After an uneasy 5 hrs train ride , I finally arrived in Milan w/o having to pass through any checks. =). Actually, I wasnt that uneasy because I slept all the way again, and happily missed the great views outside the window as the train was passing by one of France most picturesque region.
After all that hoo-hah about Milan being a fashion capital, I was erm lets say, a little disappointed. Where I went, the high end stores were all around me and the Milanese all carried branded goods (even those young teenagers) but something just quite didn't fit.
If I be frank, I found the city incredibly dirty. Oopz. But, yes, there seem to be a thick layer of dust covering the whole city. The air was really bad, the pollution came not only from the tons of vehicles on the roads, but also largely from the people who smoked. I later found out that people not only from Milan, but the whole of Italy smokes. Sometimes, I felt so exasperated, at my wit's end because no matter where I go, I just couldn't find breathable air. At the bus stop or in queues, the moment some one finishes his/her cigarette, I would just need to count to 5 and another person will light up.
Or perhaps, my disappointment was due to erm..a series of unfortunate events. Despite trying a month in advance, I couldn't get tickets for the Last Supper. The painting was one of the reason why I made my way to Milan, so yes I was pretty upset when i learnt that there were no no longer any available tickets. And then, there was the Leonardo da Vinci Museum which I had to give it a miss because I was in Milan on a Monday. Sigh.
Humph.. so to comfort myself, I've gotten myself a photo of the ahem statue of Mr. Leonardo.
Haha, I just realized that I have been complaining non-stop. Oopz..Okay.. what's nice in Milan. Ahh..of course, the Duomo of Milan which is the second largest Catholic cathedrale in the world. Although the facade was covered by boards ( Under renovation. grr..) that totally conceal its beauty( I shall not start), it was still pretty amazing. Seek my advice! Go there once when it's open to visit the interior and the roof and once when it's closed to have a look at the door. The door itself is a marvelous piece of work. I think I must have stood there for bout 20 mins admiring the door, but really its so detailed.
Duomo. Do you see that ugly board?
One of the many scenes on the door. Its superbly detailed right!
Once inside, omg, I was in awe. Such a majestic place of worship, I couldn't help but felt spiritual. The pillars, all rose so high above me and made me so small, yet because of the splendor and majesty of the place, I felt so full of myself. Its really amazing how something of this size and grandeur can be made by human hands so many hundred years ago. Sighh...
Another ooh la la place is the La Scala Theatre. Sigh, I had wanted to book tickets for a symphony+opera performance at the La Scala Theatre, but when I went online, I saw that there were still lots of tickets, so yah, you can pretty much guess what happened. I think I cannot make it..Haha. So seeing that it was a sold out concert when i got there, i went instead to the theatre museum which included a entry to the theatre. Not the best way to see it, but I still got a peek. Drools... Just look at the photos. Can you imagine performing/ watching a performance in the theatre. Oh gosh...drools..
Inside the theatre museum. Hee hee. I like the jester's attire!
La Scala Theatre
Hmmz, let me think. What else did I enjoy? Ahhh.. licking gelatos while window shopping. I had to, since I couldnt afford any thing. So, I tried to tempt those rich snobs with my gelato, but of courseeee i was ignored. Boo.
Galleria Vittoro Emanuele II-Freaking nice shopping mall.
La grosse femme.
[Edit] Oh ya..lor..I took this for you..bbwahahah.
