What a long day! After an eight hour plane ride, it was great to wake up to see the Alps stretching through the clouds to greet us. After grabbing our bags and getting our passports stamped, we met with our guide, Luca and headed for our hotel. I was surprised to see the combination of new and old architecture. Beautiful rustic farmland and farmhouses were punctuated by modern buildings with unique, geometrical shapes.

Entering Milan, you can see what may be one of the most eye-catching examples of modern architecture, the Vertical Forest high rises. These luxury apartments stood out from the landscape, even in the gray of the rain, with their tall, green vibrancy. The Le Corbusier inspired architecture really imparts what an “international town” Milan is as well (Think of it as the New York City of Italy!).

After checking our bags into the Hotel Sempione, Luca took us to Delicatessen – L’Alto Adige a tavola, where we had an amazing lunch. We had a huge variety of warm, fresh bread (which stars this blog entry!) followed by a delicious charcuterie platter.

The main course was a delicious lasagna, followed by a light lemon sorbet. The meal was amazing, and the waitstaff was extremely nice! After lunch, we had a brief safety orientation led by Luca, and then spent the evening on our own. I walked around Corso Buenos Aires with my friends, which is a fashionable shopping area in Milan, and we ate some delicious pizza and risotto at a small restaurant. I am looking forward to tomorrow, where we’ll get to walk around and visit the Duomo Cathedral in the heart of Milan!