Milano!

This last weekend I went to Milan to visit a friend and former teacher of mine from New York, Rebecca. The city was beautiful beyond words and I had a fabulous time catching up, but I'm still running on about two hours of sleep, so forgive my relative brevity!

I arrived Wednesday night around midnight and spent Thursday and Friday exploring the city. I'm prone to just wander the streets of a city watching people and trying to get a sense of its character if left to my natural inclination, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the museums. It's not everyday one gets to admire Roman artifacts and DaVinci's work! Mind you, I often fail to see the attraction in big name artwork, like my earlier encounter with Lady with an Ermine, but its worth it to make the trip to find the little treasures in the galleries and also to peoplewatch as tourists stand perplexed in something they know they're supposed to be awed by.

Of course, I didn't visit just any gallery...the museum was in the Sforza Castle! Like any good American I have an ongoing love affair with castles, the more Harry Potter-ish the better. Classy - no, but it makes me happy! The castle museum features a ceiling designed and perhaps partially painted by DaVinci and it definitely beats the Last Supper in my book. On the walls great mulberry trees break through jagged boulders to entwine in intricate latticework overhead. It was like standing in a stream and seeing the trees curve in like a cathedral - always one of my favorite things.

Admittedly though (and I bet Heather will be proud of this) one of my first stops was the high fashion district. Within a few blocks all the major Italian designers have their stores, and it's fabulous just to wonder by because Italian women have no shame in window shopping. While the first site in the city to take away my breath was the Duomo and Galleria...the second was definitely the window of Cartier's - and I'm not even a jewelry girl! And just out of love of Audrey Hepburn, I ate a little brunch in front of Tiffany's. I had to clean up a little drool on the window of Valentino and Prada too, and it was very hard to contain myself from getting out my camera and taking notes on the couture hats at Alan Journo. Later on I ended up visiting the Rinascente, Milan's designer department store as well. Probably the first and last time I'll touch an alligator purse!

The highlight of the weekend, aside from getting to catch up with Rebecca of course, was the Duomo. An unearthly gorgeous confection of white and pink marble. The third largest Christian church in the world. Looking back over my photos, at least half are from the Duomo and I don't regret it a bit.

We wrapped up the weekend at the monumental cemetery, a jaw-droppingly beautiful necropolis of family tombs and heart wrenching statuary still covered in flowers from All Saint's. I'm bad about taking pictures in churches and cemeteries because I'm so hesitant to do anything that might be construed as disrespectful, but no photo could really capture anywhere near how beautiful it was anyway.

Well, since my boy doesn't read my blog I can admit it, I'm starting to dread leaving Europe from time to time! Much of today Krakow was shrouded in fog and as I walked to Massolit, the English bookstore, the hejnal and the dozens of sets of church bells rang through the mist and the city felt so still. The chimes ended and I could only hear the rustle of the dead leaves on the trees against the stone wall of the monastery and I felt terribly at home. Life is beautiful and I've fallen so in love with the old world. I know I'll be back eventually, I'll have no choice, I know a part of myself will stay here.