We began our journey on a very rainy day, leaving Dallas on a flight to Laguardia, then changing airports to JFK. From JFK, we flew to Milano on a quite full Boeing 777. Nothing positively remarkable about the flight except that it was cheap, $400 a person round trip JFK to Milan and back.

Milano’s Malpensa airport is about 40 minutes by train from the central train station, where we spent over an hour standing in line to get train tickets for tomorrow printed, we’d already reserved and purchased in the US. You just could not print the tickets themselves. So inefficient ; there must have been 100 people in line.

After virtually no sleep and traveling for 24 hours, we’re beat. But our hotel, the Park Hyatt, is a short walk walk from the M3 Metro station. We got upgraded to an executive suite! Perhaps because it is the 2nd time we’ve been here or that I am a diamond level in their loyalty program. No matter, the room is huge and we have complimentary wine and fruit.

It’s nice a clear and warm here. The Galleria is literally just a block away. This must be Milano’s living room. It’s really crowded today, and the adjoining square outside where the Duomo is located is also very crowded. There is an exposition going on in Milan that just started, so I’m sure that adds it’s own increase in visitors.

We spent our afternoon walking around the area near the Duomo and managed to sample some delicious Gelato on our way to participate in the World Tour (going to every Hermes store). Just kidding, sort of. One Gelato shop had a line out the door, so of course, that’s where we went too. But totally worth the wait.

Today, we go on to Luzern and we take breakfast at the Park Hotel Milano before heading out. It’s a little early, so the dining room is just us. Even with the decline of the Euro since our last visit, had I needed to pay for breakfast, it would have been €50 per person (about $55). Having Diamond status makes it free!

I have been using an app called Metro for years, on the Symbian, then Blackberry, then Android cell phone platforms. Great for navigating the subway systems and no data required (handy, as there’s not much signal in the underground). Our T-Mobile phones give us free data (usable 3G) and really cheap phone calls, though we tend to just use email and Google Hangouts. Back at Milan ‘s Central train station this morning , we’re waiting for the train to Zurich, which doesn’t have an assigned track as yet. We’re trying something different this year in terms of train travel. Rather than buying a Eurail pass and just getting on any train we want to travel, we bought individual train tickets. More work, less flexibility, but way cheaper (about 1/3rd the cost).

Only a few pictures up on Flickr, as most of them are ‘trapped’ on my camera. Flickr Check back at Flickr for more photos.