EXPOnentially Milano

It's not long after 8pm here in Genoa, and it's chucking it down, so after yesterday it's an early night for me as I don't feel inclined to go traipsing around trying to find a nice place for a nightcap. I just had a really good Minestrone Genovese for supper - vegetables!!!

Arrived here mid-afternoon after a short train journey from Milan. Have learned that Fresccobianca trains aren't as posh as Frescorossa in that you don't get any extras in first class - sigh.....but the extra legroom is very welcome anyway.

Yesterday in Milan saw me clocking up a new record number of steps on the app - about 34000 - I had a very long day. After breakfast I went straight to Fondazione Prada, a modern art gallery founded by Miuccia Prada - a real case of style over substance I'm afraid. The environment itself was lovely

The building on the left has golden walls

 - it wasn't so much that I didn't like what was on show, I was just annoyed by the presentation. I really loved the Damien Hirst (yes real and beautiful tropical fish, not swimming in formaldehyde) and David Hockney pieces

Lost love

Giant pyramid

and there were other pieces I liked, I didn't like the uninformative teeny tiny descriptors, with the credits supplied on non eco-friendly leaflets rather than the vulgarity of a large board that everyone could read. Two of the exhibition spaces had nothing to see, but the admission price wasn't amended, and one of the exhibits that you had to sign up for wasn't available to me for 2.5 hours after entry - there just wasn't that much to see. A big disappointment.

I took a stroll in the canal district (much of it closed on a Sunday - maybe high season finished earlier in Milan) and had lunch, and on my host's recommendation headed north to the Hangar Biccoca, a new modern gallery in an old factory in the university district. I saw some work by Mexican artist Damian Ortega

and then the biggest sculptures I've ever seen outside Nelson's column, called Seven Kingdoms of Heaven - really powerful, post-apocalyptic stuff.

Yes, that's a person at the base...

Back into the city for a wander round and my daily ice cream (and a very reasonable Aperol a bit later), then I had a post-7pm ticket for the Expo in the north of the city. It was a case of sensory overload - I couldn't quite get my head around all the noise and stuff going on, and to be honest after 30 minutes I was on the point of leaving, but stuck with it. (And I felt a bit self-conscious - I was wearing cropped trousers, a sleeveless top and shrug and Birkenstocks. Everyone else was in padded jackets, jeans and trainers or ankle boots, as in Italy evidently this is autumn whereas for an Englisher like me it felt positively tropical.)

Lots of countries have pavilions which are fabulous from the outside, but just like Prada lack content on the inside. The theme for this year's Expo is about feeding the world, and it seems a lot of countries just use it as an opportunity to sell their cuisine. The UK focused on bees - it was low-key and cute and has apparently won an award - whereas Spain concentrated on its cooking, and it was fun. I listened to a lovely live piano recital on a high-tech piano in Hungary's pavilion, and really not sure what I was supposed to see in Germany's as their storyboards weren't terribly visible in the dark. 

Tree of life in the distance

Spanish plates on the wall, under the floor...

The hive in the UK pavilion

Korean light forest

Kazakhstan's light show

The perspex forest of light-changing trees in Korea were the only thing to keep you occupied while you waited, and I then decided I couldn't be arsed to wait on my own for at least 40 minutes. It's the sort of thing that really is best experienced in company - so I left around 9.30pm and wended my weary way back to Elsa's place. Still not really sure what it's for or whether it's a huge hype and a bit like a sports competition without the sport, to see who's biggest and best.

This morning it was very difficult to get my legs to work, but I had to get packed and wanted to spend a couple of hours seeing some sights I'd missed before my train to Genoa at lunchtime. I gave the Duomo a miss as there was a big queue and I didn't want to pay for a quick visit and see the museum - so I did more wandering, especially along Via Garibaldi and Corso Como to Porta Nuevo - was kicking myself for not exploring the area earlier, where some of the innovative architecture is as well as some lovely restaurants and the fantastic food and cooking shop, Eataly

Missed out on the Panorama on the left - next time. The building behind is "living" with loads of trees growing on it

Selfie!

I managed to get myself lost again and dashed back to Elsa's in the squeak of time to grab Nellie (well, as far as you can grab her) and trundle off to the nearby Central station.

Arrived via taxi to Al Basilisco B&B here in the old town. It's a lovely old building and room, but had I known there was no lift I'd never have opted for it. I was very lucky that the nice young man who manages the place was willing to cart her up 6 flights for me. I had a good old wander round the old town - you can't move for palazzos nearby, and there are lots of buildings with glorious trompe l'oeil the outside if they're being refurbed

No, not real on the left

San Lorenzo church

Daz Aldridge on a pirate ship in the Porto Antico

but eventually got fed up of being damp and followed my nose back to dry off before nipping out for dinner. So here's hoping for better weather tomorrow - but there are indoor things to do too, not least a very promising exhibition from Impressionists to Picasso at the Palazzo Ducale.