ITALY, Milan;

I spent more time in Milan and was based there. I went to bed very early each night, woke up very early, and did a lot of walking. My legs were so soar by my last day, that while walking to my hotel, my walk resembled the waddling of a duck. I was able to see all the sights I wanted, and still arrive at them with plenty of time to appreciate where I was.


While in Milan I visited three museums, that each held it's own unique master piece.

When visiting the Brera Museum, I was able to view Bellini's Virgin and Child, Hayez's The Kiss, and Raphel's Marriage of the Virgin.

At Castle Sforzesco, I saw the Funerary monument for Gaston de Foix, Mantegna's Madonna in Glory, and most interesting of all, the last sculpture by Michalagalo. The later was unfinished when Michelangelo died at the age of 89, in 1564. The story goes that he was chipping away at this statue when he passed, most likely of a stroke.

The last museum that I visited was the Ambrosiana Museum. At the Ambrosiana, I saw Leonard's Portrait of a Musician, and the original full size sketch Raphael drew and then used to created the School of Athens fresco located in Rome.



I also visited Santa Maria delle Grazie, where da Vinci's Last Supper is located. While viewing the Last Supper, I realized that is was the first time a famous art piece or landmark, was larger then I had anticipated. To view it you must reserve your ticket to the last supper early because only a limited amount of people are allowed to view the fresco each day. During the high season, you may need to make a reservation three months in advance. As a result, many people are turned away at the ticket counter daily because they were unaware they needed a reservation. While waiting for my time slot, I passed the time by watching people go in to the ticket office, count how long they were there, and if they came right out quickly (they did not have a reservation), observed their reaction to the realization they could not see the last supper. The most common reaction, started off being angry, then annoyed, then sad, and finally acceptance before leaving the church yard. It was quite amusing.




I visited Milan's Duomo. The Cathedrals interior is immense, with many grand stained glass windows, and an intricate tiled floor. You can even climb to the top of the Duomo and walk along the outside of the stone roof.




I walked through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is a large X shaped mall cover by a glass ceiling. The floor of the galleria hosts some famous mosaics, including an image of Romulus and Remus, as well as a depiction of torino (little bull). The Galleria is an impressive example of Milan architecture.

I must say that the highlight of my time in Milan was visiting the last supper. I enjoyed looking at the feet of the decibel's since they are not often included in photos and posters. Unfortunately the feet of Christ were forever lost when a door was installed right under him.