Today we leave Milan, and Italy. We’ve packed up and headed to the train station to catch the MXP Express train out to the airport. Unfortunately, the experience at the airport this time around was not as smooth as when we arrived. The check-in process was great, but then security was chaotic. We must have hit peak hour. We waited patiently in the barely moving line for what seemed like an hour, but eventually made it through. ...
Today we headed out to explore a bit more of Milan. First up was the San Siro soccer stadium. We walked up to the M5 metro line and caught the underground train all the way to the stadium. The automatic trains drive themselves, so it was fun for the kids (and us) to sit at the front and watch out the front window—it was almost like being on a ride. The kids loved it. ...
Today is a travel day. We had an early breakfast to finish off the leftover pizza from last night, then headed out for a morning walk before the crowds and the heat arrived. A quick walk over the Ponte Vecchio one last time—spectacular without the crowds. You can actually move and see the details of the bridge. We then headed back toward the Duomo for one last look without the sea of people. It’s a truly amazing building. ...
After a reasonably long (12-hour) onward flight from Singapore—which included a lot of bumps thanks to thunderstorms—we landed safely at Milano Airport this morning at about 6:30 am local time (GMT +2). A grey and drizzly day welcomed us in Milan, but at least it wasn’t cold (and lugging 15 kg backpacks certainly helps to keep you warm). We cleared baggage collection and immigration impossibly quickly—it really was fast. Having two kids in tow appears to have helped, as we were directed through the special “tired parents with tired kids express line.” They clearly took pity on the handful of parents traveling with their kids. ...