Bergamo

Disclaimer:  I am no longer in Milan, but I wrote the posts every day I was there.  Feel free to comment and ask questions just as if I were still in Italy.

Buon giorno
First dinner.  I had some pizzoccheri, and I think it was my favorite meal of all.  Pizzoccheri is another Lombard specialty and is a sort of buckwheat fettuccine only the noodles are short.  You can't go wrong with anything drenched in cheese and butter.
So I spent the afternoon in Bergamo which is a little over an hour train ride from Milan.  When I said I was coming here, a friend who had been said "Don't miss Bergamo!"  And I am so glad I did not!
Unfortunately I did not have enough time there.  For one thing I had to wait in line about forty minutes at the ticket office thus missing the train I'd hoped to take.  Only one window was open and the line snaked on forever.  A few of the Italians were furious, and we were all impatient.  Then a wait for the next train, and then the ride with many, many stops.  But I enjoy train rides taking the opportunity to snoop at all the buildings, backyards, and whatever within the reach of my eyes as we roll along.
So we fetched up at the train station and I hopped out, bought a ticket, and boarded the bus to the upper city.  You see Bergamo comes in two parts.  The lower city is beautiful, and what I saw of it was grand.  It is also where the real people life takes place.  The historic center is up a steep and narrow winding road.  The thrill of riding a bus squeezing through the low, narrow stone arch of the old city walls has to be experienced to be believed.
The upper city is compact and steep and also extraordinarily beautiful.  There are museums, but the real sight is the city itself.  Towers soar.  Stone arches lead to passages and piazzas.  You will feel the rough cobbling beneath your shoes.  Such places tend to be very touristy and Bergamo is, but I assure you none of the charm is diminished.  Every other shop seemed to sell pastry.  I had gelato.  The flavors of the day were:  Baccio which is hazelnut and chocolate and pistaccio,  I spent happy hours wandering around.  I did also go to museums.  In one I found a Portrait of a Man that several experts believe portrays Cesare Borgia.  I climbed up to one of the castles.  Alas it was a rather misty day, so the view over the lower city and the countryside was not as glorious as it could be.
But, Pil, you have just one more day in Milan and have not mentioned the most famous sight of all!  What about the Last Supper?
I see it tomorrow morning, and I'll want to focus on it so let's get the business aspect of it out of the way right now.  When folks tell you to reserve early--Reserve Early.  Seriously! I waited until the weekend before I left figuring, Oh its a low season. I'll get in.  Well, I very nearly didn't!  Tomorrow which is the day before I leave was the first open reservation, and I tell you, getting to see the Last Supper is almost as hard as getting an invite to the Royal Wedding.  I had to register at the site, and provide my age and passport number.  I had to print out the "ticket" and need to bring it and my passport with me.  The only other way to get in is to sign up for an expensive tour of the city, which a lot of folks might find very worthwhile.  So forewarned is forearmed.  If you are going to be here in summer, you need to reserve MONTHS ahead. Just saying.