Spring Break Wanderings in Milan (With Pictures!)

Buongiorno, tutti!

Yesterday my lengthy spring break finally came to a close. This is probably the first time in a while where I haven’t felt cheated by thinking the break wasn’t long enough – it was time to get back to work and finish this semester out strong.

Though I stayed in Milan for the duration of break (with the exception of Easter with my professor in Laveno), I found this a great opportunity to get to know the city I was living in a little better, to explore what all it had to offer. So, I took one lazy day of rest after the two-day Easter fun (Tuesday) and woke up Wednesday with maps in hand and a game plan.

Let's start with Wednesday. I took the long way to the metro entrance to stop by a humble monument called Casa del Pane (House of Bread) and snapped some pictures. It’s not that impressive, but it was labeled as something special on my Maps app, and it was so close by – I figured why not.

 

 (Ignore the five-headed motorbike driver.)

My main destination was the Duomo, or the Milan Cathedral, which I’ve visited before, but I hadn’t yet had the chance to go inside or march up to the terraces on the roof. So that’s what I did. It was 7 euro to go up onto the roof. I think that’s a bit steep, but at the same time it was worth it; at least the view was decent. (I’ve been spoiled by the tall towers I’ve climbed in Verona and Venice, I admit.)

 

After stretching out to nab a little sun on the terraces, I wandered back down into the square and headed north. Located very close by to the Duomo was the Teatro Alla Scala, which I have been told is definitely a place to visit while in town (thanks, Sara ;)). The exterior of the building was a little disappointing considering it’s an opera house from the 1700s (though I understand it’s been through fires and renovations), and though I haven’t ventured inside (the cost of a tour is temptingly decent, but I’m still not sure about it), from what I’ve seen, it is exquisite.

(credit to http://3d-top-event.info/culture_102_Mailaender_Scala_Teatro_alla_Scala.html)

 On the way to the metro, I traipsed inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, which is much more amazing on the inside then from the outside looking in.

On the way home, I hopped off the metro to take a look at another humble monument called Porta Romana  (Roman Door/Gate). It doesn’t seem to get much love, as it’s plopped right in the middle of an intersection, but I made sure to give it some.

Thursday I again set an alarm for a decent time and headed out with my lunch packed. I visited the Cimitero Monumental (Monumental Cemetery) which is the second largest cemetery in Milan, ranking in at 2,700,000 square feet. Yeah. Monumental indeed.

This is the entrance alone.

This is what you immediately see through the entrance.

And the map, so you don’t get lost. (I was genuinely afraid of getting lost as soon as I set foot inside the intimidating place - don’t let me fool you.)

It was established in 1866 and there are many graves to show for it. I would say most of the ones I saw were from the 1800s and early 1900s.  Almost every one was adorned with some sort of monument or statue, and all of them were marvelously done. (Lots of Jesus and angel statues, which is no surprise.) They all looked either utterly distraught or so serene it was painful. Lots of emotion contained in stone.

It was a hauntingly beautiful place and the atmosphere was not that of a typical cemetery somehow. (I visited in broad daylight and can only imagine what it would be like in the dark, though I still don’t feel it would be creepy. I’m probably very wrong, but alas, I’ll never find out! The cemetery closes well before sundown every day.)

I need to go back and see the cemetery again, though. I was only able to spend a little over an hour there and that was not nearly enough. I need to go when I have a whole afternoon free in order to properly see everything without rushing. I hope I can manage to do that before I leave (in 31 days – crazy!).

My next stop was the Sforza Castle and Parco Sempione nearby the building I go to for class, but I had spent most of my time in the cemetery. Still, I found a nice patch of grass and plopped down to eat my grapes and chips while listening to the chatter of conversation and birds around me. I need to go back there when I have more time, too.

The highlight of the day was yet to be had, though. I scheduled an appointment for a viewing of The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Yes, the actual thing, where it was actually painted in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie back in 1494 – 1498.

