Delicious heaven at Cantina della Vetra, Milan

Faced with restaurant menus for four days, my kids zoned right in for the simplest Italian fare; pizza and pasta, and each time it was the best pizza or pasta ever! One restaurant that came recommended by friends, who had lived in Milan for four years, was Cantina della Vetra. Again that old adage that local knowledge trumps all. Cantina della Vetra is slightly off the tourist trail. We'd made reservations for a late dinner and were greeted by the friendly owner and given a very well-appointed table. From then on we were plied with everything from the cold meats platter, cheeses, fried gnocchi - then a spaghetti with cheese, ham and black pepper, tortellini with ham, perfectly grilled pork with apple and ginger sauce and creamy pea risotto. Verdict: We did not put a foot wrong when it came to food choices in Milan. Glad to be leaving, while I can still fit into my clothes - just barely.

Delighting the senses at Armani/Nobu, Milan

Source: www.styleflavours.com

Housed in the Armani Hotel, it's all minimalistic chic, lounge music and beautiful people. Tripadvisor ranks it at around 300 out of 2300 restaurants reviewed in Milan. So went with relatively-managed expectations. It is Nobu though, so that raises expectations somewhat. It was our night out without the kids, and we wanted to try something other than Italian cuisine. Started our evening with drinks in their lounge bar then moved upstairs to the restaurant.

Discovering the old city of Bergamo, Italy

A mere 40km north-east of Milan, the old city of Begamo is nestled atop a steep hill with  narrow, cobble-stoned pathways. It feels ancient. It is just the bustling tourists and ubiquitous Vespa motorcycles that remind one that it is a 17th century city still standing in the 21st century. We sat to have pizza some non-descript little pizzeria. We were lucky enough that they were even serving lunch, or late lunch, as we discovered that most places close after 2pm and only re-opne for dinner from around 7pm. Again, best pizza ever! Then we walked around the ancient city.

A meal with a view at La Darsena, Tremezzo

We walked in without reservations, and were fortunate enough to beat the lunch time crowd. Minutes after we were seated, the restaurant had filled up. Without reservations, lunch on the terrace was a far-fetched dream. It's no wonder, the view from the restaurant's terrace is stunning. It felt like another world as residents (or perhaps tourists with rented boats) drove up with their boats, moored them below the restaurant and came upstairs for lunch.

Beautiful Lake Como, Italy

A friend had warned me that two days in Milan would suffice, and this was accurate advice. Thanks Silvia. Milan is a large enough city, but even with the various monuments and abundant art galleries, there is not enough to keep one busy for days on end. More famous for its fashion scene, which was of very little interest to us, we decided to explore beyond its immediate borders. We stole away to Lake Como one day for Tremezzo. We chose Tremezzo because it's near the end of the lake so offered the opportunity to drive through the other villages dotted around the famous lake.

Coffee & gelato at Bianco Latte, Milan.

Bianco Latte became our go-to place for the great good coffee and creamy gelato (it sounds so much better calling it gelato and not ice cream when in Italy) during our stay in Milan. We weren't the only one charmed by the easy dining concept where we could either have our coffees and croissants at the counters or sit for a full meal in the restaurant. Stark white walls with charming additions of children's artwork on the walls - the owner's own perhaps? It was busy mostly in the mornings with the locals passing by for their coffee and croissants on -the-go and a smattering of tourists like us.

Places: Duomo di Milano, Italy

The Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is a sight to behold. Europe and its cathedrals: each with its architectural history; with its blunders in poor management; with its anecdotes that have now become urban legend (and part of the history); and with its dedication to one saint  or other. It's in the travels I am making on the continent that I see the role that religion played in the continent's history.
The Duomo is the fourth largest Christian cathedral in the world, and the largest in Italy. We went on a sweltering hot day - probably not a wise decision as the queue was long- but then again, it is one of the main tourist attractions in Milan.