Day one.
The SUV we were supposed to rent cancelled on us at the last hour. Luckily, my brother managed to score a seven seater Renault Espace from Europcar. Due to the smaller trunk space, we all had to lose half of our luggage. Not an easy task deciding which outfits to forego when you have a few minutes to choose.
Our first stop, Bologna.
We had a quick snack at a café in Piazza Magiore, then walked around to see the Basilica of San Petronio and the Fountain of Neptune.
Next stop, Milan.
While heading towards Piazza del Duomo, I started to notice stylish men in their designer scarves and man bags walking about. It was then when I realized that I was in a fashion capital. Coming from an urbanized valley in Los Angeles where folks are almost always dressed in casual clothing, this was such a sweet sight. Of course, the ladies of Milan were just as voguish.
Duomo di Milano was simply stunning from all angles.
We stopped a few times to watch performers outside and around Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
This was also where we first tried real Italian gelato.
I expected to have an authentic Italian dinner, but little brother was craving Filipino food, so we met some of his friends at a Filipino restaurant where we had an awesome little feast.
After dinner, we headed to our home for the night – Hilton Garden Inn Milan North. We needed to rest for a much longer drive the next day. French Riviera, here we come!
TravelhackRR 