Karen Wright: A fabulous taste of Milan on whirlwind trip
Last week I flew to Milan for two nights! The trip was organised by The Caravan Writers Guild in conjunction with Fiamma which is the market leading brand of roll out awnings for caravans and motorhomes.
Fiamma, which means flame in Italian, was founded in 1945 and began life as a small company manufacturing camping stoves and heaters. Now the company is in the capable hands of the third generation of the Ponzi family, and it is a global business which concentrates on awnings and other camping accessories.
After arriving in Italy, we were collected by minibus and taken to our hotel. We had half an hour to check into our rooms and freshen up before heading out by coach to Lake Como. We had a lovely walk around the town of Como before our dinner which was booked at a lakeside restaurant.
The next morning, we headed off to Fiamma HQ where we were welcomed by Charles, one of the co-directors. The tour of the showroom, factory and the research and development office were really fascinating, we then went into the boardroom where we had an hour's question and answer session with Charles and his colleagues. Then it was lunchtime! Once again, we were wined and dined in style at a local restaurant. We enjoyed deli meats and mozzarella, salad, crab cakes and a huge platter of seafood.
Once we had eaten our fill it was time to hop back on the bus and head into Milan itself. What a treat, we wandered down from the castle fortress towards the cathedral that dominates a central square. There was an orchestra playing at the side of the cathedral which added so much to the atmosphere. I marvelled at the beautiful shopping arcades and gazed at La Scala, the famous opera house, before heading into a very sophisticated bar that specialised in Campari.
After enjoying a Campari spritz each, we were ready to eat once again. We were booked into a beautiful and authentic restaurant where I was a bit mesmerized by the menu. Fortunately for us Charles joined us for dinner, so he explained how the menu worked and gave us his recommendations. I had cannellini beans in cream spinach sauce as a starter and a spaghetti dish for main and of course, it had to be done, a tiramisu for dessert!
What a whirlwind trip. It was fantastic in every way, and a fabulous taste of Milan!