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Published: December 11th 2006
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Castello Sforzesco
The Castle Entrance! Milan, or Milano…. Sounds good, ce? Well, no, not so good… With some interesting comments before we left, we greeted Milan with fresh eyes and excited hearts. Our bus ride from the airport took us through the city to the main train station, we got the metro to the closest station to our hotel. We thought… or maybe optimistically hoped the area may have changed when we got out of the metro but it had not. It was the same everywhere.... Smoggy, dirty, rubbish everywhere, and people who all thought they were engaging in a starring contest with you!
Any Italians out there (Yes Fi!) or people who love Italy, I do too just not this part. After visiting Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany and now Milan I can vouch for this. I guess it was a lot grubbier than Rome and lacked in history, which is what essentially 'makes' Rome. Our hotel from the moment you walked in stunk of cigarettes mixed up with MSG, we had to gulp in big breaths of air before entering the building and try and hold our breath! The bathroom stunk and the floor was dirty from day one…needless to say the fan was
Castello Sforzesco
The moat!! Now filled with grass..... :( This one is for you Em! going non-stop. To add to the insult, the hotel staff spoke almost no English and their entire breakfast was out of a packet, not even the milk was fresh, gotta love UHT!
Our first full day we set off to see the ‘last supper,’ along with the San Morrizio Monastery. BABOOM! Both closed, our fabulous tourguide book failed to tell us the city does not wake til Tuesday! A cruise around the ‘Castello Sforzesco,’ a castle with a moat and all saw us wandering past many closed shops to the ‘Cimitero monumental.’ This was a very large cemetery, you guessed it also closed! When we say closed, I should really say ‘shut down,’ these shops are not just locked but fastened with garage doors, bars, you name it! We tried to book in to see the last supper at a later date but it was fully booked.
On the upside, the shopping, ah yes, the shopping..... the Saviour! The shopping district or what I refer to as the ‘money district,’ is completely different. Shoppers eat your heart out! The biggest Armani store in the world, and shop after shop of designers. Everyone knows that I like clothes for
Random Statue
With Chopple, near Milan's equivalent of the Branden Burg Gate. Which incidentally, sleeps homeless people underneath. Nice one! their style as opposed to who they are made by, but for people watching this was an experience! Watching woman spend EU$3,000 on handbags….. I felt rather out of place but was very impressed by the shop attendants, they seemed to be lovely to everyone who walked in. I think I was almost expecting a scene like out of Pretty Woman! We had a great time to say the least, buying some fabulous Christmas pressies, thanks Mary and Lance!!
Along with the shopping Milan has fabulous food, we only adventured out after dark for dinner which incidentally started late after a siesta. One meal at the “Le Latteria,” a converted dairy seating less than 15 was like eating in someone’s home kitchen, simple flavours, delicious ingredients, stunning results. When we arrived at 1920hrs, we were seated but quickly noticed the staff munching away with some wine in the corner they had not yet opened, but filled shortly after.
When we ventured out for dinners, we always went to other districts, one place of which had a stunning Christmas tree in the centre of a roofed walkway. Walking up closer it had stunning rainbow colours sparkling out. This was
Parking regulations
A typical example of the fine parking you see throughout Italy!! If there isn't any parks, hell start your own parking lot in the middle of the street! ha ha. Love it! in fact a massive tree, covered in Swarovski crystals, security guards and all. To compliment this corner, there a was Swarovksi store, Louis Vuitton and Prada, and in the same setting of the previous… Maccas!! Ha ha.
We visited the “Duomo,” a church where construction took a mind blowing 600 years starting in 1385. Very impressive! Otherwise, we spent a lot of time watching bizarre Italian TV and planning where to eat next; as everything was shut during siesta time!
For those not familiar with European TV we got a bit of a shock and had a good chuckle at the 'quality' of TV in Milan and Barcelona. Rather than your standard 'chat line adds' later on at night, they are very explicit on every channel!! Obviously, widely accepted also as everyone is always up later. I felt rather stupid when I couldn't figure out why the were doing what appeared like a chat show with their clothes half off!!
Our conclusion, Milan: Great food, great shopping. The day we come back, we will fly in shop for a day then leave!!
The next blog for the ‘refreshing’ Barcelona,' coming soon..........
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Anna
non-member comment
Hello!!!
Hello chickens, Fantastic to 'hear' from you and glad i'm finally up with it (stupid email!). Looks like you are having an amazing time here there and everywhere (while I'm thinking about paying our electric bill)! Thanks for all the detail in the blogs, makes brilliant reading. Keep up the good writing, lots of fun and have some beer for me! love lots, Anna