Final day in Milano

Our last full day in Milano and the first job we had to do was to book all our rail travel and to do this we had to attend in person and show our passports to have tickets validated.

Today we went back to the Duomo to go up to the roof top and look out over the city. It not only gives a whole new perspective of the size of Milan but also on the intricacy of the marble sculptures on the Duomo and the ingenuity of design – it’s really quite incredible. It is in the process of being cleaned and parts are being replaced with new marble where the old sections are possibly beyond repair. You can see after cleaning the slight pink tinge in the marble which is just beautiful!

Just think of the conversations these guys must have!

This is a view from heaven

 And here we are in heaven

The Giuseppe Arcimboldo exhibition was really quite remarkable. To think that during this time, 1560-1590 both Arcimboldo and Leonardo da Vinci were beginning to stray away from the mainstream thinking of art concerning portraiture. (Renaissance – very dark, can be oppressive) to a more ‘scientific’ and ‘natural’ (nature) inclusion in their work. This worked to such an extent that together they began to add humorous content as well! Much to the horror of the art critics of the time! Arcimboldo even went to the extent of painting what at first appears to be a still life of a bowl of fruit and vegetables, but, when viewed up-side-down, is a man’s grinning face!! How sensational that these two geniuses redirected the road of art.

Whoever said you can’t get a bad meal in Italy lied! We found one today! We asked for a toasted Panini with cheese, tomato and ham and we were served a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with tomato sauce! This compelled us to go elsewhere for a delicious iced coffee and check out what we had! This kind of made up for it!

I was quite taken with the human statues so I dropped a few coins into this one's box and look what I received! sensational!

Back home via the Metro – with the obligatory gelati on the way, of course.  New flavours tried were blueberry, almond, mint with pistachio remaining a firm favourite amongst us all.

Back home for a rest and catch-up before we try our luck for dinner again – Oh for a plain good ol’ pasta.