Milano

Now that I was there, it was time to see some sights. My wife was still doing her training, so I was on my own for this, but that was fine, because I was pretty knowledgeable about how this stuff was done now. I could pretty easily get a taxi, take a train, and see some things. Also, my wife had found the setting on my phone that I hadn't checked the day before, so it was working for internet as well. I was set.

I had the front desk call me a taxi, and I took it to the train station. From the train station, I went right back to Milano Centrale where I had been the day before.

Outside, they had a taxi stand similar to what they had in Piacenza only on a much larger scale.

I had to wait in line for about fifteen minutes to get a cab because there were so many people there. The driver took me to Piazza del Duomo where I could visit the cathedral of Milan. It was a very impressive place. When I got out, it took my breath away.

I don't know if I've ever personally seen a more impressive, inspiring creation of mankind.

This building blew me away.

I find it more inspiring than even the Empire State Building, which was very neat, but couldn't hold a candle to this place.

I walked around the building...which turned out not to be as worthwhile as I'd hoped. The building was undergoing renovations, so a great deal of it was covered by scaffolding and sheets. Then I bought my ticket to go inside. Upon first coming in the door, the most impressive feature presents itself: the cathedral's massive height.

Human beings made this place, not even under direction from a super-advanced alien race. It took six hundred years to complete. They didn't actually finish it until 1965. That right there boggles my mind. How can people keep the blueprint for a building in their heads for 600 years? The thing should be so wonky and out of whack. I can't manage to stick to plans for six days without changing them up, and these people stuck with it for six centuries.

Some of my favorite things were the stained glass windows that stretched high and wide all through the cathedral with hundreds of panels, each individually designed.

Those were really only the beginning, though. There was so much to be seen. I wandered around the building with my mouth open and my camera constantly clicking.

I eventually wandered the whole grounds, and it was time to use the rest of my ticket, which took me to the rooftop terraces. Unfortunately, I had to take the stairs. That's right, I was going to the top of this supremely high building...

...by stairs.

This was my experience:

You can loop that video about a dozen times to see what the real experience was like.  I could have paid an extra ten bucks to ride the elevator to the top, but I refused to play that game. I'm not some old man who can't climb a few flights of stairs. I refuse to go gentle into that good night. I walked all the way to the top. Sadly, the whole way I could hear some young kids coming up behind me, hot on my heels. I was sure I would have to stand aside and allow them to pass me, confirming that I was in fact an old man and that I should have gone gently into that good night. However, I made it to the top just before they caught me, so I didn't have to admit any failure. I was indomitable on my way to the roof.

The roof, by the way, was amazing.

As if this place needed anything to make it more beautiful? They couldn't even just have a normal roof. No, it was covered with spires and flying buttresses everywhere I looked.

It was the highlight of the whole day in Milan.

I was frustrated while on the top of the cathedral because my phone suddenly dinged me to say that I was low on battery. Already? I was just getting started, and I kind of couldn't do without it. I needed it for pictures. I needed it for directions. I needed it for my train tickets. I only had twenty percent battery power. What did I do to run it down so fast? I had to make sure it didn't go belly up on me, or I might get stuck in Milan.

I powered it down, and figured I would only turn it on when I needed it. I went down the stairs, and found the next place on my list to see. Right next door to the cathedral was the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This was a shopping mall that was absolutely beautiful. It was built in 1877, and is the oldest active shopping gallery in Italy. The architecture was beautiful.

But that was all I cared about. The place was filled with Gucci stores and fancy restaurants. I didn't need to bother with that noise. I just strolled through, took a couple of pictures, and moved along.

Up the street from the cathedral is the Castello Sforzesco.

You could walk through and see it easily, but it didn't feel like there was much to see.

Maybe I should have taken some kind of tour instead of doing it on the cheap like I did.

There was a big park on the other side of the castle, and I strolled through that until I came to the Arco Della Pace.

It was built in the early 1800s, has to do with Napoleonic rule and the Austria-Hungarian Empire that took over Italy upon defeating it and etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. To tell you the truth, at this point I'd had enough. I hadn't even seen that much. For example, "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci was only an eighteen minute stroll from this point. I could have gone to see it. The Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, another place I was interested in seeing was only a couple of minutes past that. I could have done so much more, but I didn't feel like it.

I was here in Milan alone, and that wasn't any fun. I know that these days, more and more people would rather be alone than have to devote the energy it takes to spend time with other people, but I am not one of those people. I don't mind being alone, but I it's not how I choose to have fun. As I wandered downtown Milan on my own, and was treated to amazing sights and history, there was no one to share it with or even comment to. Had my daughter been there like we'd originally planned, it probably would have been a completely different experience, but things hadn't turned out right for that, so rather than doggedly continuing to spend money and walk around in the sprinkling rain, I went and got a taxi, went back to Milano Centrale, and took a train back to Piacenza.

I got home right about the time my wife finished up her day's work, and we went down and spent the evening with her crew, talking and telling stories in the hotel restaurant. I didn't know any of these people before that night, but I had a much better time talking with them than I did wandering all by my lonesome through Milan. Maybe the next day with my wife would be better.