(I’ve been to the Convent itself before, but Thursday I was there for the painting, not the building.)

We got fifteen minutes to appreciate the masterpiece, up high on the wall with the huge dimensions of 15 feet by 30 feet. It was magnificent and massive, to say the least. The experience was surreal, almost, while standing under the grand piece. The Convent was less than half a mile from the building I go to school at and it was only 8 euro to book an appointment. It seemed too easy, almost, but regardless, I just had to seize the opportunity. It was so close by and so affordable, I knew it would be something I’d kick myself for later if I hadn’t taken the chance! I am still in awe of the great painter’s work, sitting here days later. Leonardo hadn’t even used the traditional fresco technique – he was experimenting with a new medium in this piece. Experimenting. And that is the result?! Simply amazing.

As far as highlights in Milan go, this one definitely takes the cake.

The rest of my spring break I spent doing homework and otherwise taking it easy, not worrying about bedtimes and essentially staying in my pajamas all day. It was a good end to a fantastic week.

And through all my adventuring, though I had drawn myself detail directions on screenshots of maps, I never once got lost. I strayed from my intended path a couple times, but without worry always managed to get back somewhere I recognized. That was a marvelous feeling, especially compared to my two-hour wandering around, utterly lost over two months ago.

Today marks the 71^st day of my being in Milan with only a month remaining. Time has been rolling by like a locomotive – it was slow going at first, but now that it’s up to speed, the days are flying by. I’ve loved my time being here, though there have been some tough things to deal with, I’m sure there will be things I’ll miss about Milan (and there will be things I’ll happily leave behind, too), but all in all, I’ll be glad to be home on May 31^st.

My next fun trip is Florence on May 19^th, so I don’t think there will be a blog post from me until around then. For the next couple weeks I’ll be focusing on final exam preparations and wrapping up the semester in the best way I can.

Until then,

V

On Narrow Roads (My Italian Easter)

The idea of spending Easter Sunday with an Italian family began the Wednesday just before, and it went something like this:

My Italian literature class (consisting of five students when everyone shows up) and I were making our way back to the school building after taking a field trip to a museum nearby and my professor proceeded to ask us where we were going over spring break (which was to start the next day and go for ten days). The others gave her various answers of places in and outside of Italy, but no one was staying in Milan except me. When I replied with this, she turned to me and asked about what I was doing over Easter, and I, jokingly though retaining shades of truth, responded that I would be sleeping in my apartment alone. She gave me a look bordering somewhere between pity and horror and immediately told me I should come out and have Easter with her and her family. At first I thought it was one of this invitations where they mention the idea, but they don't actually mean for you to say yes. She was completely serious. So I told her I’d think about it. She said she would email me the details as soon as she got home. 

Not too much later, an email from her flew into my inbox, excitedly telling me it would only cost a few euro for a train ticket and that she'd really love having me there. 

Well, I said yes. Why not take the opportunity to experience a real Italian Easter while in Italy?

So Sunday morning, I woke up early, hopped on a train headed northwest, and nearly two hours later, I was on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It was beautiful, with all the mountains on the lake, some topped with white, and dotted with colorful houses. 

 

I was picked up from the station by my professor's (Laura's) cousin and I rode in a little car up tiny windy roads to a quaint village carved into the mountainside.

Laura welcomed me into her home and introduced me to her whole family - kids, husband, cousins, parents, aunts and uncles (…and cats). Some of them spoke English, so Laura wouldn't be stuck having to talk to me all the time. 

Over the four-course meal, her cousin and I taught each other how to say some things in our respective native tongues. He told me that "aya" is the way Italians say “ow” or “ouch.” I was able to help him with some phrases, like “just pulling your leg,” for example.

