Sunday February 27 - Milan
It was supposed to be cold and rainy in Milan on Sunday, so when I went to bed on Saturday I fully intended on taking my time in the morning. It was nice, I slept in a little, strolled downstairs for breakfast around 9:30, then made my way back up to my room. I don't think I actually made it out of the hotel until near 11.
When I first left the weather wasn't too bad, but I'd gone prepared. I had a fleece layer, with a hoodie, and then my jacket, complete with gloves and toque ready. I caught the bus and headed straight for the Duomo, which is the large Gothic cathedral in the centre of the city. (The Gothic cathedral took five centuries to complete. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world. - wiki)
I think one of my favorite things about underground transit in Europe is when you walk out of the underground tunnels and out onto the street you get to see magic. It is like walking through the closet in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. You are in a concrete metro underground, then you walk up and see breathtaking architecture, there is no way to know exactly what you'll see and every time it is a treat.
So I meandered around the square a little, went into the Cathedral, and decided to make my way up onto the roof. Why wait. The stairs didn't take long, and they were even fairly wide and not that windy. Stepping on the roof was a real treat. The detail, the sheer number of spires, the beautiful repetition and symmetry. It started to rain when I was on the roof but I didn't even really mind, actually it kind of cleared out so it was nice.
After I went down I headed into the nearby Galleria Vittorio Emanuel, a beautiful covered shopping area. Now, this being Milan, the stores were all Prada, Versache, etc. all the high designer brands. There was even a Mercedes Benz store. So funny. I walked on a little further and stopped outside the "world's most famous opera house" but being cheap I didn't go in. Instead I went back to the Galleria for some McDonald's. I almost never eat at the Dime at home but it just seems easy and right in foreign countries. I like it because it is cheap and the European McDonald's are usually really nice inside so you can sit and relax, which as a budget traveler who eats most of my meals walking around on the street, is a wonderful change of pace. The McDonald's had a McCafe - which I think is really telling of the cultural differences.
After lunch I kind of just walked around. I walked up and down the endless shopping streets, full of designer labels and expensive goods. The only think I bought was a bottle of nail polish from Sephora. I walked and walked and walked. A lot was closed because it was Sunday. Eventually, I started to make my way to the castle in Milan, which had free admission on Sundays between 4:30 and 5:30. Perfect. However, I was early and tired so I decided to sit down and relax in a cafe until 4:30.
Now here is where things get funny. I get pulled into a cafe, ordered a latte and a piece of chocolate cake. By this time I was asked where I was from. Overhearing I was from Canada, a man, sitting at a table nearby says he's also from Canada, originally, and so is his wife. In fact his wife was from Calgary. Supposedly. I say supposedly because this guy was crazy. Maybe in a good way, maybe in a totally honest way and he wasn't actually crazy, but he just has a crazy life that sounds like it is out of a movie.
Anyways, he pays for my coffee and cake, then sits down to chat with me. Turns out he is some producer for a TV show that was in town for fashion week, his wife is an ex-runway model, he lives in London, formerly Nova Scotia, his father is part of the New York Italian Mafia, and so it goes. Ha. I sat there and talked to him, well more aptly, he sat there and talked at me for about 3 hours. I missed going into the castle, but I wasn't too heartbroken. He kept saying he had to leave to do something with his TV show, then ordering more wine, then cursing the people who worked for him, then telling me about the designer shows he went to, dropping names like they were gold, ha. So funny. He told me to come back 2 hours later because he would be eating with his crew and he would buy me pizza. I said I would see. Then, I went back to my hotel and of course did not return. He is now following me on Twitter. Stranger than fiction sometimes.
I returned to the hotel and was freezing, I spent the rest of the evening watching MTV Italy, because that was the only channel on the TV, while wrapped in a blanket.
Monday February 28 - Verona
Milan was supposed to be cold and rainy again, and as much as the guy I met last night insisted that the best thing I could do on Monday was waiting outside the Fashion Week tents to get pictures of designers, I knew I needed to see somewhere other than Milan.
I boarded a train headed to Verona, a UNESCO world heritage city for its urban structure and architecture, or, where Shakespeare set Romeo and Juliet. OR, a very adorable city halfway between Milan and Venice.
Fortunately for me, the further I got away from Milan, the nicer the weather got. When I got to Verona it wasn't raining and the sun was even trying to peak out. I headed straight for the city centre. The whole city is beautiful. In the city centre is "The Arena," a Roman Amphitheater built in 30AD which holds about 30,000 people. It is still used for productions and operas to this day.
I walked down the shopping streets, but it being Monday, a lot of things were closed. Eventually I arrived at a touristy square where I treated myself to some strawberries and a banana. I think this was the first fresh fruit I had in days. Eating on the cheap does not equate to eating healthily. What's a girl to do.
I made my way through the rest of the city stopping at the statue of Juliet, the Pointe de Terra - a lovely bridge that takes you over the river and towards the Teatro Romano, Castel S. Pietro, and the Museo Archeologico (basically a Roman theatre, castle, and they have put a museum inside with fragments of the Roman theatre inside). I love old Roman architecture. It is the moments when you look at huge pieces of sculpted marble and think about the hands which sculpted it, and the beautiful forms they created, and Roman theatres have such wonder attached to them. Who sat here and what plays were put on? I hung out there for quite a while.
From there I headed back into the city walking along the river towards the Castle. I was pretty tired by this point. Eventually I made it back to the city centre and sat down in the park for a while in order to gain enough energy to make it back to the train station. I made it just in time to catch a train. The ride is just under and hour and a half, from Centrale Station I took transit back towards my hotel - about an hour ride - which got me to my area around 8:30 I think. I stopped in at a restaurant for dinner. I had an amazing pasta dish with an olive oil sauce, it was so good. It also had a delicious cheese on it and came with eggplant. The waiter and owner were so kind, clearly trying their hardest to get their English right. Very sweet.
I went back to my hotel and went to bed.
Tuesday March 1 - Milan to Groningen
The great thing about places in Europe is they don't do things early in the morning, they eat supper late, and start their day late as well. This meant that my checkout time was 11:30. Brilliant. I took my time in the morning, went and had breakfast, and slowly packed my things. I made my way to the central station, where I was going to catch the bus back to the airport later and dropped my bag off in a locker, then headed back down to see the castle.
It was great because the sun came out and it was even fairly warm spring weather out. It made my short time left very lovely. I just strolled around, eventually getting a delicious sandwich on focaccia bread and gelato to end my trip while sitting in the sun in front of the Duomo. Loved that moment.
It wasn't long before I had to head back to catch my flight. It was a long bit of traveling. I left Milan around 2:40pm and after a bus, a plane, a train, and a short walk I arrived home just before 11pm. During the flight I was lucky enough to be on the right side of the plane to see the sun setting behind the Alps. It was astounding. I felt like I had never seen mountains before, they just went on forever. When I finally arrived home I dropped my bag off and felt the exhaustion sink in fully. My legs ached, my head went drunk with tired. I am luck to have a great friend here who made extra dinner so I would have something to eat when I got back. Being so tired was a great reward for my excellent adventure.
Now I must plan my next big trip.
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