Arrivaderci Milan

So my very late night turned into a later morning wake up that I had to rush to check out in time. I walked to the train station with the two guys from the night before (I dont even remember their names...) and we parted with hugs and kisses like old friends.

 On my own again, I stowed my bags in central station and went back to the Duomo to explore it my way. Guide book in hand I spent an hour in, around, and on top of the Duomo. It is a seriously impressive piece of work that 500 years to build. It is the 4th largest cathedral in Europe, built to hold 40,000 worshippers. It has thousands of statues on the outside and inside and has 52 hundred foot tall pillars to represent the weeks in the year.

 The Piazza del Duomo would have been beautiful, but the massive statue of Victor Emmanuel was hidden under construction tape, the weather wasnt great, and the number of Africans trying to tie bracelets around your wrists is awful. Along with the disgusting pigeons and Arabs who grab your hand, put seeds in it, watch as the pigeons land on you and you giggle and scream, and then demand money. Thankfully I was not one of those people, I managed to avoid the pigeons and the harassing men, but viewed all of it.

  There was mass going on inside which was great to see, there were probably 1,000 worshippers plus as many tourists, but it was beautiful. The roof is the real beauty though. Up about 1000 stairs, you come out into what looks like a stone forest. The spires, buttresses, gargoyles, and statues were so impressive. And the view of the city was great as well, I just wish it was better weather (it was a bit foggy). 

 From the Duomo I walked down the Via Dante to the Sforza Castle. There is very little auto traffic in the center of Milan and many of the streets are pedestrian only, like that one. I got a gelato and walked through the castle. It is a massive accomplishment of brick which was once the city gate, then the Sforza castle, then a place to house foreign soldiers, and now a building of museums.

There are 14 museums inside the castle! One of them holds Michelangelo’s unfinished pieta which I could have paid to see, but I didnt. Instead I walked around the castles huge grounds, the equivalent to Milan’s central park and admired the thousands of knockoff purses, wallets, flying toy helicopters and other worthless memorabilia that are on display wherever tourists flock. I wish I could have gone outside city center a bit, but I had a train to catch to Villefranche which I am now currently on. And I cant believe I just wrote all that because it took about 3 hours. And now I only have 20 mins left until Vintemiglia. Ciao!