Justin's Journey

This is my last day to explore Milan. So I went to the cathedral Duomo di Milan, which is the center of Milan. The plaza where the cathedral is located is very big. The Gothic architecture of the cathedral is quite interesting. It was hectic and busy outside, but very peaceful and quiet inside. The stained glass of the cathedral is beautiful. Several paintings hung inside the cathedral almost look like floating in the space. It was a sunny day and the view from the roof of the cathedral was very impressive. After the visit to the cathedral, I took a walk to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, which is next to Duomo. The architecture is also very interesting. It’s clear that this plaza is a magnet of tourists. Lots of people were here, which made it challenging to enjoy the scenery. Well, maybe I am used to the Alps in Switzerland… I tried to see if I can visit Leonardo da Vinvi’s mural of The Last Supper. All tickets were sold out – a tourist magnet again. So, I stopped by a gelato store near the location, and got a scope of chocolate and a scope of vanilla. Although I missed the last supper, I didn’t miss my gelato! I got some time for lunch before the train ride to Venice. I took the suggestion from Lonely Planet tour guide and went to the Peck Italian Bar. It’s a chic and sleep place. It fits well in Milan I guess. The food was pretty good. I got some breaded veal and potato.

The train ride to Venice was somehow a pain. I realized that Italian bus drivers or train workers don’t really speak English. It was tough to ask a question. I needed to pay more for the train that I took, because it was a faster train. Although I paid the “reservation” fee in the train, I had to move my seat a couple of times, because I didn’t have a reserved seat. And, the reason is that the train was fully booked, and they still allowed passengers to be on board. Anyway, I am probably used to getting help with English in Germany, Switzerland, etc. I need to adjust my expectation in Italy. The funny thing is, locals are more patient to help although they don’t speak English, compared to the transportation workers. On the other hand, I got all of the above explanation after I arrived in Venice, and talked to someone at the information desk. And the lady was very patient and made an effort to explain to me. And yes, I “reserved” my train to Florence the day after tomorrow with a seat. 🙂 I learned my lesson.

It was challenging to find my hotel in Venice. There is a saying that every gets lost in Venice. I had to call my hotel and asked where they are exactly. The address (if there is a clear one) and street names can be confusing. Fortunately, I found my hotel and it is just next to a plaza. While looking for my hotel, I walked by a church and noticed a concert tonight. Someone was rehearsing for the concert. It was played by the group Interpreti Veneziani (www.interpretiveneziani.com). The program was Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. After I had a light dinner of a prosciutto sandwich, I went for the concert. They did a fantastic job and the acoustic in the church was very good. It was not a big place but perfect for this concert. The arrangement of the last piece by Saint-Saens was very good (they called it Danza Macabra). The encore piece was played by the bass, with company of a cello and violins. That was brilliant. The trip to Italy has been somehow challenging. I am glad I had a fun ending today. Especially, I had a scope of lemon and a scope of peach gelato after the concert!

PS: Cristina was right. I had to open my camping backpack and sprayed some mosquito repellent in Venice. And I didn’t even use it in Africa!