The minute our guide left us, we were u supervised in Milan. Relieved to be on our own, I gladly traded in my earpiece speaker. Maybe we won’t know quite as much as a tour guide but we can enjoy sights at our own pace.

Our first order of business was to buy tickets to climb onto the roof of the duomo. Three of us had already experienced the roof walk years ago, but my husband and sister in law had not. It was fascinating climbing among the gargoyles far above the city and we wanted to share the experience.

While we waited for our timed entry, we examined features in the duomo more closely. A priest sat in a glass box behind a desk. We were not sure why. My fun loving sister in law took a selfie with the priest and sent it to her children, telling them she met the pope. Their response was underwhelming, which made us giggle like school girls.

The line to climb the roof (in the rain) was shockingly long, considering there was timed entry. Last time I climbed (15 years ago) there was no line and we were virtually alone on the roof. The wait got even more chaotic when a girl in line behind us suddenly turned grey and had to be held up. An ambulance was called, but by the time it arrived we had started to climb

Once on roof walk, there was a mob of pretty young things posing with pouty lips and pointed toes. Boyfriends were dutifully taking shot after shot of their wannabe models. We just wanted to see the intricate carvings and marble gables. As we pushed our way through the crowd, my sister in law blamed Tik Tok for the chaos. It was a zoo of people oblivious to their surroundings. The roof was steep and slick in the rain. Having to walk around people pretending to have a high fashion photo shoot in a space that was tight, steep and crowded seemed ridiculous. In the sunshine, it would be comical. In inclement weather, it was maddening.

The view (when we could see around and between people taking selfies) was as breathtaking as always. The central roof corridor had hundreds of people on it, making me uncomfortable. I had the same feeling you get when you are on an elevator or boat and they push too many people on. You know you are over capacity but can’t do anything about it. So we waited in line to exit through the door with the single file staircase, while people pushed past us. I am quite sure we violated safety codes, but I tried not to think about it.

Earlier in another single file line, my husband had argued with a line jumper pushing his way past me. He claimed to work “here”, but was obviously a tourist showing the town to a relative. It was hard to watch chaos as people who believe lines are for other people forcibly pushed in front of those who had been patiently waiting to descend. Eventually, despite the lawlessness horde, we made it to the ground.

A local friend of my brother had recommended the 12 Gato 🐈‍⬛ (cats) restaurant to us. It was up a secret staircase in the Vittorio Emmanuel building and on the rooftop. A hidden oasis in a sea of crazy, the cozy restaurant was perfect. We lunched on great pizza far away from the crowds. While we were there I snuck out on the highline catwalk. I guess I hadn’t spent enough time on roof walks yet. Actually, I was hoping for a view of the 12 cats that lived on the roof. No luck….but I can say I walked on the rooftop of the Vittorio Emmanuel. I didn’t even know that was possible, and unlike the experience at the Duomo, I the only one on the roof.

Next, we took an aimless walk by gelato shops and high end fashion. My husband was fascinated with “Twizzy”, a car that I could fit in my purse. We found several models to peruse along the way, including one that almost didn’t stop as he crossed the road.

We were destined never to see Sforza castle in the sunlight. Each time I have visited, it has rained. Today was only a light drizzle, so we were able to walk the forecourt, the moat, and the porticos and still stay dry. We also walked the adjacent park to see the arch and ruins of the original walls while my husband happily engaged in people watching from a bench just inside the castle entrance.

As we made our way across town to the Convent San Mauricio, I saw a shoe store my brother has talked about for years. He has said every time he has visited Milan that he wanted a pair of “Harris” shoes, but he never buys them . Today with his wife, his sister, and his sister in law in attendance, he didn’t stand a chance. We made him try on shoes. We gave our opinions. We cajoled as he tried to talk himself out of the expense. And he finally got a pair of hand made, hand painted, Italian leather shoes from Milan. Bellissimo!

Next my sister in law stopped to buy an Italian pipe for my brother who couldn’t join us. She searched for the perfect fit. While I don’t care for tobacco, the pipe was a work of art.

Directly across the street sat the convent. The outside of the building was unassuming. It would be easy to walk right by and never notice it was a church. However, inside was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. To me, it was more interesting and beautiful than either of the churches we had paid to visit. It was free and there were no crowds. Apparently, it is still off the radar. I hesitate even writing about it, because I hope it remains a calm place of contemplation.

The chapel was a riot of paintings of the saints. I didn’t know where to look as each surface was covered in pristine fresco . However the magic happened behind the chapel in the nuns walk. An intricate choir was surrounded by frescoes from 1200 to 1500. Noah’s ark, Adam and Eve, and numerous other biblical scenes played out in technicolor. The colors and themes were unique for their time period and each expertly done. It was a true visual delight.

Reluctantly, we made our way to the train station, where I endured the good natured teasing about wanting to see the train board. Everyone else was quite content to find a cafe for a snack before boarding. Once we got to the 20 minute mark, I kept sneaking out the door to check to see if our train had been assigned a track. I know logically that 15 minutes is enough time to find a train, but in a new station, I like to know where I am going. I want to make sure I am not running to catch a train. Clearly I was outnumbered. They teased that I was a control freak. My husband said my need to be early made him anxious. I tried to explain that being annoyed is not the same thing as anxiety disorder….and so it went.

Despite the ribbing, made our train with time to spare. My companions dozed off and on during the one hour trip back to Arona. Once we collected our car, we introduced the group to the Italian Appertivi. You buy a drink and for a small fee you get appetizers (sometimes they are free/in today’s case $2.00 euro). Our table was covered in food. We sipped and ate and laughed. Turns out we can have a whole lot of fun unsupervised.