Milano

The third stop on our Italian city tour was Milan. We spent only a day there, but that was plenty. In the morning, we went on a four hour tour of the city. Throughout most of the vacation, we tried to avoid guided tours as they take too long. However, before we left Cairo, I had been reading in the guide book about the Last Supper. It turned out that the only way to see it was through reserved tickets that had been booked at least two months in advance. Luckily, there was this company that solved the problem for those who did not book earlier enough to see the painting which included a tour of the city. I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised by the tour! We got to see the cool parts of the city such as the city’s castle, opera house, the Duomo, and of course the Last Supper. The Duomo is a beautiful cathedral made completely out of white marble. It has around 136 spires that are paper thin and each with its one perfectly sculpted statue. Inside the cathedral was even more amazing. I believe there were 52 massive columns, breathtaking stained-glass windows, and simply more exceptional architecture than I have ever seen in my life.

The Last Supper was truly another great painting. It was much bigger than I had expected it to be. We were only allowed in the room for 15 minutes as the museum does not want to have to restore the painting again. It has been fixed up numerous times, but in its current state, artists believe it to be near its truest form. Da Vinci had to be difficult when painting his masterpiece as he did not want to use the method of frescoes. Frescoes had to be painted quickly before the plaster dried and would preserve the paint fairly well. However, Da Vinci wanted more time than that to create his work of art. He was one of the first to paint with perspective into his work which is partially why this painting is so famous. There are many other reasons too, but I point this out because in the same hall there is another painting of the Crucifixion that merely has everyone in the same space with no perspective. It was a fascinating painting, yet a bit busy and not as eye-catching as Da Vinci’s. Another interesting fact the painting, it is located in the most mundane church. If you did not have a guidebook telling you that the painting was housed there, then anyone would drive right on by without giving the church another look. The church itself was quite pretty inside too, but tourists would probably never stop there without Da Vinci’s Last Supper in its midst.

After the tour, we did a little shopping. We happened to be in Italy during one of their two annual sales. Everything in the store was 50% off, but you would still NOT believe the prices!!! I could not believe how much stuff cost there even when it was “on sale.” However, we went into this hat store because they too were having a sale. The sales lady was the cutest person ever. She was just bustling around the shop babbling away in Italian. When it was our turn, she helped Michael fit himself for what I call a “summertime Indian Jones hat.” I actually think that they are called Panama hats, but I’m always thinking of new names for stuff. Anyway, he has wanted an Indian Jones hat for forever so we settle at this one. For me, I was looking for a massive straw beach hat since I burn oh so easily. I found this gorgeous wide-brimmed blue straw hat. When asked how I transport it, she rolled it up, put it under her arm, and made this clip-clop noise (like the sound of wooden heels running on the ground) while giving her shoulders a little shake. It was really funny because we could so see her in that exact situation with her overly-sized hat, clip-clopping/running late to catch her train. Michael can mimic the sound and action really well so just ask him.

Quick story. That evening Michael and I went to a fabulous dinner at the restaurant in the hotel across the street. It was definitely the tastiest meal we had eaten in Italy. The best part was that our main dish was a leg of pork cooked to perfection and carved on a table just to the side of ours. The waiter was preparing our table for us to receive the meal while informing us that we chose the best item on the menu. I then continued the conversation tell him that where we come from that we did not have pork on our menus. He looked at me with the most shocked and horrified look that said, “How can you possibly live in a place that does not serve pork?!?!?!?!?” At first, I think he thought that I was joking, but I reassured him that I was indeed telling the truth. The information was simply too much for him to handle. Michael and I have had some of the best pork products while travelling here. Nonetheless, for those of you who do not eat the meat, there are PLENTY of other delicious options to choose from to eat for any meal.