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In May of 2006 we went to Milan, Italy to visit Tanya's sister Tessa and her husband Nelson, who were there for a medical conference. |
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It's easy to get to Milan if you're stationed at Lajes. Flights go to Aviano once a week and you can take them for FREE if you're active duty, reserve, or retired. Then it's about 25 euros for a train ticket to Milan, and you can have drinks in the hotel lobby with your sister and brother-in-law. | |
| It's much easier to take the metro than to rent a car. Ticket prices were 5.50 euros for a two day pass, and there are stops all over the city, which is certainly more than I can say for parking spots. |
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We heard rumors that picket-pockets were rampant in Milan. That's not surprising considering the uniforms the police wear. How can you take this guy seriously? None of us were robbed, but I'm sure glad I'm not a cop in Milan! | |
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This is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, at the center of the city. Don't ever buy drinks in this area because it's very touristy and two beers cost me and Nelson 30 euros! It's right next to a giant cathedral known as Il Duomo. |
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Translated into Italian, Il Duomo means "The Cathedral," so I don't know how they tell it apart from all the other ones in conversation. What do you expect to see inside a giant cathedral if not stained glass and ornate stoneworkings? |
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The best part about Il Duomo is that you can climb to the roof. You don't need ropes because there's a staircase. There's also an elevator, but we didn't take it because there was a long line of senior citizens. |
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The top of Il Duomo is adorned with statues. They're everywhere, looking out over the city. I don't know what these guys are doing, but they're pretty serious about it. |
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Castello Sforzesco can also be found within the city. This enormous structure was once the home to the royal families of Milan. Now it's home to a bunch of kids with RC cars in gravel courtyard. |
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Now this is something you don't see every day. Near the castle there is an aquarium. We went there looking for fish, and we found some, but we also found a Certified Italian Stallion! What luck! |
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If you ever go to Milan, be sure to visit the park. You really don't appreciate the beauty of a park until it's placed right in the middle of a dirty, busy, noisy city. This place is gorgeous and it offers a little solace that you can access by metro. |
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