#2925 three things: micro-memories of Milan, Italy

three little gnomes
(art by me)

1. Milan is modern. Compared to the other cities I've been to in Italy, Milan seems very modern to me. Lizzie and I took a taxi from the train station to our hotel, and the buildings were tall and sleek, and the roads were very busy. Our hotel was the most modern and the least charismatic of the four hotels we stayed in. Walking from the hotel to the Duomo, there are many swanky stores. Maybe there are different neighborhoods that are more historic or older...I don't know how to articulate what I felt, but I can tell you that I wasn't all that charmed by Milan. 

That's not to say that Milan doesn't have history; for goodness sakes, The Last Supper was painted there by Leonardo da Vinci in 1495 - 1498! Maybe it's because Milan doesn't really have a centro storico - a historic district where the older parts of the city were. Or maybe we were in the centro storico but didn't recognize it as such because the newer buildings overpowered the historic buildings.

As we were walking around, Lizzie and I did come across some ruins that were walled off and well below street level so you were peering down at the foundations of what might have been a lovely palazzo. 

One last thing about this "thing": we were only in Milan for one day. I'd done a bit of research prior to the trip and had a list of the stuff I wanted to see, and we saw all of those things. I just think it is hard to get a good measure of a place in just one day, so my perception of Milan is that it is a modern, bustling city.

2. Everything is big. The size of the Important Things in Italy surprises me. Everything is BIG. Like from the outside, the buildings are enormous and ornate. The interior of the train station, Milan Centrale, is quite lovely. Here is a photo I took:

inside Milano Centrale train station

When I saw it from the outside, though, holy crap! It was huge! Here's a pic I found on the interwebs:

exterior of Milano Centrale train station

The Duomo is massive.

the Cathedral of Milan

Those doors are enormous! Many things are just larger than life, like the Galleria and Castel Sforza. You'll see pics of them this weekend when I retrace our path through the city. Just keep in mind, the buildings are big.

By the way, big buildings are not just a thing in Milan. Florence and Rome also have plenty of giant structures. 

3. Italian bathtubs are deep. In the Rapallo hotel, I think we just had a shower, no tub (right, Lizzie?) In Milan, Florence, and Rome, though, the bathrooms all had tubs with the shower, and each of them were big. Maybe not big in length, but definitely deep. I'm talking you almost have to sit on the edge and swing your feet around to get in and out of those things. I didn't actually do that, but I did consider it as an option. Even with the deep tub, water manages to get all over the floor. Marble is slippery when it's wet, by the way. 

This weekend, I'll write and share photos of Milan. I am excited to tell you about the lunch I had there, the grace and reverence of The Last Supper, and the joy of learning stuff you didn't know.

xo