The food was fantastic, of course - all home-cooked Italian food. The first course was appetizers of various breads and dips, salami, and a chilled sort of vegetable salad with peas and carrots. The second course was pasta, hand made by Laura's husband, with some herbs, cheese, and prosciutto bits. The third course consisted of main dishes, which were a mayonnaise and tuna fish slathered piece of thinly sliced beef and another thinly sliced meat marinated in soy sauce and other things I can't remember (shame, shame). The final course was dessert, a cake called pastiera, a Neapolitan dessert that resembled cheesecake but wasn't quite, chocolate (from chocolate eggs, for Easter), and a sort of fruitcake in the shape of a dove sprinkled with almonds and sugar. Following all the food, there was the option to partake in having some espresso, which is how they finish meals here. It's a very concentrated drink, as I'm sure you can imagine, and they serve it in shot glass sized cups, sometimes with a little sugar added and sometimes not. 

After the meal was done and the many, many plates were taken up, we all banded together and took a walk through the neighborhood. The weather was beautiful and the mountains could be clearly seen across the lake and into Switzerland. 

Laura took us up to see her donkeys and the view from the pasture where they were kept was beautiful.

Two other kids joined us, about the same age as Laura's kids, ranging from approximately 6-10 years old, and they began to throw around a football. Now, I don't know near as much Italian as I wish I did, and this was made obvious sitting around a table with an Italian family, but when these kids approached me and spoke to me in their mother tongue and I didn't understand the words, it was still obvious they wanted me to play with them. They tugged on my hands and grinned at me, giggling. And so we played. That was a marvelous thing I had somehow forgotten about my time in Peru with all those kids - I didn't always understand what they were saying, but once we started playing a game, it didn't matter anymore. Throwing around a football and chasing and tickling each other to get it back required no language. I thoroughly enjoyed and wore myself out, and also made a new friend. Laura's daughter began gravitating toward me and when we were leaving to go back home, she sidled up next to me to hold my hand. Her mother just smiled and told me "she really likes you."

Later the little girl asked excitedly if I was going to spend the night. Laura had offered this up to me as an option in her email; initially I was going to politely decline, but once things began winding down it was really too late to try and catch a train in the impending darkness. So I told her daughter Lucia yes, I would. She liked this very much(1).

Everyone parted to go their separate ways after giving their goodbyes, leaving me with Laura's family. We gathered in the living room to watch a movie, which ended up being Frozen in Italian. Lucia sat close next to me on the cushioned chair for most of it before lying on her mom on the couch. 

Since I hadn't planned to stay the night, I hadn't brought a packed bag, so I didn't have any pajamas unless I wanted to sleep in skinny jeans. (Nope.) Laura without hesitation let me borrow a pair of pajama pants and shirt for the night and quickly prepared the guest room for me. 

We had done a lot of walking up and down the mountainside that day, so I was tuckered out by 11. I slept quite well considering I was in a different bed. I recall waking up only once, confused for a second on where I was. 

That next morning I awoke, had some tea for breakfast, and the family and I drove out to the edge of the lake despite the dreary rain. I could see Switzerland clearly from where I stood. 

 

On the way home we stopped at a 12th century church and visited the Holland Village where all the houses looked like those from fairy tales. 

At around one we had lunch at Laura's father's house, which was basically just leftovers from the day before (like thanksgiving is for us - we eat turkey sandwiches for weeks afterward). 

For the next few hours I sat and talked with Laura on a number of topics, and then it was time for me to go. We managed to plan it out so I could hitch a ride back to Milan with Laura's husband instead of paying for a train ticket, and now I'm home. 

It was a beautiful experience to spend Easter with Italians and I made sure Laura knew I was thankful for her invitation. It was a blast!

 Now that I'm back in Milan, I've got the rest of the week to explore around here over the remainder of my spring break! So there will be more pictures and posts soon!

Happy belated Easter!

V

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1 – Later, Laura would tell me that Lucia said to her, “I’m a little embarrassed, but I really like her hair!” in reference to me. Oh man she was so cute. She even drew me a picture, and it was of me! I have it on my fridge now to see every time I’m in the kitchen (which admittedly is quite a lot).