The 5-hour train ride from Grenoble to Milan was made less painful by my wonderful travelling companion Andi :) and the wintry landscape that we passed by as our train weaved through the French-Italian countryside. I thought autumn with it's reds, oranges and browns would by far be my favourite season but winter, with it's snow-covered cottages and fir trees awed me just as much, or maybe even more. I must have looked like a country bumpkin to the other passengers, with my constant exclamations of wonder and with my eyes and camera perpetually glued to the window.
Our train was late by about an hour, so we reached Milan at about 3pm. Although I had seen the Milano Centrale station before, it I was amazed all the same, by its large arches with glass and mosaics that let in natural light. Grandiose.
The skyscrapers that greeted us upon exiting the train station, affirming Milan's status as Italy's financial capital.
left: Xmas decor!
right: taking a photo with a banner proudly proclaiming the fact that AC Milan had been crowned world champions after their win over Boca Jnrs at Yokohama the previous week =)
Night fell by 5pm, when all the whole city came to life, with its lights and glamour. It was an experience walking along the Milan shopping streets with all the reputable labels like D&G and Prada. It's unlike walking along similar high fashion districts in say, London, since this was MILAN! We couldn't help noticing that the Milanese were dressed to kill (believe me, even the old ladies and men take pains to dress up!)
left: more Xmas lights
right: Andi and I outside La Scala (the famous opera house), which had with 'Merry Xmas' in Italian, English, French and Spanish, projected on its façade.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of Milan's landmarks, was something to behold. Its arched roof made of cast iron and glass, leads to a huge glass dome in the centre, which was brilliantly illuminated with small blue bulbs for Xmas. Andi and I couldn't stop marvelling at its splendor and intricate 19th-century architecture.
The Galleria, which is said to have inspired the creation of enclosed shopping malls.
On exiting the Galleria from it's other entrance, we found ourselves facing Milan's Duomo, the world's second largest Roman Catholic cathedral. Although I had already seen numerous other awe-inspiring basilicas and cathedrals, the Duomo still took my breath away. Its delicately sculptured spires and pinnacles that roughly outline a triangle on its façade were typical of classic gothic architecture. What made the Duomo unique, at least to me, was that it's the first I'd seen to be made of marble and brick, giving it a very textured appearance.
right: in the duomo. We weren't allowed to take photos but I sneaked one to remind myself of the paintings, praising God of course, lining the two sides. Again, this was the first cathedral I'd encountered, with this feature.
After approximately completing the typical tourist trail, we settled down for dinner at this restaurant called 'Ciao Restaurant' (haha quite lame huh) where we found relatively inexpensive food going by Milan's standards.
right: Andi, contented
It was a great first day, especially since I came primarily to watch football and expecting to be bored by anything else Milan had to offer (due to many negative anecdotes about the city's sights I've heard). To be wowed like I was was an incredibly pleasant surprise!
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