Visiting Milan for Expo and need a doctor or dentist? Milan's public health system to the rescue!

Loving Milan and Expo? I hope so, but what if (tieh! tieh!, the Italians would say, to ward off the evil eye) you need a doctor or a dentist?! What to do?...More......

Something serious, or after midnight?! Go to the nearest ER, called a "Pronto Soccorso" (pronunciation: pron-toe so-CORE-so)

Need an ambulance? Use a local phone to call 118.

If the problem crops up during the daytime, and you don't think you need either an ER or an ambulance, Milan's public health system comes to the rescue!

Centrally located in via Rugabella at n. 4 between Corso di Porta Romana and Corso Italia, not far from Piazza Missori (exit: Piazza Missori), the outpatient clinic accepts walk-ins from 8 AM to midnight until the close of service on the 31st of October. The hours for some specialized services differ somewhat. Tel.: 02.5799.3913.

Costs? If you're a public health system card-carrying Italian or citizen of the European Union, there is no charge for the initial walk-in evaluation medical visit. The costs for further treatment are regulated according to your local public health system charges.

For all others, the cost for the evaulation visit is Euro 50.00, payable also by credit card. The cost for any other treatment? ASK.

Want more info? Go to this page...in Italian, sigh...to download the English language pdf. (OMG, why don't they have native speakers do the translations...there are so many in Milan. It's embarrassing to read "rates exposed," instead of "displayed," as if they were a group of flashers.)

But...it's better to stay well! Bring a sweater to Expo, you'll need it for the freezing interiors contrasting with the scorching exterior temps and sun, for which you'll need a sun hat. Bring a plastic bottle of water (glass and cans not allowed). There are two stands, one pretty much at each end of the promenade, that offer free tasty drinking water.

Enjoy! I did!

Expo2015...should you go? My answer: "Yes!"

Expo2015...take a sun hat, a sweater for those chilly exhibits and a big plastic bottle of water.... More......

Like exotic food? Get the very yummy plate for only Euro 10 at the Bangladesh exhibit in the rice area (though you'll have to find somewhere else to sit), and...

...be sure not to miss Estonia's exhibit...my personal favorite. Swing, and find out how much energy you generated. Spin a grinding wheel to spin the info on the screens. Dash around on a stationary bike with the video road in front of you. Slip into a poplar (?) forest. Put your aching feet up for a few minutes while you lounge on a gigantic cushion surrounded by honey colored wood and plants. One of the best integrations of the country's culture, the use of space and technology and Expo's themes, in my opinion.

My second favorite? Poland. Why? Can't tell you. Don't want to ruin the surprise.

Unsuccessful exhibits? Of course there are, but I'm not going to share my list of them with you...don't want to influence you, unduly. My yardstick? See the closing comment about Estonia, above.

Hot and tired in mid-afternoon? Plunk yourself down on a cushion in the shade under Turkey's gazebo. You can even get some baclava (though it's pricey, at Euro 3).

Want something for the kids? There's a Chicco and a Kinder area, as well as video games and buttons to push and levers to pull scattered throughout the exhibits.

Mobility problems? You can get an electric cart.

What else can I tell you without ruining any surprises?

It was lovely to leave troubles behind (we all have them), and slip into the wonder of childhood, even if just for a long, exhausting, but satisfying day. Even enjoyed the "Tree of Life" light show, but be sure you get there early enough to get a good seat. The seats balance on a conical point...interesting experience, and perhaps purposeful to help us remember the precarious nature of our environment and the fragility of life. Or maybe they were just big red plastic pointy chairs.

The day passed much more quickly than I had expected. And I was there from morn to night.

Thinking about going after 7 PM to spend only Euro 5 to get in? Good deal. Lots to see from the main streets, and there are restaurants and bars open, but many of the exhibits are closed. Forewarned is forearmed.

Enjoy!

(My photo of the upstairs area of the Estonia pavilion, snapped on Friday, June 5, 2015)