Italy 2026 - Day 1, Milan
Day 1 | 5 September 2026
Weather: Glorious sunshine, clear blue skies and a very warm welcome from Milan
And so, Italy 2026 begins.
Milan was our meeting point for this trip. Jazz flew all the way from Canada, while Mike and Sharon had started their holiday a few days earlier in Paris before making their way over. Shirley and I arrived from Singapore, and just like that, everyone was finally together. Different starting points, one destination, and the beginning of another adventure with good friends.
There was really only one place to start our first afternoon in Milan, Piazza del Duomo. With hardly a cloud in the sky, the magnificent Duomo di Milano looked even more striking against that deep blue backdrop. No matter how many photographs you have seen of it, standing in front of those thousands of intricate details and soaring Gothic spires is still quite something.
We wandered around the piazza before stepping into the beautiful Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, with its grand arches, glass ceiling, mosaic floors and, of course, crowds everywhere. Milan certainly did not give us a quiet welcome!
But being back at the Duomo carried a little more meaning for me this time. The last time I stood here was 12 years ago, when our children were still little and we were travelling through Italy as a young family. Looking at the cathedral again brought back memories of those days when Shirley and I were the ones bringing the kids around the world.
Twelve years later, the Duomo is still here, looking as magnificent as ever. We have changed a little more. Perhaps a few more lines, a little less energy and certainly more appreciation for the moment.
A sunny afternoon in Milan, old memories resurfacing, good friends reunited and a whole Italian journey still ahead of us.
Not a bad way to start Day One.
