It's about time I wrap up this Italy trip.
We spent a day in Milan! Again the weather was lovely, a little chilly but lovely just the same.
The first stop was the Milan Cathedral.
A few facts:
- It's the 5th largest Christian Church in the world.
- Construction on the church began in 1386 and has been in a state of construction ever since.
- It was more statues than any other building in the world - 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles and 700 figures.
- It has 52 of these enormous columns inside.
- There is a gruesome statue of St Bartholomew carrying his skin!
You can see it a bit better here.
Next we did a quick walk through of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - the oldest shopping mall in the world, home to all the very expensive name brand shops. That's the original Prada store.
We saw a tiny car.
A pretty fountain.
And some kitties at Sforzesco Castle, always a favorite with the girls - you can see our shadows on the railing.
Finally, no trip to Milan would be complete without visiting Da Vinci's Last Supper or as Alison likes to call it, "the Dinner Before Heaven". You couldn't take pictures in the actual room, so this one in front of a small version had to do. The original is about 29 x 15 feet! As you can see, at some point a doorway was put in, removing Jesus' feet.
There is also a larger, more impressive and well preserved painting on the opposite wall. This is the Crucifixion by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano. Unlike the Last Supper, this is a true fresco painting and has stood the test of time much better. In fact the only two areas of the painting that have deteriorated are the two praying figures on the bottom left and right. These were added in by Da Vinci using his new technique.
Last but not least, Milan was still celebrating Carnival. This time it was less about adults in masks and extravagant costumes and more about little kids dressed as princesses and super heroes, chucking confetti around the square. You can see a bit of it in this picture of Ali with the Lion on the statue in the square in front of the Cathedral.
As always, stay tuned for more adventures.