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Milan and Lake Como

This is a quick and handy source for details on the sights, hotels, tour guides and restaurants featured in the "Milan and Lake Como" show. For much more (and updates), see this year's edition of Rick Steves' Italy guidebook.

Milan's Monumental Cemetery

Europe's most artistic and dreamy cemetery experience, this grand place was built just after unification to provide a suitable final resting place for the city's "famous and well-deserving men." Any cemetery is evocative, but this one — with its super-emotional portrayals of the deceased and their heavenly escorts (in art styles c. 1870–1930) — is in a class by itself. It's a vast garden art gallery of proud busts and grim reapers, heartbroken angels and weeping widows, too-young soldiers and countless old smiles, frozen on yellowed black-and-white photos (free, pick up map at the entrance gate, Tue–Sun 8:00–18:00, last entry 30 min before closing, closed Mon, a long walk from Metro: Garibaldi FS, or tram #3, #4, #11, #12, or #14).

Peck Deli

Peck is an aristocratic deli with a fancy coffee/pastry/gelato shop upstairs, a gourmet grocery and rosticcerìa on the main level, and an enoteca wine cellar in the basement. Even if all you can afford is the aroma, peek in. Check out the gourmet assembly-line action in the kitchen in the back (Mon 15:00–19:30, Tue–Sat 9:00–19:30, closed Sun, Via Spadari 9, tel. 02-802-3161). The rosticcerìa serves fancy food to go for a superb picnic dinner in your hotel. It's delectable, beautiful, sold by weight (order by the etto — 100-gram unit, 250 grams equals about a half-pound), and pricey. Try the risotto.

Last Supper

Reserve at least a month in advance to see this Renaissance masterpiece in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Because of Leonardo's experimental fresco technique, deterioration began within six years of its completion. The church was bombed in World War II, but — miraculously, it seems — the wall holding The Last Supper remained standing. The 21-year restoration project (completed in 1999) peeled 500 years of touch-ups away, leaving a faint but vibrant masterpiece. In a big, vacant, whitewashed room, you'll see faded pastels and not a crisp edge. The feet under the table look like negatives. But the composition is dreamy — Leonardo captures the psychological drama as the Lord says, "One of you will betray me," and the apostles huddle in stressed-out groups of three, wondering, "Lord, is it I?" Some are scandalized. Others want more information. Simon (on the far right) gestures as if to ask a question that has no answer. In this agitated atmosphere, only Judas (fourth from left and the only one with his face in shadow) — clutching his 30 pieces of silver and looking pretty guilty — is not shocked.

Reservations: Reservations are mandatory. These days, because of the hype surrounding Dan Brown's blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code, spots are booked at least a month in advance — so plan ahead. To minimize the humidity problem — even though the damage has already been done — only 25 tourists are allowed in every 15 minutes for exactly 15 minutes. Prior to your appointment time, you wait in several rooms, while doors close behind you and open up slowly in front of you. The information posted on Leonardo is mainly in Italian.

It's easiest to book online: www.cenacolovinciano.org. A calendar will appear with available time slots. If the calendar's blank, all spots for that time period are filled. You can also call for a reservation, but it's nearly impossible to get through to the museum's call center (tel. 02-8942-1146; or from the US, dial 011-39-02-8942-1146; booking office open Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat 9:00–14:00, closed Sun; if you get through, the process takes about 2 minutes, and you'll hang up with an appointed entry time and a number).

Cost: No matter how you book, the cost is €8, which includes the €1.50 reservation fee (pay upon arrival for phone bookings or by credit card for online bookings, must pay in advance by credit card for more than two tickets, 9:30 and 15:30 visits cost €3.25 extra for guided English tour).

Last-Minute Tickets: While "reservations are required," if spots are available (more likely on weekdays and late) you can book one at the desk (even if Sold Out sign is posted). If fewer than 25 people show up for a particular time slot, you can get lucky. But those who show up without a reservation generally kill lots of time waiting around. Only un-prepaid spots are given away if the ticket holders don't show up; prepaid no-shows are not resold. Note that the Autostradale city bus tour includes entry to The Last Supper. In a pinch, you might be able to buy tickets from Autostradale without going on their tour. They book out the 12:00 and 12:15 slots, speculating that they'll fill their buses. If they don't, they release these extra tickets each morning. You can try to nab one by showing up at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie at 10:00.

