Milan

Last day of touring yesterday. Jim and I decide to visit Milan, as getting to the italian lakes from our base here in Oleggio would take about three hours! The hotel we're staying at is about 10 minutes from Malpensa airport but is miles from anywhere else. Fortunately, the hotel's shuttle is constantly moving between the airport and our base. From Malpensa, we can catch the coach to Milan (about an hour or so's trip).

At Milan's centrale station, the metro underground takes us to the Duomo and there before us is the amazing cathedral, began in the late 1300's. The gothic spires are dazzling, and each one is topped by a statue; the highest has a gilded Madonna at its apex. Inside, the cathedral is massive; Milan's duomo is the third largest church in the world. The marble columns seem to stretch into the distance like a forest of trees. The stained glass is vibrant and lovely in an otherwise rather gloomy interior.

Close by, the Vittorio Emanuel Galleria is a collection of high-end stores, including Gucci, Furla and even Mercedes Benz, for those must-have Benz accessories! It's Fashion Week in Milan and the Galleria is busy with make-up artists, designers and models administering last minute tweaks to their collections. I feel like a dwarf next to the tall and super-skinny models and Milanese women milling about the Gallery interior.

We head out to the Castello Sforzesco, the family stronghold of the Visconti, and then Sforza families. The castello served as a defensive bulwark; against the ancient city walls it incorporated one of the Roman gates, the ancient Porta Giovia. Today, the castle houses many of the art and sculpture collections of the two families. The green park covers 47 hectares and is now a city park. There are lots of students and tourists taking a rest on the grass or on the many benches under shady trees. Its an oasis in this busy, and rather grimy city.

Lastly we visit the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a gem of a church next to the museum now housing Leonardo's Last Supper fresco. Unfortunately the fresco is not accessible without prior booking, and groups are limited to 25 people at a time. Next door, the Santa Maria delle Grazie has a beautiful cloister with formal clipped hedges; a central fountain trickles. Memorials to the Sforza family are within the church and in the cloister, and the profile of Il Moro, the "Moor" shows the strong profile of Ludovico Sforza, ruler and benefactor to Milan in the 15th Century.