Milan

Currently, I am en route to southeastern france by way of cutting through Italy. By chance fortune, my train trip allowed me a substantial chunk of time to see Milan. I arrived in fine condition to see the fashion capital of the world; the T-shirt I am wearing has been in my possession for 9 years, has bleach stains on the sleeve, and has three holes that I know about. I stowed my backpack and immediately high tailed it to the Metro to get to the museum that houses "The Last Supper" before it opens. My guidebook said reservations recommended, but I thought if I get there early enough, I wouldn't have to wait too long in line. But when I got there, I was promptly told that the wait was, in fact, two weeks and could I please try again later. So close and yet so far.

Well, there's other things to see in Milan. The Castle Castello Sforzesco was so big that it makes the German Rhine castles seem like childrens' playpens. Its interior houses no less than 12 museums containing medieval and renaissance artifacts as well as more modern items. There wasn't nearly enough time to see even just the museums I wanted to see, so I stuck to the highlights including a plethora of carved stone dioramas by Bambaja and the Pieta Rondanini by Michelangelo, his last work left unfinished.

I then went to the geographical center of the city where the Duomo lies. It is the third-largest church in the world and is made of pink marble. It was begun in 1386 and finished by Napoleon in 1809. Yes, it was over 400 years in the making. This building is something that has to be seen firsthand as pictures will not do it justice. Inside, barely any light gets in and the sheer volume of stone overhead feels as if you are walking through a hollowed out mountain.