Milano, I think I like the cookie better than the city...
Yesterday was my first full day in Italy. After flying in Friday and making my way to my hotel, I took a bus tour to acclimate myself. BAD IDEA. I was SO tired, I kept nodding off, so I went back to my hotel to take a short nap, before finding dinner.
I had planned for my nap to be about 35 minutes, I set a timer for 35 minutes...or did I. I didn’t actually set the timer, but as I never fell fully asleep, that was ok. I got up about 40 minutes after I laid down.
For dinner I went across the street to a little restaurant and had Carbonara for the first time. Now, I’ve never had it before, but I don’t think it was a really well done carbonara. It tasted ok, but there was a lot of it, and I didn’t finish even half of it.
This morning I didn’t set my alarm, figuring I would wake whenever I wanted to. I was up several times during the night, and as such, when I woke-up at 7:15, I wasn’t ready to get up. But I wanted to be to the Duomo to get my ticket by 8:45 when they open, so I wouldn’t have to wait in line...well the next time I opened my eyes it was 8:40, that wasn’t gonna happen.
I didn’t stress, it’s my schedule, I’ll change it if I want to. I got to the Duomo ticket office at about 9:30. I wandered around a bit trying to figure out their system. What they did was; first you had to get a ticket from a machine, like you’re at a deli, then wait for your number to be “called” then you can buy a ticket. Once I figured that out. I bought my ticket, and was told that there was an event and the Duomo would be unavailable until 12:30, but the terraces (the roof) was still available. So I went straight there.
There are two ways to get to the terraces, by the stairs (for 9 €) or the elevator (for 13€) guess which one my fat behind chose...yes the elevator. The roof of the Duomo HAD to have been meant to have people on it. It is so elaborately decorated, I coulnd’t believe I was on a roof, that no one would see unless they actually climbed up there. There are intricate spires, and statues, and cherubs, and sculptures. There’s even super cool like water cherub rain spouts. If you ever get to Milano, GO TO THE DUOMO TERRACES!
After touring the terraces, I decided to try the bus tour again. My ticket was good for 48 hours, and they have 3 routes, so why not.
I departed the bus to tour the Sforza Castle. This castle is huge, but a lot of the rooms are
not available to tour because they’re being renovated. I toured the free areas, and had a snack at the cafe in the air conditioning.
I hopped back on the bus to go to tour the Duomo. I got back right around 12:30, when the lady had told me that the Duomo would be open again. There was a line, oh was there a line! I waited for almost half an hour in the sun, but it was worth it!
The Duomo di Milano is spectacular. Upon entering the Duomo, I almost started crying, it was so beautiful. First of all, it’s HUGE. It’s tall and spacious, with huge columns holding up the roof. There are 52 columns, one for each week of the year. The stained glass windows have such vibrant colors, they almost don’t seem real.
Below the Duomo is the archeological area, where they’ve excavated parts of previous churches that have stood on that spot. The lighting is very low, and the whole places just seems more sacred for the silence and dimness.
I left the Duomo to take the third route from the bus tour company. This one brought us all the way out to San Siro stadium, where AC Milan plays.
I was feeling a bit tired from the day, so I decided to head back to my hotel and take a nap before dinner. I hopped on the tour bus line that should have brought me back to the Duomo which is very near my hotel. I say should, because after an hour and a half, we were back at the starting point of the bus tour, and I wasn’t at my hotel. They had to change the route a bit because of a demonstration going on on part of the route, but that caused our bus to get stuck at an intersection.
When we got back to the start point, we all got off, and waited for the next bus, which was a different route would get us back to the Duomo quicker than that line. While we were waiting, I talked to a couple from Ann Arbor who are here touring round Europe for a few weeks.
Finally I got back to the hotel, and had some water, I was very thirsty, I had been drinking water all day, but I’d also been sweating it all out.
For dinner I went to a different restaurant across the street. I ordered a beer, and the waitress asked if I wanted to try an Italian beer, so I figured why not, when in Rome as they say (or Milan I guess...) It was pretty good. My dinner was nothing special, but I also ordered dessert. Which was some sort of sponge cake mound with pastry cream and these little chocolate nibs in the center. It was amazing, btuI couldn’t finish it, it was too much food! I don’t understand the Italian way of eating. I get that they order in courses and that a meal should be a long experience, but each course is the size of a meal! How do these Italian people not weigh 800 lbs!
