...it's M-i-l-a-n-o!

M I L A N O

Ciao tutti,

My most recent viaggio was to the great city of Milan, the weekend before last. Taking the train there was easy enough. In fact, there was a “buy two tickets for the price of one” deal with Trenitalia’s Fast Train, so we were able to get to Milan in only about an hour (as opposed to around 3 to 4 hours, if traveling by normal train).

Once we got to the city, we were greeted by cold weather, grey skies, and a constant drizzle. Not the most picturesque Italian scene. Still, we were there and we were going to make the best of it. In fact, I think the hostel where we were staying put us all in better spirits. This place was called Zebra Hostel, and it was exactly like it sounds. Everywhere you look there was zebra print. And all of the rooms were decorated in bright primary and pastel colors. It was just the perfect amount of ridiculousness that we needed. Take a look:

Before we could do anything else, however, we needed to get some food. Because we wanted to see Milan’s Duomo right after we ate, we decided to walk towards there and find a restaurant close by. We started walking… and kept walking… and kept walking. You see, we were so used to walking everywhere we go because Bologna (as well as Florence and Parma) is a very walkable city. Milan, being the second largest city in Italy behind Rome, is not. But we persevered and found a good ristorante right by the Duomo. And it worked out great: I had a delicious plate of spaghetti alla carbonara and even better, we made friends with the maitre d’s dog, Estelle! She was great – a champion sleeper in her own right, and super friendly once she was awake. I miss her already.

Estelle, taking a snooze

My BCSP friend Sam saying hello to Estelle

After lunch and saying goodbye to Estelle, we explored the Duomo. This cathedral (both the exterior and the interior) is massive and incredibly ornate. It’s a shame the sun wasn’t shining brighter that day, because it would have been great to see the cathedral lit up inside with the incredible stained glass windows. Nevertheless, artificial light adequately lights up the nave of the cathedral, and overall, the Duomo is pretty spectacular inside. It’s easy to get lost in its greatness.

The exterior facade

The nave looking at the altar

The back of the Duomo, notice the beautifully designed marble floor

Inside the Duomo. A statue depicting St. Bartholomew, who is said to have been skinned alive

After the Duomo, we spent the evening shopping, eating, and walking (so much walking!) We were exhausted when we finally returned to Zebra Hostel, but we enjoyed our night there, what with there being twelve of us in one room, bunk-bed style like summer camp. It was a lot of fun. The next morning, we got up early to head over to La Scala, a famous theatre and opera house in Milan known for (among other things) hosting the premieres of several of Verdi’s famous operas. It was incredible inside, and I’m very glad took the opportunity to see it:

One of the upper level Galleries of La Scala

Il Teatro alla Scala. We think they might be preparing for Aida,
based on the Egyptian-looking props being constructed

A few of us then headed back to the Duomo to climb it! All the cimbing I did in Florence definitely prepared me well. Despite the overcast weather, there were some great views of Milan from the top of the Duomo, and it was very cool to see the detailed design of the Duomo up close.

Gargoyle

The statues perched on the delicate pillars that sprout
from the Duomo, looking out over the city of Milan

Almost at the top! The outdoor portion of the climb.
A view of the walkway under the flying buttresses
along the side of the Duomo, about 3/4 of the way up

A bird's-eye view of the Piazza del Duomo

Overall, I had a great time in Milan. I will admit it's not my favorite city in Italy (it’s a bit too large, too industrial, and not as picturesque for my taste), but I do not regret my trip there. I enjoyed the Duomo and La Scala very much, and I had a blast taking over the Zebra Hostel with my BCSP buddies!

It was nice to return to Bologna, which is starting to feel more and more like home J

Ciao for now,

Augusto