Day 2 Milan - Pavia - Parma

  We began the day at the Duomo, one of the largest cathedrals in the world.  We took the advice of our travel books and went directly to the terrace to see the views of the roof and the skyline.  Best decision of the day. We were able to view the beauty of the cathedral's spires and roof at our leisure, plus when we descended to the piazza we found that the lines and crowds had tripled.  We have seen a lot of cathedrals and this was the first one with marble shingles.  The interior of the cathedral was overwhelming.  We were especially awed by the intricate carvings on the columns.

                                          








 

 After leaving the Duomo, we strolled through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II, a very high end shopping area.  This is the first covered shopping center with electricity where the term galleria originated.

 

We left Milan and headed to Parma.   We decided to stop in Pavia for lunch.  As usual parking was a real challenge.  At the parking lot, Bill was directed how to park by the local attendant.  Following instructions from Italians is not Bill's forte. The attendant finally gave up, threw up his hands and Bill parked in his own way.  We then found a restaurant on the Piazza della Vittoria near the Duomo di Pavia.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch of local cuisine.

We ended the day in Parma at the Starhotel du Parc.  We dined at the hotel restaurant and enjoyed a dinner with a "farm to market" menu.