NIGEL THOMPSON
The magnificent Duomo cathedral away a few hours strictly window-shopping at high-end designer stores such as Gucci, Versace and Armani, that line the famous ‘Golden Triangle’.
Back at the hotel there was more wine-tasting in store at a dinner in The Brasserie hosted by Jamie Goode. The British wine expert has teamed up with Ramada hotels to curate a different red wine list for 15 of its hotels, and showed just how much of a connoisseur of wine he is, teaching us which wines compliment certain dishes. And among the six on offer, which included pinot noir, Barbera and Valpolicella, one stood out – the Guerrieri Rizzardi Bardolino Classico 2017 which I’d sampled that very morning at the winery.
After an action-packed day I had no problem falling asleep in my comfy bed.
A hearty breakfast of bacon, pastries and espresso set us up nicely for some more sightseeing at the Teatro alla Scala, a beautiful opera house built in HISTORIC Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, and a room at the Ramada Plaza Milano
1778, and then admiring The Last Supper, the mural painted by Leonardo da Vinci housed in the Santa Maria delle Grazie church.
Gazing at one of the world’s most famous works of art, thoughts turned to food and drink, so we made our way to pretty ivy-clad pizzeria, Volemose Bene in the heart of the city. A platter of olives, fried artichoke and mozzarella with a glass of zinfandel kicked things off. The main dish of chicken and penne pasta, drizzled in a white wine sauce, left me feeling too stuffed for dessert.
But I was up for a show at the Blue Note Milano, the legendary jazz club of New York fame, enjoying a cocktail or two at the bar before a band of seven, armed with trumpets, trombones and guitars, took to the stage for a stomping late-night performance. Somehow I managed to wake up in time to catch my flight home, but sadly without picking up a bottle of wine as a souvenir.
A visit to the wine section of the local supermarket soon fixed that, since I was keen to discover if my palate had become more cultured since my educational trip.
My choice of an oaky Montepulciano was all the proof I needed that it most certainly had. Though the speed at which I gulped it down meant I still had a long way to go before I could call myself a connoisseur! Ramada Plaza Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Milano Teatro la Scala Duomo One mile ■ Rooms at the Ramada Plaza Milano start at 120 euros a night. wyndhamhotels.com
■ Airlines that fly to Milan include British Airways (ba.com), easyJet (easyjet.com) and Ryanair (ryanair. com)
■ Tourist info: turismo.milano.it, italia.it
UK +1hr CURRENCY Euro £1 = 1.08
BEST TIME TO GO Raise a glass to the fashion city in spring and autumn ■ The Juice Power Station XL is a beast and it feels as if it could jump-start a Jumbo jet.
It weighs in at a very chunky 362g and is certainly not pocketsized, but on test its twin USB ports simultaneously pumped up an iPhone 6 and HTC M9 from near flat twice, with capacity to spare.
It’s a decent choice for travel where power points are not going to be readily to hand: camping, festivals, road trips... your smartphone will be fully fuelled ready for take-off. RRP £49.99, argos.co.uk
■ Ice and snow... meet your new foe. The Thermo Rogue Mid Gore-Tex winter boot from Merrell is insulated, breathable and waterproof, and has a special sole designed to give stability on slippery surfaces.
Available for men and women for £179.99 at SportsShoes.com
■ Keep tabs on your bags with the latest version of the GPS-enabled V-Bag Tracker from Vodafone.
The TrackiSafe Luggage is linked to your smartphone via an app with maps and you can set safe zones which send alerts if your case moves from, for example, your hotel.
A light sensor will warn you if your bag is opened unexpectedly, while the movement alert will let you know if it starts travelling over a certain speed – for instance, if it’s taken away in a car.
The device is credit-card size, waterproof, lightweight and the battery lasts three to four days. Having tested a previous model, it does work and I ‘watched’ my bag off the plane and on to the carousel at Nice airport – which is more fun than it sounds!
Priced at £50, plus a £3 per month service fee. vodafone.co.uk