Milano Cosmopolita

On Friday, I spent the day in Milan, the second largest city in Italy and one of the most cosmopolitan in all of Europe. Milan is unique in its culture because it is more than just Italian, influenced by neighboring France, Switzerland, and Germany. Although the weather was gray and dim while I was there, it was nice to have some needed relief from the Italian sun. The color of the sky also gave the city a certain stateliness, much like the clouds did in Ireland.


My day started off with a bang when I woke up at 7am...for my 7am train. I had a feeling I would be late after the exhausting travels to Rome and Venice, but it was still hectic trying to get ready and packed for my 3-day trip. I ran to the Florence train station, only to find out the next Milan train was not until 9am. So i grabbed a 10 euro ticket (with my railpass) and got a frappé and donut from the nearby McDonald's Café. Not only was my little breakfast inexpensive (2.15 euros!), but also it was pretty fancy for a fast food place. Oh, Italy.


When I finally arrived in Milan, I bought a day-pass for the metro and made my way to the center of the city. The subways in Milan were limited and inconvenient, with only three lines! This comes after living in Paris for the summer, which has more than 14 separate underground subways alone. Right away, I went to the Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church where Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper is housed. I had tried to make reservations online while I was in the USA a few weeks ago, but it was already booked then. Unfortunately, it was sold out, as I had expected, when I arrived Friday. Bummer. So I looked around the church, which was cool on its own, before heading to the Castello (the first picture above). The Sforzesco Castle is a museum and was the center of Milan politics for centuries.


Finally, I made my way into the center piazza, which is home to the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (both pictured above). The Duomo, the center of any good Italian city, was as awesome as expected, and pictures cannot capture the detail and ornate features on the inside. The Galleria is basically a shopping mall in a fancy outdoor pavilion. I stopped for lunch at a restaurant and treated myself to a pasta dish and carafe of white wine. Yum.


The Teatro Alla Scala, known as La Scala, is a world famous opera house originating from the 1770s. It is one of the most famous opera houses in all of Europe and was at the center of Italian operas for decades. I took a tour of the facilities and snuck a quick (illegal) photo of the main theatre and box-seating area. It was huge and really fancy. I also saw two famous churches, Sant'Ambrogio and Sant'Eustorgio, which houses the sarcophagus that held the remains and relics of the Magi for over 4 centuries.


Before heading back to the train station, I took a quick stroll through Milan's famous fashion district. One of the four largest fashion centers in the world and the many headquarters of Italian designers, the Fashion District is covered with designer stores on every corner, including Armani, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, just to name a few. Next post is Switzerland!

The Canals of Venice

Today, I spent the day in the beautiful Renaissance city of Venice. I took a 7am train there and a 6:30pm train back, so it was certainly a long day. However, it was nice to come back to my cousin's apartment in Florence to get myself together before my trip to Milan-Zurich-Munich begins tomorrow at 7am with yet another train ride!


As soon as I arrived in Venezia, I bought a 12-hour unlimited canal boat pass. Instead of an intricate subway or bus system like other European cities, Venice runs entirely on boats, as you would expect. I hopped on the express #2 vaporetto on the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco. This is easily the most recognizable spot in Venice, with the large tower Campinale, the Basicilica of San Marco, and the Palace of the Doge (Mayor).


I climbed the large tower to get panoramic views of the city, which is made up of 100+ islands in the large lagoon. The city is not very large, but the streets are small, winding, confusing, and full of dead ends. It total, only 3 bridges across the whole city cross the Grand Canal, so boat transportation is a must. After walking through the Renaissance masterpiece San Marco Basilica, I bought my ticket to the Palazzo Doge.


The Doge was the Mayor of Venice, who basically function as the king of the city for centuries. The palace was at once his home, the seat of the government, and a massive prison. The palace is decorated with ornate paintings and fancy furniture, and one of the chambers is said to be one of the largest rooms in Europe and holds the world's oldest oil painting.


After a quick, delicious, and inexpensive pizza calzone for lunch on a canal bridge, I made my way to three different churches throughout the city. Although they were smaller, they were full of beautiful Renaissance designs and finding them gave me a chance to see many different allies and streets of the city.


Before setting out back for Florence, I used my boat pass to take a trip to the Island of Murano. This island is world-famous for its glass works. It was moved to a separate island in the 13th century to prevent the glass makers from burning down the city of Venice! The boat ride was about 30 minutes each way, and it was really cool to see the city and outer lagoon via water metro.


A little taste of home, Venice is famous for its Mardi Gras Carnivale and the dress/masks that come with it. I will update you on my Italy-Switzerland-Germany adventures in a few days. Until then, arrivederci!