Monday is the start of the new week, and it brings us to our final Italian destination, Milan. We left Padua – how I wish we had time to explore there! – very early to push past traffic and meet our local tour guide Simone and our new tour manager, Serena. I knew the students would hate to see Matteo, who has another tour group starting tomorrow in Barcelona, leave us. The goodbyes were heartfelt.
Cloudy and cool weather greeted us as well, although thank goodness it wasn’t raining. Simone gave us a quick introduction as to the history of the city’s name, literally the city in the middle. It is the financial and fashion (not to mention automotive) capitol of this country. It’s a hot travel destination for 2018, and Simone told us the city’s hotel occupancy rate last year beat Rome’s.
The focus on tourism has helped in so many ways, he said. The unemployment rate here is 3 percent compared to the 11 percent across the country. And many people, like Simone, live in the suburbs of the city and commute in to work by bus, car, bike or subway. (And this system runs on time, Matteo chimed in,)
We started off in the Piazza del Duomo, and toured that magnificent structure. Photographs don’t do it justice. The Gothic structure built upon the church that has been there since 355, with what we saw and gaped at was constructed in the late 14th century during the reign of Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Marble slabs brought up via the river and canals differ from what we saw at the Duomo in Florence, and so many statues, gargoyles and flying buttresses! A gilded statue of the Virgin Mary tops it (with another one inside). It is the fourth largest church in the world, and it’s still a working church. The inside is vastly different from the outside – huge arches and columns with amazing stained glass windows (used to tell the important religious stories to those who could not read Simone reminded us). The altar and side altars are stunning, and Simone had us visit the crypt there and told us stories of Constantinople’s mother Helen bringing nails from the cross of Christ as relics for this magnificent cathedral.
We took a break after walking through the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle II, Milan’s most elegant and beautiful shopping arcade with high-end couture shops and elegant restaurants. We found a reasonably priced restaurant while the students found some cheaper takeaway shops and, of course, gelato.
Simone walked us through the financial district, distinguishing between important architecture and fascist structures, created during Mussolini’s reign. We saw the infamous middle finger statue that has been interpreted in many different ways ….. a call most likely to flip off the capitalists who care very little about common people and their plight, as well as the refugees that have poured into Italy and given rise to a right wing party here.
We ended our tour with Simone at the castle, specifically the Castello Sforezesco. The Vicontis built the castle as well as the Duomo before the Sforzas married into that family, took over not only the castle but also their rule of the region. It’s a gorgeous structure, and Simone reminded us that it’s the only green space and park in Milan, which seems odd but oddly Italian. Just great. Napoleon added his touches when he conquered this part of Italy, and we could see the graceful arch so reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The fun part? Once Napololeon was defeated and after several other changes in power, the statues of horses and soldiers atop the arch were turned around so the backsides all faced France.
We left, ready finally to check in to our hotel, Viva Milan. Gorgeous place but awful WiFi, so this most likely will be posted later. You can’t have everything …..
The evening ended – at least for some of us! – with dinner at a small family type restaurant. Some lovely pasta, of course, followed by chicken and fries. I am so going to have to get back into my exercise and skimpy meal routine once we get back home. This cold/congestion/possible sinus infection has helped. My appetite is not nearly what it could be because of it, and that is the only good thing about it. Time to break out the antibiotics and get some much-needed rest and sleep.