Milano

Today we headed into Milano.

Our first stop was across the street at Claudio Style. Brandon has been needing a hair trip for quite awhile.

Mom and Dad were introduced to Italian transit. We caught the bus to Sesto, then rode the Metro into the city. Today was a rainy day, but not too bad. Mostly just light showers off and on throughout the day.


Waiting for the Z221 bus

We exited the Metro at San Babila and walked through the pedestrian zone towards the Duomo. They enjoyed seeing all the high end shops.


Brandon and a street performer

Once at the Duomo, we headed inside. While the outside of the Duomo is white and beautiful, the inside is very dark and foreboding. We walked around the perimeter and I tried my best to remember some of the history.


The alter and a view of some stained glass


The floor inside the Duomo is art in itself. You can tell which types of stone are softer and harder due to the wear from centuries of people walking on it. The black stone is the hardest and has the least wear.


The Duomo of Milano, the 4th largest cathedral in the world



Once back outside, we headed into the Galleria, one ofthe oldest malls in the world. Its a mix of restaurants, Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabana, and McDonalds.


Mom takes a spin the the Toro's 'balls' for good luck.


Brandon spins for more good luck. He did this a couple of weeks ago with Heather, Rob and Dylan.


The Dome over the middle of the Galleria



McDonalds and Prada, right across from each other. Does shopping get any better?!

We also showed them the statue of Leonardo da Vinci, who lived much of his life in Milan, and La Scala, the world famous opera house.

Time for lunch. We had lunch at Bar Castello on Via Dante. Mom had her first Italian pizza. I don't remember the name of it, but it had roasted veggies on it. Dad and Brandon had pasta al ragu. I had Nostrodomo, pizza with tuna and onions.


Mom and her first Italian pizza

After lunch we walked to the Castello. This is where the ruling family of Milano once lived. We walked around the inner courtyards, checked out some Roman relics gathered from around Milan, and looked at the beautiful park nearby.


Roman relics at the Castello


Is it pouring rain in Milan? No, Brandon decided to test his umbrella under a castel downspout.

This evening we had bruschetta and pasta salad for dinner, followed by Magnum bars for dessert.

Brandon has been on a pedicure kick lately. He and Katrina gave each other pedicures a few days ago, and now thats all he wants to do. He ended up giving me a pedicure, followed by Nana.


Nana soaks her feet in the bidet. I'll bet you didn't know that this is the real function of a bidet.


Brandon's Pedicure Parlor.

We had a great first day of sightseeing with Mom & Dad - aka Nana and Papa. Tomorrow we will take the train to Como.