Before leaving Maggiore Kel studiously did a literacy test (getting 100%!) and Wil, a maths test, getting 98%. Woo-hoo! They nibbled their way through the last 2 remaining Mozart Kugelballs as rewards. Programmed to a camping site west of Milan, we had an easy drive of just over an hour and once settled into our site and having had a HUGE salad lunch, we took off, this time using public transport, for Milan.
The outer camping suburb was closed down for siesta and when finally back from lunch & a snooze, things re-opened. We tracked down a tobacconist for a 48 hour all transport ticket (metro, tram, bus) and then sat on a parked bus for 30 minutes before it left. About 1.5 hours later, having made a metro connection, we finally arrived in Piazza Duomo only 10 km from the campsite. Could have walked there.
Commanding the plaza is the 4th largest Gothic cathedral in Europe and whilst this style of architecture doesn't normally grab us, this one has pleasing plump proportions and is made of sparkling CLEAN pink & white marble (in contrast to the often blackened sandstone others we’ve seen) standing out crisply against the bluest sky. Madonna stands golden atop its tallest spire catching a heavenly light. Apparently ‘standing at the foot of Madonna‘ refers to being in Milan. Dressed in shorts, we tried to enter the Duomo but the heavily armed soldiers lining the entrance path, firmly ushered us away.
So off we trickled for an engaging few hours in the city that nurtured Leonardo Di Vinci, invented the bean bag & the Vienna schnitzel and from where the trade of millinery was derived. Wandering the grand & busy streets, we walked through evidence of The Romans & Constantine, the powerful Visconti and Sforza dynasties, Da Vinci, the Spanish & the Austrians before Napoleon claimed it as his capital. Then came Mussolini who founded the Fascist party here before WW2 saw central Milan scarred by bombs. Now, home of designer fashion (Armani, Gucci, Versace, D&G etc…) Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, it’s wildy ritzy and glamourous.
Further coloured by Da Vinci’s original Last Supper that one has to book several weeks in advance to view, huge art galleries, the most famous opera house in Europe( and streets, coffee shops etc named after the man of opera, Guiseppe Verde), fanatical soccer, endless exceptional food outlets and streets jammed with luxury cars, motorbikes and gorgeous, gorgeous model type people makes it really exciting but really expensive city for us trailer trash. A city that shows amazing adaptability - incredible age & history, giving layers to the world’s centre of culture and fashion.
Nonetheless, content with people watching, browsing amazing book shops & having coffee (& pizza slices) we spent a wonderful few hours before reversing our public transport journey home. The metro here is absolutely fantastic. Are we better at figuring it all out as well?
Back at the camp gates, a wee plucky Jack Russell was yelping intensely at a small dark ball that, when Jeff raised his iPhone light, revealed a dear small local hedgehog! Apparently they are local fauna here!
20/9
AUNTY LOTTE’S BIRTHDAY! Happy day beautiful sister!
Straight after breakfast & all skilled up on getting there & away, we jumped on the bus for another dose of Milano. Our young German neighbours, Kristine & Daniel (gynae & pharmacist) from Cologne shared some useful information & we exchanged addresses. They invited us to stay with them if coming through Cologne on our way home to experience the town Christmas Party & we invited them anytime to our base in Oz. Gee it would be great if some of these great folk we meet do visit!
So...from 0930 - 1930 we… visited another really helpful & bright tourist info, gawked at the adjacent enormous red Costelli Sforzesco with its huge fountain out front, window shopped often taken by surprise at the relatively cheap wear and overwhelmed by the number of outlets, oogled at fancy Ferraris, alfas, bugattis & hummas,
lost ourselves in another 2 bookstores (got some good Italian literature) a DVD store (picked up some recommended local films), found a beloved GROM icecream, gawked at Duomo inside (best part was the marble floors in geometrical orange, black & white patterns),
took a stuffed tram to grungy nightlife Nivigl canal district (all dug out by man to float the huge marble blocks in from Lake Como region to build the Duomo),
had another great coffee, back to Duomo for more photos from another angle, struggled past jostling Senegalese & Indian hawkers, took a peek at Peck’s famous food hall (ultra fancy but far too expensive for us),
had another look and a pic at Duomo and then finally hours later, we plonked for a rest in a stylish modern cafe to enjoy a wonderful feed of pizza slices, stuffed anchovy pockets, spinach, ricotta & egg pastry & more great coffee.
 |
| Vittori Emmanuel II Bldg |
Off again, we wandered more shops (& bought a gorgeous wee grey frock for Kel E20),Wil’s eyes watered keeping up with the stream of glittery cars & bikes, Jeff was overcome by the intense manscaping and we found ourselves once again lingering through the absolutely exquisite Vittori Emmanuel II building (shaped like an enormous crucifix) & in a bookshop before dragging ourselves exhausted, home to Ed.
Too tired to try the apperitivi that Milan is known for where one buys a cocktail and nibbles at a smorgasbord of tasties that are included in the price. Before jumping on the metro, we payed our pennies for a pee and a tarty sort on the phone with a fag in the corner of her mouth didn’t stop for niceties but took the money with LONG red nails & waved us into an underground homey bathroom complete with piped Dolly Parton music, crocheted toilet roll holders, shell toilet seats, fish tanks in the boyz, fake flower possies by the taps and knitted floor mats with pink roses in the corners.
Some home entertainment saw the police having a rowdy argument with a fellow Italian camper and eventually taking him & family off somewhere.
Scraping the bottom of the energy barrel, we put on a load of washing late at night only to return to find some pushy bloody buggars had emptied out our dryer load putting in their gear and leaving ours wet in a plastic bag on the floor. So, in the dark, cursing & huffing, we strung up our lines and laboriously hung it all out hoping for a dry night.
The soothing bells sent us off to sleep playing Ava Maria, on the hour.
No comments:
Post a Comment