Off To See Nat!!!

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Whilst waiting at the airport I got a message from Nat saying she was delayed by 1.5hrs… but that’s the way it goes with us!! Nat had set about planning it perfectly so that our flights coincided with each other, but alas it wasn’t to be!! After checking through and a long wait and a relatively short flight, I finally arrived in Milan where it was raining, glad I had taken out all my long sleeve item after checking the weather in Milan for the last few weeks!!! Argh!!!

It took over an hour for my bag to appear at baggage claim. I was dying of thirst and there was no where to get a drink…

I exited and waited for Nat at the arrivals section. I couldn’t see her flight on the board for ages (and it wasn’t just because I wasn’t wearing my glasses!!) and was starting to get a bit concerned since they were showing flights that were hours after hers… still no messages from her either… I look around a bit then realized that there was another arrivals area - called Area B!! bugger!! So as I walked up there Nat was just coming out which was good timing.

It was sooo good to see her and it seemed like no time had passed at all… can’t believe it’s been 6 months already.

We caught the bus which took 50 minutes to central. It was still raining so we weren’t that excited about looking for our hotel… outside there were people everywhere selling umbrellas (which incidentally were there same people selling glasses the next time the sun came out). Nat had her umbrella and I managed to find my rain jacket that I got in Scotland the year before for obvious reasons!!

We finally asked someone and as it turned out you could see our hotel from the station (Nat said it was close!! Another good choice on her behalf!)

I was still pretty sick with the flu, but Nat the superstar brought me over some flu tablets!!! Thanks hon!! You’re a life saver!!

We headed to our hotel and were suitably satched on arrival!! But once at the Michelangelo we felt a whole lot better, it was just lovely!!! It is officially the first hotel I’ve stayed in that has electric curtains!! Had a hydro massage bath and lots of good stuff - I highly recommend it! It apparently had a free mini bar, couldn’t find a price list but we decided not to chance it!!)

We decided to go and get some dinner, so we ran around in the rain looking for somewhere to eat. Most were closing as it was late and some were just way to expensive. We finally settled on a place where the food was cheap and nice!

When we went inside it was packed, and 2 young travelers having dinner there noticed my ‘Scotland’ rain jacket and said, can’t believe you had to come all this way for more of the same weather!!

I had my first pasta dish in Italy and it was great!! We drank a bottle of wine with dinner and we’d been getting some attention from Luigi the owner, who couldn’t speak a word of English... he kept gesturing to us to head to a table near the bar… but we weren’t really sure what he wanted us to do!! At the end of our meal he picked up our bottle of wine and moved it over to the other table, so we figured he wanted us to move!!! Innopolis - a younger waiter who’s English was pretty good, told us that the owner wanted us to drink with him and shouted us a bottle of wine. Luigi was just lovely, and even though he couldn’t communicate with us continued talking in Italian to us anyways!! I was very frustrated about not being able to understand… I find it such an odd feeling, like being an outsider looking in all the time…

We were a bit concerned though when everyone else left, with the exception of some of the staff, and they locked the doors!! But all the staff sat down and were eating a specially prepared meal - they wanted us to try it but Nat and I were officially stuffed!! (hard to believe I know!!) Luigi told us that he was impressed we’d managed 2 bottles of wine!!! He clearly doesn’t know us very well or he’d know that we are seasoned campaigners!!!

We decided that enough was enough, and both being tired we got the bill and went outside, where Innopolis (who was married, but apparently separated, was a bit too touchy when we pointed out his wedding ring!!) offered to drive us back to our hotel (which was only a couple of blocks). We politely declined and headed off and after some catching up, we finally retired at 2.30am.

I’d read a description of Milan before arriving and this is what they had to say…. “Milan is all about worldly pleasures. Shopping is of almost religious significance. Theatre and cinema flourish in this fashionable milieu, as does a hopping club scene and a slew of tempting restaurants. Apart from a few gems, the city is not renowned for its looks; it's the lifestyle that counts.

History is achingly prominent here. The breathtaking Duomo is one of the world's largest, most striking gothic cathedrals, while Milan's art galleries, many housed in former palaces, are home to a host of significant works that include Da Vinci's "Last Supper". You may even find yourself sinking your morning espresso in the same cafe that composer Verdi frequented. Milan receives more visitors than Venice or Florence, yet manages not to be a tourist trap - perhaps that's the real secret to Milan's style.”

I was keen to get out there and see if the above was true, so the next day we had brekky then headed for a tour of the Duomo. They are currently cleaning it which was a bit of a shame since there was scaffolding out the front!! Ah well, tried your best!! The did a bag check on the way in and then we were free to use camera and videos to capture the beauty of the inside, although photography can prove a little difficult with the only light provided through the extraordinary lead light windows. Art adorns the aisle way on both sides, suspended from the ceiling.

After checking out the inside we climbed the stairs (figured I deserved that after last night’s dinner!) to the top of the building and you can check out the landscape of the city… it’s not exactly what I’d call a beautiful city.

The detail in the building is just extraordinary!! Well worth the look! It has more than 2,000 sculptures and numberless spires and capitals. On the way back down after being careful on the slippery surface in thongs!! And after a few close calls I finally slipped over… good thing not too many people saw!!! Hehe!!

The Dumo is referred to as Milan’s symbol and religious heart

Now for a bit of history people… (you knew I had to do it at some stage!)

Building of the Dumo began in 1386 on a site which had long been the centre of the cities religious fabric.

3 basilicas had previously been erected Vetus in the 3rd century AD, S Tecla in the 4th and S Maria Maggiore in the 9th. Built alongside was the baptistery of S Giovanni alle Fonti, constructed in 378 AD by St Ambrose who baptised St Augustine. The original design was going to be brick-built Lombardy gothic. But within a year the project was revolutionalised by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who wanted to create a symbol for the city more resonate of the great European powers than of the small Italian dukedoms. The design took on the soaring form of the great northern cathedrals, whilst the chosen stone was of pink marble of Candoglia, in Val d’Ossola. Craftsmen from across Europe arrived, from the Rhine, Bohemia, Burgundy, and their innovative approach was combined with the great traditions and skill of the Lombard master-builders.

For years, the Dumo was an extraordinary cultural crossroads, which in turn went on to influence the rest of Europe.

Another fundamental moment in the Dumo’s history occurred in the 17th century. The prodastant movement had sweep through the very country that had produced the gothic style. Archbishop S Carlo Borromeo order Pellegrino Pellegrini to redesign the cathedral using the typical baroque forms common in Rome, a very visible way of making explicit Milan’s loyalty to the Pope and the catholic church.

On S Carlo’s death, however, the coherence of the original project prevailed. The main square was finished in 1774: on top is the Madonnina, 33 copper plates covered in gold, which soon became Milan’s symbol.

History lesson has now ended!!

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Photos

Dumo
Shame, But Under Construction

Nat!!!
In The Plaza In Front Of Dumo

Me At The Top!
Dumo

Lead Light
In The Dumo

Tomb
In The Dumo