Welcome to Milan

We're heading to Greece the slow way - it's going to take two days and two nights to get there. We caught the 9.17 Eurostar from London to Paris. I love this train - it's so quick and smooth, and the snacks are good.

Once in Paris, we walked from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon. Paris seems a lot grubbier than London - greyer, more rundown and lots of graffiti. However, Parisienne bakeries are wondrous. We found some filled croissants and giant chocolate-covered (impossible to eat delicately) meringues for our next journey. There was also a very fine take-out tea shop.

At Gare de Lyon, we hopped on the train to Milan. It would have been lovely if the sun hadn't set - we had to imagine the Alps. This journey didn't pass quickly and felt long, but I got stuck into my book and waited it out. I've taken a good book for pile To Be Read and I'm enjoying it so far.

I'm not used to spending time in one spot for many hours without an electronic gadget. I have my phone, but I'm determined not to look at it throughout the day. I need a break from email, etc., too, otherwise it's not a holiday! I did check in at the end of the day, though, when we reached Milan and I turned on my phone to find the address of our hotel. Then, all my messages popped up demanding attention, from charities to shops to Feast emails and freelance and office work - bam, bam, BAM! Of course, once I know those emails are there, I have to deal with them. When I go camping in the Hebrides, it's easier to ignore the emails - there's no reception for the most part. This is not the case in European cities. Ah well.

We found our hotel after a 40-minute walk down narrow streets that were even more graffitied than Paris. This wasn't what I expected in Milan, but maybe it's because the area is near the station. King's Cross used to be as grotty a decade or so ago. The hotel lived up to its images on Trip Advisor - all very nice and colourful. We headed out for an evening walk and didn't find much to inspire us. The cathedral was suitably pointy and big, and there was a covered, imposing plaza of shops that made us gawp. Near that, we bought two massive, thick pizza slices that were absolutely delicious. On the walk back to the hotel, we met the subject of this blip. I've not idea what it is, but I like it.