I didn’t care for Milan. It wasn’t one thing, I guess, but the city just didn’t connect with me. But now I am off to Venice to ride a gondola and see some art. Ciao!
I had planned for my nap to be about 35 minutes, I set a timer for 35 minutes...or did I. I didn’t actually set the timer, but as I never fell fully asleep, that was ok. I got up about 40 minutes after I laid down.
For dinner I went across the street to a little restaurant and had Carbonara for the first time. Now, I’ve never had it before, but I don’t think it was a really well done carbonara. It tasted ok, but there was a lot of it, and I didn’t finish even half of it.
This morning I didn’t set my alarm, figuring I would wake whenever I wanted to. I was up several times during the night, and as such, when I woke-up at 7:15, I wasn’t ready to get up. But I wanted to be to the Duomo to get my ticket by 8:45 when they open, so I wouldn’t have to wait in line...well the next time I opened my eyes it was 8:40, that wasn’t gonna happen.
I didn’t stress, it’s my schedule, I’ll change it if I want to. I got to the Duomo ticket office at about 9:30. I wandered around a bit trying to figure out their system. What they did was; first you had to get a ticket from a machine, like you’re at a deli, then wait for your number to be “called” then you can buy a ticket. Once I figured that out. I bought my ticket, and was told that there was an event and the Duomo would be unavailable until 12:30, but the terraces (the roof) was still available. So I went straight there.
There are two ways to get to the terraces, by the stairs (for 9 €) or the elevator (for 13€) guess which one my fat behind chose...yes the elevator. The roof of the Duomo HAD to have been meant to have people on it. It is so elaborately decorated, I coulnd’t believe I was on a roof, that no one would see unless they actually climbed up there. There are intricate spires, and statues, and cherubs, and sculptures. There’s even super cool like water cherub rain spouts. If you ever get to Milano, GO TO THE DUOMO TERRACES!
After touring the terraces, I decided to try the bus tour again. My ticket was good for 48 hours, and they have 3 routes, so why not.
I departed the bus to tour the Sforza Castle. This castle is huge, but a lot of the rooms are
not available to tour because they’re being renovated. I toured the free areas, and had a snack at the cafe in the air conditioning.
I hopped back on the bus to go to tour the Duomo. I got back right around 12:30, when the lady had told me that the Duomo would be open again. There was a line, oh was there a line! I waited for almost half an hour in the sun, but it was worth it!
The Duomo di Milano is spectacular. Upon entering the Duomo, I almost started crying, it was so beautiful. First of all, it’s HUGE. It’s tall and spacious, with huge columns holding up the roof. There are 52 columns, one for each week of the year. The stained glass windows have such vibrant colors, they almost don’t seem real.
Below the Duomo is the archeological area, where they’ve excavated parts of previous churches that have stood on that spot. The lighting is very low, and the whole places just seems more sacred for the silence and dimness.
I left the Duomo to take the third route from the bus tour company. This one brought us all the way out to San Siro stadium, where AC Milan plays.
I was feeling a bit tired from the day, so I decided to head back to my hotel and take a nap before dinner. I hopped on the tour bus line that should have brought me back to the Duomo which is very near my hotel. I say should, because after an hour and a half, we were back at the starting point of the bus tour, and I wasn’t at my hotel. They had to change the route a bit because of a demonstration going on on part of the route, but that caused our bus to get stuck at an intersection.
When we got back to the start point, we all got off, and waited for the next bus, which was a different route would get us back to the Duomo quicker than that line. While we were waiting, I talked to a couple from Ann Arbor who are here touring round Europe for a few weeks.
Finally I got back to the hotel, and had some water, I was very thirsty, I had been drinking water all day, but I’d also been sweating it all out.
For dinner I went to a different restaurant across the street. I ordered a beer, and the waitress asked if I wanted to try an Italian beer, so I figured why not, when in Rome as they say (or Milan I guess...) It was pretty good. My dinner was nothing special, but I also ordered dessert. Which was some sort of sponge cake mound with pastry cream and these little chocolate nibs in the center. It was amazing, btuI couldn’t finish it, it was too much food! I don’t understand the Italian way of eating. I get that they order in courses and that a meal should be a long experience, but each course is the size of a meal! How do these Italian people not weigh 800 lbs!
I didn’t care for Milan. It wasn’t one thing, I guess, but the city just didn’t connect with me. But now I am off to Venice to ride a gondola and see some art. Ciao!
Well that sounded like a lot of work. Lol
ReplyDeleteSeriously you have to pay for stairs and elevators?