula gieseckiana ssp. groenlandica), the myriad shapes and shades of blue of its waters in fjords and glacial lagoons and icecap meltwater lakes, and… the ferocity of its mosquitoes.

Former World War II movie theater. Marlene Dietrich sang there in person.

Narsarsuaq is a former World War II U.S. military airbase. It was needed as a refueling stop for planes headed for battle in Europe. American soldiers wounded in Europe received care at the base hospital on their way home. The Narsarsuaq Museum tells the story with roomfuls of photographs, news articles, documents, correspondence, military and medical paraphernalia, and every-day objects. The runway and some original buildings still exist.

This is Narsarsuaq: a runway, a hotel, a supermarket, a museum, a one-room school, four places to eat, and a tiny harbor (not in photo)... Across the fjord, the current sheep farming settlement, Qassiarsuq, and Erik the Red’s Viking ruins.

A 15-minute boat ride across the fjord is the Viking archeological site of Erik the Red’s farm, Brattahlíð, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The most substantial Viking ruins at this site: the wall stones of a Christian church, inside a turf fence. Other stones are still aligned where house and barns once stood. Nearby replicas of a long house and of an earlier, minuscule church are open to visitors.

Erik the Red came from Iceland in 982 and later established a Norse colony in what he named Greenland to attract more settlers. South Greenland truly was and still is heavenly green.

After more than 400 years in Greenland, the Vikings abandoned their settlements, but not until after the Thule ancestors of modern Inuits had arrived. Then the area became uninhabited again for roughly 300 years, before sheep farming restarted and continued until now. This history is summarized by tour guides and at the Narsarsuaq Museum.

The only musk ox we saw was on an appetizer at the Hotel Narsarsuaq restaurant—dark, dried, and shredded atop raw scallops. Edible wildflowers were picked outside the hotel and kept fresh with crushed ice: a purple Greenlandic Bluebell (Campanula gieseckiana ssp. groenlandica), pink Dwarf Fireweed (Chamaenerion latifolium), and yellow Greenland Buttercups (Ranunculus auricomus).

Today, guides lead visitors on foot or by boat or helicopter, to the Inland Ice (Greenland Ice Sheet), glaciers, icebergs, viewpoints, nearby towns, villages, tiny settlements, or more Viking ruins. Seeing musk ox, a wild and woolly beast of the Arctic looking bovine but related to sheep, would have been cool. But we would have had to research where locals might have seen some, then hire a guide and a boat for a day… at a phenomenal cost.

Permanent nylon ropes helped us climb a rocky slope.

Instead, we took a photo of the trail map hanging in the hotel lobby and went hiking past the ruin of the World War II hospital, through Flower Valley, and up to one of several small lakes.

Kiattuut Sermiat, an average backyard glacier, as seen from the trail

We loved the exercise, the scenery, and our mosquito-net jackets and headwear. Taking each photo two or three times was enough to get one without mosquitoes parked on the camera lens, creating big blurry blotches.

At the Polar-Tut Café: imagine thumping music.

For dinner at the Polar-Tut Café, we ordered from the menu board, handwritten in English and Danish, the second language taught in school (because Greenland is a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark). Reje burger is Danish for shrimp burger, shrimp and fish being the top Greenlandic exports. Local Qajaq beer on tap came in three shades: Doppelbock, Pilsner, and Dunkel.

After three richly satisfying days in Narsarsuaq, we flew up the west coast to the capital, Nuuk (pronounced nuke). There are no roads between towns in Greenland, so people get around by boat or plane. Clear skies made flightseeing a highlight of our trip.

For more info

Extreme melting in Greenland is not the only problem due to climate change: huge Arctic wildfires burned there and in Siberia, Scandinavia, and Alaska.

A U.S. World War II veteran pilot’s dramatic personal account of flying through Narsarsuaq