Hours of The Last Supper: Tue–Sun 8:15–18:45 (last visit), closed Mon. You'll be asked to show up 20 minutes before your scheduled time. When an attendant calls your time, get up and move into the next room. Consider the fine €2.50 audioguide (€4.50 with two headsets). Its spiel fills every second of the time you're in the room — so try to start listening just before you enter. You might want to listen to it in the waiting room while studying the reproduction of the actual The Last Supper there until you're let in. No photos are allowed.

Getting There: Take the Metro to Cadorna or Conciliazione (plus a 5-min walk), or hop on tram #16 (catch it just off Piazza Duomo on corner of Via Mazzini and Via Dogana), which drops you off in front of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

La Scala Opera House and Museum

The statue of Leonardo behind the Galleria is looking at a plain but famous Neoclassical building, arguably the world's most prestigious opera house: Milan's Teatrale alla Scala. La Scala opened in 1778 with an opera by Antonio Salieri (of Amadeus fame).

At Milan's famous opera house and its adjacent museum, which have recently both undergone a lengthy restoration, opera buffs can see the museum's extensive collection and get a glimpse of the theater.

Museum: The collection — well-described in English — features things that mean absolutely nothing to the hip-hop crowd: Verdi's top hat, Rossini's eyeglasses, Toscanini's baton, Fettuccini's pesto, original scores, diorama stage sets, costumes, busts, portraits, and death masks of great composers and musicians. The museum allows you to peek into the actual theater. The stage is as big as the seating area on the ground floor. The royal box is just below your vantage point, in the center rear. Notice the massive chandelier made of Bohemian crystal (€5, daily 9:00–12:30 & 13:30–17:30, Piazza della Scala, tel. 02-8879-2473).

Opera: The show goes on at the world-famous La Scala Opera House. Schedules vary, but the opera season is nearly year-round (show time 20:00), and ballet and classical concerts are held from October through June. No performances are held in August (for information and booking call Scala Infotel Service, daily 9:00–18:00, until 20:00 on performance days, tel. 02-7200-3744 — live; or tel. 02-860-775 — automated booking, press 2 for English; or book online at La Scala's helpful website: www.teatroallascala.org). While tourists are usually keen on seeing an opera in La Scala, note that many of the performances are actually in a second hall, the Arcimboldi Theater. On the opening night of an opera, a dress code is enforced for men (suit and tie).

Tickets generally go on sale two months before a performance. Seats sell out quickly. At 18:00 on the day of the show, any remaining seats (usually in the affordable, sky-high gallery) are sold at a 20 percent discount at the box office; at another handy ticket office in the Duomo Metro station (daily 12:00–18:00, entrance is to right of Duomo as you face it, underground, follow the signs to ATM Point); and on the Internet (Web sales end one hour before show time).

Risorgimento Museum

With a quick 30-minute swing through this quiet, one-floor museum thoughtfully described in English, you'll learn the interesting story of Italy's rocky road to unity: from Napoleon (1796) to the victory in Rome (1870). It's just around the block from the Brera Art Gallery at Via Borgonuovo 23 (€2, Tue–Sun 9:00–13:00 & 14:00–17:30, last entry 30 min before closing, closed Mon, Metro: Montenapoleone, tel. 02-8846-4176).

Albergo Milano

Albergo Milano, located right in the old town, is graciously run by Egidio and his Swiss wife, Bettina. Fusing the best of Italy with the best of Switzerland, this well-run, romantic hotel has eight comfortable rooms that offer extravagant views, balconies, or big terraces (Sb-€-110, Db-€140, €5 extra for view terrace, €5/day discount for paying cash; from the station, take main road to town and turn right at steep alley where sidewalk and guardrail break; Via XX Settembre 29; tel. 0341-830-298, fax 0341-830-061, US fax 781/634-0094, www.varenna.net, hotelmilano@varenna.net). This place whispers luna di miele — honeymoon (see Web site for a three-night honeymoon deal). Nearby are two slightly less elegant but equally comfortable annexes, all a great value, some with lakeside views and living rooms or kitchenettes (Db-€110-130).