For the kid’s Fall break this year, we went to Italy. It was wonderful. We wondered if the kids were old enough and how they would handle the amount of sight seeing, but they did great. It didn’t hurt that we kept feeding them gelato and pizza. We spent one night/day in Milan and then made our way down to Rome.
The Duomo is a sight. (Technically it is the Milan Cathedral, as duomo is Italian for church.) I’ve seen a lot of churches in my European travels, and the Duomo’s marble exterior is one of the most impressive. The pictures don’t do justice to the intricate sculptural details covering the church. The outside of the church has 2,245 marble sculptures, 96 gargoyles, and 135 spires. I can understand why it took almost 600 years to complete. It was actually Napoleon who ordered the final facade of the church to be finished. He was crowned King of Italy at the (mostly finished) Duomo in 1805.
Right beside the Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It is named after the first Italian King and is Italy’s oldest active shopping mall. It opened in 1867 and is full of fancy shops and cafes. 
A must if you are ever in Milan is the panzerotti at Luini (it’s around the corner from the Duomo.) There is usually a line, but we got there early. Panzerotti is similar to a calzone, but is fried, not baked. We got a couple cheese and sweet ones to share. It is amazing. So amazing my very particular son loved it. So amazing we actually went back for more.
San Bernardino alle Ossa is a church built in the 1200s and rebuilt in subsequent centuries. Predating the current Church is a small chapel decorated with human skulls and bones. I was super into it. (Back home, I was an orthopedic OR nurse, so I felt quite at home with all the bones.) It creeped the kids out a little, but they still thought it was cool. It was originally built in 1210 to house bones when a nearby cemetery ran out of room.
The chapel was filled with skulls, sawed off distal femurs (end of the thigh bone) and proximal tibias (top of lower leg bone).
I did some research on gelato before coming here. I really wanted the real stuff. (The easiest way to tell is to see how it is stored. It should be in covered circular containers and not whipped up, piled high in a freezer. Let’s not be snobby though, fake gelato is still super yummy.) Our first stop, Grom, was the real deal and did not disapoint. Flavors we tried today were pastry cream/chocolate and lemon/apple. 
Piazza Sant’Alessandro
Castelleo Sforzesco was built in the 15th century by the Duke of Milan on the remains of a 14th century fort. It’s a massive defensive fortress that has been rebuilt, occupied by foreign armies (French, Spanish, Napoleon), and added onto over centuries. 
Katherine walking along the water in The Courtyard of Arms, and the boys in The Rocchetta Courtyard.
We had late lunch/early dinner at La Prosciutteria. By we, I mean Andy and myself. The kids had a few bites we made them try, but they were not fans. Andy and I loved it though. We are very partial to meat and cheese platters, and this one was amazing.
A beautiful little fountain we came across.
The tallest building in Italy, the Unicredit Tower.
Since they decided not to partake in our meat and cheese plate at La Prosciutteria, we made a quick stop for the kid’s dinner at McDonalds. I’m pretty sure we’ve been to a McDonalds in every country we’ve visited with the kids.
And we are off to Rome. Cin Cin.
xoxo-sk
ps. I absolutely loved all the greenery on the buildings.
Katherine and Andrew turned nine this year. They decided on having sleepovers to celebrate. We decided to do them back to back and knock them out in one weekend. It was exhausting, but everyone had a great time.
They girls were high energy and high volume. They made slime, got their nails painted, watched The Greatest Showman (twice), giggled a lot, and ate quesadillas, nachos, and danish waffles. They went to bed late, if at all.
The boys were much lower maintenance. They played video games, had pillow fights, played on their iPads, watched Infinity Wars, and ate pizza and pancakes. They also slept pretty well, but were up super early.
The Museum also has a beautiful domed Winter Garden. (It also has a wing of paintings, but we didn’t visit it that day.)
As per usual, a crepe for Katherine (Oreo and Nutella.) Andy doesn’t mind her always getting a crepe because he usually gets to finish it. (I don’t like Nutella, I know.)
Andrew and his beloved burger and fries. He even approved of the ketchup.
I was in the mood for a big salad.
And Andy got fresh pasta.
Reffen from our side of the harbor.
We tried some freeze dried bugs at Copenhagen Bugfest.
We even brought some home with us.
xoxo-sk 