Milan, Italy: Travel Days

Oh. My. Goodness. Today was such a long day, and we’re just now taxiing for takeoff from Milan.

Yesterday, we flew from Sevilla to Milan Malpensa, which is located west of the city center. In a torrential downpour, we made our way to our hotel on airport property. For dinner, we opted for a restaurant recommended by both the hotel staff and the internet. It was a quick tram ride to a neighborhood just off the airport, followed by a very soggy 10-minute walk to the restaurant.

When we walked in, completely soaked, the hostess asked if we had a reservation. We didn’t. I hadn’t even thought of making one, and honestly, I assumed the hotel staff would’ve mentioned it if it were necessary. So, we decided to swim our way back to the hotel and grab dinner there instead.

On the way back, Jered noticed a sign for Cervo Ristorante & Pizza. I’m so glad he did. We popped around the corner and were warmly welcomed and treated like royalty. We did our best to ask for recommendations and place our orders in the little broken Italian we knew, and it went a long way.

We started the meal with thinly sliced ham, fresh greens, and the best buffalo mozzarella any of us have ever had. The waitress recommended the ravioli with sage butter sauce for me and it was divine. Jered and the kids ordered pizza, because when you’re in Italy, you order pizza. The wine was dry, the food was delicious, and the service was incredible. After a quick visit with Emilio, the pugweenie, we finished our soggy trek back to the hotel.

This morning, thanks to a late checkout, we were able to wake up at our leisure. We made our way down to breakfast and gorged ourselves on pancakes, waffles, egg bites, and all kinds of other goodies, washed down with a latte or two. Then it was back to the room for a quick nap before the real adventure began.

We checked out at 2 p.m., just as the skies opened up again to dump all the rain we’ve apparently missed for the last three months. After a quick tram ride back to the main terminal at Malpensa, we hopped on a train. What should have been three trains and a two-hour journey to Bergamo, on the east side of Milan, turned into five or maybe six trains. I actually lost count. And those two hours turned into four and a half.

We had a lot of laughs along the way, and, miraculously, not a single meltdown. We eventually made it to the end of the R6 line from Milano (maybe?) to Bergamo city center. After some amazing burgers from a food truck between the bus and train stations, we caught a bus to the airport.

But wait, there’s more.

Checking in for a flight in Europe often feels like a bit of a cattle call. Everyone just stands around waiting for bag drop to open, and when it does, it’s every man for himself, especially when there are three lines but only two ticketing agents.

After fighting our way to the front, we were met by the sweetest, most patient agent, which was especially impressive after the three men in front of us were rude and abrasive. We’re traveling with Ethan’s lacrosse sticks and Ainsley’s violin. On the flight from Marrakech to Valencia, the ticketing agent gave us a hard time about the extra gear but ultimately let us carry them on without fees. From Sevilla to Malpensa, we weren’t so lucky and had to pay €150 to gate-check them. Ainsley was especially nervous about her violin going in the hold, but thankfully it made it without a scratch.

Today, we were prepared for anything. To our relief, the agent allowed Ethan’s lacrosse sticks to be checked for free and cleared Ainsley’s violin as a cabin bag. No extra fees, no drama, and no chance of it being lost or damaged during our quick layover in the UAE, where we’ll have just 50 minutes to make our next flight to Bangkok.

The rest of the day went smoothly. We tucked into a quiet corner where Jered and I could enjoy a beer. I found a spot to charge all our phones before boarding. The travel gods smiled on us and we ended up with what we lovingly call “ghetto first class,” with the window and aisle seats and no one in the middle. Plenty of room to stretch out and settle in for our overnight flight to Sharjah.

Takeoff has been pretty turbulent. It’s wild flying through lightning. We’re all ready for a quick meal and a long nap. With just a short stop in the UAE, we’ll be landing in Bangkok in about 13 hours.