GO ASK JOAN: From opera in Milan to flying a minor on their own down under and seeing a civil war site in Spain JOAN SCALESanswers your queries
Sights and sounds of Milan
I would like to go to Milan for about four days to see operas and the city with my daughter. I would appreciate any suggestions?
PD, Dublin
The most famous Milan opera house is La Scala (see teatroallascala.com) and its season starts with Don Giovanni on December 7th, but there are also operas in October and November. Tickets for the premiere of Don Giovanni go on sale on November 7th.
You should also try to visit La Scala museum which has costumes, paintings and memorabilia from over 200 years of the theatre.
Other things to do in Milan include visiting the Duomo, the cathedral of Milan, which is a fine example of late Gothic architecture. You can take a guided tour, or attend a concert there (see duomomilano.it).
Work by Leonardo da Vinci is on display around the city. In the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie see his famous painting The Last Supper. The Museum of Science and Technology houses da Vinci machines and you can see his Codex Atlanticus and other works in the Abrosiana Library (abrosiana.it).
Milan is also a city of fashion and design, and the Milanese have recently been voted the coolest dressers in Europe. Your daughter should enjoy the fashion side of the city.
If you walk from the Duomo along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, then through Piazza San Babila and on to Via Manzoni, pass La Scala and end at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, you will have seen some of the best buildings and stores in the city.
Aperitivo, or happy hour, is a popular custom, and bars between 6pm and 9pm serve cocktails and little snacks, particularly in the busy districts of Navigle and Brera.
Drop into the trendy Shu Café on Via Molino delle Armi and you never know who you might see.
You can book flights to Milan with Aer Lingus and Ryanair. Source hotels on visitmilano.it or a good travel agent will be able to provide a package.
Unaccompanied minor to Oz
We are keen to send my granddaughter aged 15 on a visit to Australia. She would be travelling on her own to Perth, and on to Sydney after a week, in January next. I do not think Aer Lingus do flight escorting for minors any longer, so we would fly with her to London and hope to find a company that flies to Perth, and provides some accompanying arrangement for minors. Can you help? Cost is a primary concern. Coming home from Sydney is not a problem, as she will travel back with a close relative.
UOF, Dublin
Aer Lingus does not provide an unaccompanied minor service any more but the good news is that you will not have to travel further than Dublin Airport to get your granddaughter on a suitable flight.
Emirates Airlines is beginning services from Dublin in January and it has flights via Dubai to Perth and back from Sydney.
The service will be non-stop to Dubai and non-stop to Perth, so there’s only one stopover to arrange.
The time between flights is also short so she would not have to be waiting around too long.
Children between 12 and 16 pay the full adult fare and are assisted in making the transfer to the onward flight in Dubai.
Contact Emirates on 00-44-8448002777 to make the arrangements. Expect its airfares to be competitive – see emirates.com.
If you go through London then Singapore Airlines and British Airways both take children unaccompanied. She can also fly to London with BMI (flybmi.com). There may be a cost involved if she needs to be transferred to the onward flights. The full details of what is required are on ba.com and sinaporeair.com.
Spanish civil war battle site
We plan to go to Madrid in October and wish to visit the site of the Battle of Jarama – the battle took place during the Spanish civil war. I am having difficulty sourcing information about the location and transport there. I would be grateful for any help as my uncle died there in 1937.
MH, Dublin
The Battle of Jarama took place in Morata de Tajuña 36km from Madrid. As it is not too far you could go by private transport. Morata de Tajuña can be reached by buses that depart from Conde de Casal station. The bus is operated by La Veloz SA (tel 00-34-914097602), and the number 336 or 337 goes to Morata de Tajuña. You can take metro line six (grey) to the bus station.
There is a map of the route of the Battle of Jarama on the website of the city council of Morata de Tajuña (see ayuntamientodemorata.es). It is in Spanish, but you may find it useful.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com