Milan, Italy 米兰，意大利
April 1, 2026
We left for Milan on March 31 to begin a dream trip with my sister and her husband. We flew with United, connecting through Newark Liberty International Airport. Between the airport lounges and the inflight meals, we were very well fed — perhaps a little too well fed.
We arrived at Zurich Airport on the morning of April 1. Although our flight landed 30 minutes early, the biggest surprise was how quickly we cleared customs, leaving us with plenty of time before our scheduled train to Milan.
At the station ticket office, we paid an extra €10 to switch to an earlier train. Without spending much time in the station, we were soon on our way to Milan.
At Milan Centrale, we were welcomed by our daughter, who was on a business trip in Germany and joined us for a few days. From there, we dragged our luggage through the streets of Milan for about a 15-minute walk to Hotel Principe di Savoia, part of the Dorchester Collection.
My sister and her husband had arrived directly in Milan earlier that morning. Since we had not been able to get tickets for them for the following day, they went to see The Last Supper that same day while we were on the way to Milan.
After settling in, the three of us headed out to get our first feel of Milan, walking toward the area around Piazza del Duomo. Coffee was a must, and by coincidence we passed one of our favorite illy cafés, so naturally our very first cup in Italy was there.
We then continued strolling through the elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, admiring its ornate architecture and marveling at the grand scale of the historic shopping arcade. Soon afterward, we arrived in front of the breathtaking Milan Cathedral, deeply impressed by its magnificent and imposing presence.
Yet what made the day truly unforgettable was reuniting there with my younger sister and her husband in a foreign country. As we took a photo in front of one of Italy’s most iconic landmarks and shared it with our parents right away, we felt the joy of being together and the promise of many memorable days ahead. It marked the beginning of a special chapter—traveling not just as tourists, but as family, sharing time, experiences, and discoveries.
Our first dinner in Milan was at a pizza place recommended by the hotel. We enjoyed pizza and one of Milan’s most traditional dishes, saffron risotto. We raised our glasses to celebrate this precious moment together.
2026年4月1日
3月31日清晨3点半，预订的Uber准时来家接我们去机场。最近这些天全美许多机场安检时间超乎寻常，心里稍稍有些担心。比平时稍微早了一点来到机场，很久没见到值机大厅里有这么多人，好在安检一切正常，我们顺利启程前往意大利米兰。4月1日早上，我们抵达瑞士苏黎世机场。飞机比预定时间提前了30分钟落地，入境通关非常迅速，因此我们比原定前往米兰的火车发车时间早了许多。于是我们在车站售票处加付了10欧元，改签到更早一班列车。没有在车站多作停留，我们很快便踏上了前往米兰的旅程。
抵达米兰中央车站时，女儿已经在那里迎接我们。她当时正在德国出差，特意抽出几天时间加入我们的旅程。随后，我们拖着行李，来到下榻的萨伏伊王子酒店（Hotel Principe di Savoia）。这家酒店隶属于多切斯特精选酒店集团（Dorchester Collection）。
妹妹和妹夫当天早晨更早一些也已直接飞抵米兰。我们没能为他们买到与我们同一天参观《最后的晚餐》的门票，很幸运他们在携程上购买到抵达米兰当天下午的参观票。
安顿好之后，我们三人便出门先熟悉一下米兰，朝着大教堂广场一带走去。咖啡是必须喝的，正好路过我们喜欢的illy 咖啡店，这次来到意大利的第一杯就是它了。之后继续漫步穿过维托里奥·埃马努埃莱二世长廊，欣赏它优雅华丽的建筑，也惊叹于这座商业拱廊宏大的规模。随后，我们来到那座令人震撼的米兰大教堂前，被它庄严恢宏的气势深深吸引。
然而，让这一天真正变得难忘的是在异国他乡与我妹妹和妹夫重逢。当我们站在意大利最具标志性的地标之一前合影，并立刻把照片分享给父母时，心中充满了团聚的喜悦，也仿佛看见接下来许多美好时光正在前方等待着我们。我们不只是游客，更是家人，将一起分享沿途的见闻、体验与回忆。
在回酒店的路上，学着当地人在路边小摊上喝上一杯意式浓缩咖啡，味道很浓。
我们在米兰的第一顿晚餐，是酒店推荐的一家披萨店。我们品尝了披萨，也点了米兰最具代表性的传统菜之一——藏红花烩饭。大家举杯庆祝这难得而珍贵的相聚时光。