Milan (aka Mediolanum)

Here is the link for Athens: http://michelleandstewartanderson.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post_08.html

And the link for Barcelona: http://michelleandstewartanderson.blogspot.com/2009/04/barcelona-ciutat-comtal-city-of-counts.html

Our next stop is Milan. Since we were only really there for 1 full day and the next morning, I don't have quite as many pictures. However, we did have our first taste of authentic, Italian gelato in Milan at a place called RivaReno. Apparently, it has the best gelato in Italy. It was phenomenal, of course, but not my favorite of all the gelato I ate.

The Duomo
Of course, the Duomo was a must-see. It's huge! From what I hear (taken with a grain of salt), it is the 3rd largest cathedral in the world.
For any interested in going, I suggest going in the afternoon. The lighting would be better for pictures. As you can see, my picture is backlit.

Detail on the Duomo

Detail on the door of the Duomo
I liked this one the best because it was the manger scene.

The roof of the Duomo

On the roof of the Duomo

Piazza Duomo, as seen from the roof of the Duomo

The actual roof of the Duomo
This was the highest up you could get.

Detail on the Duomo
I don't know what the building is in the background, but I thought it was interesting. Apparently, you can see the Alps from the roof of the Duomo, if it's a clear day. Unfortunately, as you can see, it was not a clear day for us.

The very top of the Duomo
There is a golden statue of the Madonna on the top of the Duomo that the Milanese have nicknamed "Madunina" (Little Madonna).

A clock on a building behind the Duomo
There was a lady watering her plants in her garden behind this clock. How would you like to live there?

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
This is reputed to be the world's oldest shopping center/mall. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. It is, however, an upscale place. You can shop at stores like Prada in this mall...if you have the money.

La Scala Opera
We did go inside, and it's beautiful! Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures inside. So, you'll have to deal with a boring outside picture.

Castello Sforzesco by Parco Sempione
Yes, it's another crooked picture...

Castello Sforzesco
We ate delicious Margherita pizza just across the street from this place. Mmmm!

Parco Sempione
I wanted the fence in this picture, but I wasn't specific enough. So, you'll just have to imagine that it was a cool-looking fence. We spent about 2 hours in the park just relaxing. We stumbled across a filming (of a music video or movie...we're not sure), and fell in love with the song they were playing. It's still stuck in my head today, but I have no idea what it is. Since it was in Italian, I caught very few of the words. We did enjoy watching them film...as well as people-/dog-watching.

A random arch in Milan
I have tried to figure out what this arch is, but without success.

My gigantic calzone
After eating delicious gelato at RivaReno (yes, we did it backwards), we went to get some dinner. I ordered a calzone, but had no idea that it would be so huge! It was delicious, but I couldn't finish it. ...and yes, this is a horrible picture of me.

Cimitero Monumentale
Call me morbid, but I love cemeteries. There is just something charming about them...especially European cemeteries. If you are into photography, you will love this cemetery. It has some amazing monuments. Unfortunately, I had to use the restroom and didn't have time to get as many pictures as I wanted before we had to leave.

Cimitero Monumentale

Cimitero Monumentale

Cimitero Monumentale

Cimitero Monumentale

Cimitero Monumentale
This was interesting to me, not only because it is shaped like a pyramid, but also because of the name. For those who don't know German, "Vogel" means bird. Just another site for my "everything German" trip.

Cimitero Monumentale

Cimitero Monumentale
Unfortunately, you can't really see the golden parts inside the arches, but maybe you can squint and imagine.

Cimitero Monumentale from the back

Santa Maria delle Grazie
We had to leave the cemetery at a certain time in order to arrive at this location...and we barely made it. This is the home of Leonardo DaVinci's "Last Supper." Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures, but it was amazing!

The entrance to the ticket office
I had no idea that the "Last Supper" was painted directly onto a wall. It was quite fascinating!

Detail above the door of Santa Maria delle Grazie

That concludes our tour of Milan. Come back tomorrow for my favorite location: Venice!!!