Italy2008: Milano

Okay, I hope you are all still interested enough to stick with me until the end of our trip. On Thursday, July 31st, it was time for Seth and I to leave the villa and make our way to our next destination, Como. We were very sad to leave our family but excited to get to whatever lie ahead. Uncle Bob drove to the bus that took us back to the Naples airport for our flight to Milano. From there it was a quick train ride to Como (more about Como in the next post). While on the bus to Naples we once again enjoyed the spectacular views of the Gulf of Naples. We arrived in Como at about 9pm. The next morning I got up early and left for what turned out to be an all day business meeting. In the evening I met Seth in the Piazza del Duomo in Milano and we quickly ran around the city and did some sightseeing before the sun went down.

Ron

The Piazza del Duomo is Milano's main square. It is named for Milano's pride the Duomo (cathedral). In addition to many other features, this 14th century structure boosts 135 spires reaching up to the sky.

The Duomo

Here are some detail photographs of the Duomo to give you some idea of the magnitude of this structure. The first 3 images are sculptures on the doors of the cathedral. If you are thinking that these are little figurines, think again. In the second image the extended arm of the apostle does double duty as the huge handle to pull the door open. Each of these figures are a couple of feet high and there many panels that make up the whole door.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is located on the Piazza del Duomo. The 19th century building that houses the galleria is famous for its glass ceilings and the art that adorns the building. In the 20th century it became a place for tourists and locals to dine and shop in elegance.

Piazza della Scala is the square in front of the famed La Scala Opera house. In the Piazza are these beautiful statues of painters Leonardo Da Vinci and Marco d'Oggiono.

It was interesting to stumble upon this WeeGee exhibit in Milano. WeeGee was a newspaper photographer in New York City during the middle of the 20th century. His images usually transcended the normal documentation you usually see in newspaper photography and often revealed some deeper statement about humanity. I guess the Italians admire his work. What I found most interesting was how the photos were exhibited. If you look at the second photograph you can see one of WeeGee's images over the shoulder of the man in the window. It was a giant wall mural and as you walked down the block, the faces of the people in the photographs peered down at you. Wondering about his name? It is a phonetic play on the ESP board game Ouija, because of his uncanny way of arriving at a crime scene before the police.

This is the look you get just before your camera is confiscated by police in the Milano subway system. I just wanted to get a photo of their cute white go-go belts. I found out they are more serious than their costumes suggest. They let me keep my camera.