Sunday

Day 6 (Sunday)
Today was our journey to Milan. It is a very big industrial city that was 60% bombed out in World War II. The post-modern architecture is therefore quite different than the other large Italian cities I have seen. We initially toured the old castle in the center of the city. It was actually once the city and the city grew in circles around it. The old structure is still completely there. There were many good photo opportunities, so you know I had fun. We went from there to LaScala the opera house. It is probably the most famous Opera house in the world. The inside is incredible. There are boxes on the walls for about 6 stories in a semi-circle around the stage. There is seating on the floor as well. The place is appropriately ornate for an opera house. I wish I could have taken photos to show you all, burt it was forbidden. We then walked through the Galleria which is the huge shopping area with all the Prada and Louis Vittone etc.etc shops. Fashion is the leading industry in Milan and even on a Sunday in this very catholic area, it was evident what really rules. From there we walked to the cathedral, the third largest Catholic Church in the world with huge numbers of statues and spires etc. The inside was fantastic, as all gothic churches are, but mass was going on so I really did not see the altar. I went outside and climbed to the top of the church for the view. It was not the beautiful vista that I have seen from other Duomos because the city has all different aged, sized and colored buildings, but the best part was the ability to get up close to so many of the marble statues all over this building. The final to this day was a trip to see The Last Supper by Leonardo deVinci. It was quite an amazing thing to see this huge wall painted in l490 still standing there in all its beauty. What was even more amazing was that it was still there after the war. The wall to one side of it was destroyed and the entire back of the building was gone, but the wall stood. What can I say, you really just have to see it yourselves.