A traveler's heart hardly settles. Thus, since summer is upon us, the time has come to be a nomad once more, this time in Milan, within the Lombardia region of Italy. We landed in the afternoon, but it was soon evening when we reached our apartment. The city was quiet and mostly without people, probably because the weekend had already begun. From Cadorna station we took a one hour long walk to Viale Beatrice d'Este, where our apartment rented on airbnb.com awaited. The neighbourhood was pretty awesome, old beautiful buildings, covered in ivy, lots of amazing flowers painting the scenery with delicate hues of cerulean blue, pink, fuchsia and white while tall trees would balance between Nature's and mankind constructions. The apartment's building was part residential, part business and it featured a large, wide wooden heavy door, as if we were entering into a Renaissance mansion. Climbing the stairs up to the second floor, the staircase would swirl granting residents sight to a very elegant architectural detail: large, wide windows, from the floor to the ceiling, black-wooded and decorated with golden edges; a patio could be admired from here, lots of greens, peacefulness, flowers and large ficus trees. The apartment was exactly what we needed: very clean, spacious, and very tall, also featuring tall wide windows. Thus, my first impression of Milan was: what a stylish and elegant location! We quickly unpacked and stepped outside to enjoy a serene Friday night. One of the nearby restaurants which most allured us was Shiva, an Indian restaurant, serving authentic dishes in a Bollywood-looking setting. The following day was planned for touristic activities. After a good reposeful sleep, the following morning we marked the main objectives we wanted to visit on the map and started our happy promenade. Our first unforeseen objective immediately showed up on Corso Italia – the Catholic church of Santa Maria Presso San Celso, featuring a beautiful inner courtyard. We soon reached Santuario di S. Bernardino Alle Ossa, which seemed to tell us little from the outside. But then we entered and were led by this church's priest to the ossuary, a truly incredible chamber where bones and skulls belonging to either epidemic patients or people who were beheaded for criminal acts lie. The entire scenery here is both terrifying and interesting, my thoughts inevitably flew towards dark bygone ages, dominated by wars and plagues, in which faith and religion were people's only allies. The weather was warm and the sun hazy, yet strong, the wind blew delicately, covering us in a very pleasant satin sensation. In a short walking distance, lies the splendid Piazza del Duomo, safeguarded by the grandiose Duomo. We first visited Museo del Duomo and took a closer look to bits and parts which integrated compose this magnificent cathedral: man-size statues representing many of the saints praised by the Catholic Church, tapestries, medium-sized and even smaller statues, sculptures, columns following complicated patterns, unique designs and opulent sculpted portraits, all belonging to so long forgotten times, yet still so impressive nowadays. We were actually wondering how were people back then capable, talented, inspired and driven to build from scratch splendors, realistic, detailed works like the ones we've admired. If we were to do the same things now, regardless of technology we now have available, my guess is that we could neither evoke nor create the same spirit and shapes. Times changed, so did our aptitudes, and competencies, and artistic inclinations. An exhibition of old and new cars belonging to Italian Carabinieri was waiting for us outside the museum. We sat at the line for the Duomo's entrance. Police was everywhere, since this is one of the most important touristic objectives of Milan. We admired everything in Piazza del Duomo, the beautiful statues, the amazing Vittorio Emanuele II galleries, with their fancy restaurants and luxury stores, and the imposing Duomo itself. The interior of the Duomo is also overwhelming, such a great vestige of religion and proof of Catholic opulent beauty. Under the Duomo, visitors can see an archaeological site, and some of the oldest building parts of Milan. Once you go out of the Duomo, on the right hand there is the staircase / elevator leading to the rooftop. After climbing through a slightly crowded and rather tight labyrinth of stairs, we found ourselves faced with a very quiet platform, dominated by the presence of the main tower's golden statue. On this rooftop, through the intricate designs carved in stone, curious tourists can see a busy, yet amazing Milan from above. We had lunch nearby, visited Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and continued our walk towards Castello Sforzesco – a large, red-bricked Renaissance construction, composed of relaxing gardens, several small piazzas, several museums, green areas, art galleries, water fountains, and much more. Passing through this castle, we soon got to Sempione Park, a green oasis offering shelter in front of the heat wave. Special coloured flowers would arise from there and there, in large bouquets giving the park freshness and delicacy. We found a good spot and just lay in the grass, rooting and overseeing Arco della Pace. It really was a calming experience. We continued walking from Sempione Park to Porta Garibaldi; this neighbourhood is also hip, stylish, packed with small terraces and coffee places, chic shops and flower boutiques. This Milanese area is also famous for the novel graffiti around Isola. Part of the financial district also commences here. Futuristic buildings in weird shapes impressed us at first sight. At one point, while we were walking around, blending in, we got a bit tired and decided to continue our touristic endeavours the following day. Dreamland awaited, but not before having a great Sicilian dinner and walking about our residential super quaint district. Our destination for Sunday was Lago di Como, and, to be more exact, we wanted to reach Bellagio, a small village on Lake Como's shoreline. We took a train from Cadorna station towards the city of Como. When we arrived, we were in a rush to find our ferry's departure point; we soon discovered the city of Como to have been under water – Lake Como had flooded some of the roads so boats were floating nearby the main roadway. Como is a very fancy small town, bringing its tribute to Lombardia and Italy, while continuing its elegant line. From here, the city of Brunate on the hills can also be seen and what took our eyes was the red funicular silently climbing the hill from Como to Brunate. The ferry docked and our trip on Lake Como began. Stop after stop, we were witnesses of the beauty unfolding around this stunning lake. Each small establishment is an amalgam of colourful houses, large distinguished villas, classy Italian terraces and restaurants, slender docks to greet incoming visitors. Bellagio rose glorious into sight and it looked amazing! Its narrow streets were packed with people, all searching curiously for something. Towards Bellagio's end rests Villa Melzi d'Eril, which can be visited, inviting you over with its blue basilica by the lake, its luxuriant vegetation, and elegant main alley. There is this relaxing feeling everywhere around Bellagio, minutes and hours pass by imperceptibly while the lake hypnotizes you, takes over your mind and becomes your essential focus. We strolled up and down the many stairs, not once; shops filled with attractive trinkets, restaurants served typical dishes of Lombardy – we were content to be here. Bellagio hosts Chiesa San Giacomo; it was exactly when we stepped inside that the bell started beating. A small, dark basilica, protector of this angelic province, located in the Piazza della Chiesa. Lake Como follows such a sinuous itinerary in between green hills and mountains, arranged as if forming a labyrinth on water, while Bellagio is definitely one of its pearls delicately resting on the shoreline. In the evening, we took one of the many trains connecting Como to Milan on our way back, enchanted by Lake Como's magic. Late at night we saw the Duomo for the last time, dimly lit, then went through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, made a short stop at the infamous bull painted on the floor inside, which is said to bring good luck to those who spin around it for 3 times, and then continued towards Piazza della Scala, enclosed by Teatro alla Scala and Palazzo Marino, and featuring the statue of Leonardo da Vinci at its core. All in all, our trip to Milan was a great success. The many attractions caught our eyes, and delighted us. What I really appreciated was the overall style that reigned over Milan, elegance and chicness all together. The super cute bars in which people serve the evening aperitivo, the quaint cafeterias where the colazione takes place each morning, blending in with old sophisticated buildings are also a detail I memorized about this marvelous city. Oh, how I loved to walk under large ficus trees, blooming in large, white, incredible flowers; and how I adored to glance at magnificent hydrangea flowers, painted in the colours of sunset; and how I still dream about residential villas covered in vibrant green hued ivy and mighty mandarin trees resting at their doorsteps.
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