Magical Milano

Our first full day in the city of Milan did not disappoint. Today on our agenda was a visit to Leonardo Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' and a tour of the city and Duomo, in the afternoon.

When we were planning this trip and considering which places to add to our itinerary, we had question marks over Milan. This was only because so many people had said things like "oh don't go to Milan, it's just another city." Or..."Milan is just for
business and industry." I'm pleased to say Milan in all her beauty, proved those people wrong today and we are so pleased we left Milan on our list. While it doesn't have the same charm as Rome, Milan is elegant, polite, rich in tradition and its people are so friendly.

After breakfast at our hotel we headed in to the centre via the underground train. There is a trick to catching this correctly of course. To make sure you are travelling the correct way, you need to know the name of the stop you want to get off at and the name of the stop at the end of the line. Yes we have messed this up before, but it is easily fixed by getting off at the next stop, crossing to the other side and travelling back in the right direction.

Our booking at The Last Supper was at 11:30, so we had plenty of time to wander the streets from the centre to get there. After collecting our tickets we still had time to kill so stopped in at the local cafe for a cold water and espresso. There is something quite satisfying about being able to order your coffee in Italian and understand the waiters response. We have found in Italy, a small gesture like attempting to speak the language, goes a long way with the locals. They are very receptive to tourists attempting to speak to them in their language and this often creates the best traveling moments.

The viewing of the Last Supper is kept to 15 minutes and groups of 30 at a time. This is to preserve the beauty of the painting. Stepping inside the rectory and seeing The Last Supper for the first time, was quite emotional for me. Some would laugh at me for saying that but it's true. The same thing happened for me when I first laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Trevi Fountain in Rome and walked inside Buckingham Palace in London. There are some things you never think you may see in your life time. When you do get the opportunity, for me anyway, it's a feeling of no other. It's gratitude of being able to travel and joy at seeing some of the world's most beautiful monuments, art pieces and buildings. So, swallowing the lump in my throat I was in awe of the beauty of this piece of art that had been so carefully restored. We were very pleased we had paid for the audio guide, which explained in detail, the meaning behind the painting and the process of restoring it.

 

 

The heat had certainly kicked in when we stepped back outside. Fortunately we already had some water with us, but took the opportunity to fill our bottles at one of the many spring water fountains on the street. We took our time heading back in to the centre as our tour wasn't until 2:30. We found a great little sandwich spot to enjoy some lunch in and then found a tram to take us the rest of the way in to the Duomo. I felt so tiny standing in front of the Duomo. It is just massive and dominates the main square.

This photo is taken from the side!

Upon arriving at our meeting point for our tour, we realised we were the only ones there. We were expecting there to be a group of about 50, but were so excited it was just us - a private tour! The tour was 3 and 1/2 hours long and included a tour inside the Duomo, below it in to the baptistry and original churches and then access to the very top of the Duomo to walk on the terraces. It also included a walk around the city to the castle. The Duomo was so impressive. It would equal the beauty of the Basillica at the Vatican. Our guide was so knowledgeable and gave us a great insight in to the history of the Duomo and Milan itself.

 

 

 

 

After leaving the Duomo, we continued our tour by walking through the city with our guide Elisa. She led us through the Galleria Victorio Emanuele building, a high end shopping centre, with the first ever glass roof in Italy. We listened to stories of Milan's history and traditions and by the time we reached our end point at Sforzesco Castle, we'd fallen in love with another Italian city. We were so impressed with Elisa, she really was the best tour guide we had ever come across. After enduring hours in the hot sun we rewarded ourselves with an ice cold limone and arancia granite and sat in the shade in the park watching the world go by. We had dinner at a local, casual restaurant to round off another wonderful day in Italia.

 

Tomorrow; Museums and more Milan