Milan 27 August 2017

We arose early today had breakfast early and were checked out of our hotel by 7.50am.  We walked across to the station much more civilized this morning thank goodness, our platform was announced so we made our way up our carriage was no 2 wagon there is notification on the platform as to where each carriage will be.  These trains are always on time we stowed our luggage found our seat and set back for our five hour journey which was indeed delightful through The Alps.  We arrived in Milan at 1.50pm good station I stayed with the luggage while Sam did a quick check to see where we were staying, he was back in no time it literally was a 7 minute walk checked in and headed straight out. We knew it was Sunday afternoon but we could not believe how quiet it was here compared to other places we have been in.  We had a coffee and a beer and just kept going.  Milan is a very lovely city clean I do not know how they manage their homeless situation but other cities need to follow suit.  We all understand there are homeless everywhere but some of these cities are filthy and you simply would not go back. I do not know what the answer is but I think all school children should be made aware of homelessness and tell them do not waste the education provided to you because this is one of the many results.  I am sure no parents these days would want their children to see such things, they must be protected from everything type of thing, but really maybe we need to start somewhere.  It is major, shocking for the people who are homeless and for everyone else.  It is sadness on a huge scale.  Once upon a time there were boarding houses I do not think they were great either but now there is nowhere for these people to go, all the boarding houses were in prime locations so sold and developed into prime real estate.  How do we stop it getting worse, education of our young for a start. 

I only went to one church today and that was the Catholic Filipino Community very beautiful it was too.  I did intend to go to the Cathedral Church of Milan, which took six centuries to complete only finished in 1965, the third biggest Church in Christendom but I could not even get a ticket as I had no sleeves in my dress, the only day I did not have a scarf tied to my bag, mind you it was hitting 40 degrees.  I was not the only one turned away a young girl in front of me was as well and she was really upset poor love, she was not shamefully dressed by any means.  I said to Sam it is boiling hot there is a hour wait anyway lets go and see the many other beautiful sights this town has to offer.  He said you have seen enough Cathedrals and it will save your blog readers having to read about it, every cloud has a silver lining. 

We continued on had some dinner on our way back to our hotel, an early day tomorrow we are catching the train to Varenna then a ferry across Lake Como to Bellagio then another ferry from Bellagio to Como.  We will then make our way back to our hotel and the following day we head to Perugia.  All the best Sabine and Sam