Italy

Going to the opera at La Scala was something I had long wanted to do; it was the reason Milan appeared in my Italian itinerary. I was lucky enough to see Otello.

It was magnificent. The unassuming exterior gave little warning of the atmosphere inside: the costumes and scenery, the orchestra and acoustics, the beautiful interior. It was certainly worth going.

But I made a frustrating mistake with my seat. Assuming that more expensive meant better, I chose the most expensive remaining ticket, at €217: the third seat in a third-tier box. From there I could not see the stage. To see the orchestra, I had to approach the rail, where the two strangers in front occupied the available space. It was awkward and uncomfortable, and I was disappointed.

I learnt that only the first two seats in the box offered a seated view of the stage. The surtitles included English but not Russian. Most of the audience wore evening clothes, though visitors in jeans and shirts were admitted. The small bar had enormous queues, but it was worth going downstairs to watch the beautifully dressed audience and have a sip of champagne.

I booked online and collected my ticket at the box office an hour before the performance. Do not return late after the interval: you may find yourself sent to the gallery.

I had little time in Milan, but I could not walk past this cathedral without stopping. Its Gothic stonework resembled the lace of a fairy-tale castle. The delicate spires rose like embroidery, so skilfully carved that I could have watched them for a long time.

It is worth going up to the roof for the view of the city. You could take the lift or the old, narrow spiral staircase, which became particularly tight near the top and was stuffy in the heat. If you have the energy, the stairs make the more atmospheric approach.

At the time, cathedral and museum admission cost two euros. Going onto the roof cost nine euros by the stairs or thirteen by lift. Ticket offices were beside the cathedral and across the road to its right.

The square was full of pigeons. Be wary of the vendors who tried to put birds on visitors for photographs and then asked for five euros.

After three hours walking through hot Venice, it was wonderful to step into this cool, cosy little café. The windows looked onto a narrow street near San Marco.

A delicious sandwich and a cup of coffee were exactly what I needed, and inexpensive too. A short rest in such a pleasant place added to the charm of the city.

I could write at length about the Colosseum and why you should see it in Rome. Instead, I wanted to pass on one practical lesson from my visit: buying a ticket online in advance saved a great deal of waiting. We still had to queue to collect it, but that queue was much shorter. Tickets covering both the Forum and Colosseum were also sold at the Forum’s ticket offices.

A Russian audio guide and a map were available at the entrance. Even so, reading a little history beforehand made the experience more interesting and moving.

The areas we could explore were limited, partly because of restoration work. We could climb the tiers and look over the former arena towards the underground spaces where participants had once waited. The atmosphere, scale and historical significance were impressive.

It was also worth returning in the evening for photographs at sunset and then after dark, when the building was illuminated.