Milan

Wednesday July 4th
Milan - Fashion, Industry, and Wealth
Hotel: Principe
The morning seems to come too soon and yet at the same time take forever in Italy. I’m sure I am not suffering from jet lag or anything of the sort, but I still do wake up at weird hours in the middle of then night. When this happens it is really for excitement for the next days events, and I find my eyes glued open unable to find rest, and when I finally do drift into sleep it seems I have hardly rested at all. Thank goodness for coffee, and the Italian specialty of Cappuccino (very very strong).

Well anyway moving on, we spent our breakfast again in Como and afterwards put immediately on the bus which took us to Milano (Milan). The traffic was pretty bad, so the trip which usually should have taken 45 minutes took almost 2 hours, but I really couldn’t complain, there was so much to see of Italy right outside of the buses window. I really like our tour guide Flavia too, she’s really amiable and she seemed to like it when I mentioned to her that I was a fan of Fredrico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, 8½, Nights of Cabiria) who just happens to be one of her favorite directors. I really couldn’t help asking being such a film geek especially for directors, so I was happy when she said I’d probably be able to pick some Fellini stuff up in Rome.

The bus ride was lengthy, but it gave our feet a rest from walking so much in Como, and I got to enjoy some cd’s while watching the bus glide through the fast Italian streets. When we did get to Milan we were handed off to a tour guide of the area and we started our tour of the city by seeing the Teatro Alla Scala, a prestigious Opera house. It still has many frequent shows that come through, and it is known for its very large stage. We also walked through the magnificent Galleria Vittorio Emannueli which was built in the 1800’s with an amazing glass roof. The open walkway structure housed many designer fashions including Prada and Gucci. Since we were in a bit of a hurry we did not have time to really shop (not that I would have bought anything anyway) but just being able to see the structure of the galleria was enough for me to be impressed.

(La Scalla/Opera House)

(Beautiful roof of the Galleria)

As we exited the galleria we came face to face with a beautiful Milano Duomo (cathedral) one of the 4 largest in the world next to Saint Peters, Saint Paul’s and another one in Spain. I feel really lucky because I’ve already seen St. Paul’s in London, and when we get to Rome I will be seeing St. Peters (in the Vatican) so with this Duomo I will have seen 3 of the 4 cathedrals. Now I just need to take a trip to Spain. But back to the Duomo, it was a colossal 314 ft long and 301 feet across, (I forget its height because it had many heights with so many gothic spires). I really loved the gothic architecture, and this cathedral really was a pristine example of the beauty that come with tall slender spikes and daunting arches. The entire thing took over 500 years to complete and it was formulated with the idea of being a place that could house the entire town if there ever was a need too. The only thing I was really bummed about when seeing the Duomo, was that it was really dark in the inside for pictures. I did take a few but I do not think they will turn out well, which I am sad about, because I will not be able to share them with you.
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(The Duomo)

(Side View)

The Duomo was our last walkable sight in the area, so afterwards we piled back onto the bus to experience a very rare treat. We were lucky enough as a group to earn the privilege of tickets to see the original Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. The Fresco work (paint dried on wet plaster) was in bad need of repairs so was put away for 20 years as renovations were being done. They had to clean the piece up and now the work is preserved in a special room with high security and people that go and see it have to be enclosed and chemically treated before entering the room (something about the acidity in the air). When we as a group (only 25 people were allowed in) went in after the fuming process, I was truly taken by the work. It was quite larger then I expected, and it was not on a canvas of any kind but rather preserved on its original wall. Although the painting had much wear on it, Da Vinci’s genius still shined through, and I stood there stunned marveling at one of history’s greatest works of art.
Simple things like how Jesus is depicted reaching his right hand towards a plate and Judas is reaching his had towards the same plate in much the same way, allow observers to speculate the work for hours and I can see where many scholars can find themselves entranced with such a work. I know have much more to look forward to on this trip, but this painting alone made Italy worth it for me.

(Last Supper)

Moving on from the last supper, we hurried onto the bust for a 3 hour trip to Venezia (Venice). The trip was once again very relaxing and when we got there I don’t think I was quite prepared for the shock of really seeing Venice. It was almost too fantastical to be a real city. The closest thing I can relate Venice to is the feeling you get at an amusement park. It was a city larger then life. But the main tour of Venice is tomorrow and since I wrote so much on Milan today I will devote my entire entry about Venice to tomorrow’s writing.
Until then, Ciao.