Milan and Venice

Well, we're back after our long European adventure. The day after we got back David & Red (my brother & his wife) arrived in Ireland. We've been hanging out and tromping about the countryside here in Ireland for the past few days. All that to say, sorry I haven't been better about updating. Rather than try to sum up our whole trip in one blog I thought I'd spread out the pics and info over a few blogs. So, we began our journey in Italy. Milan and Venice were soooo cold, but other than that we had an amazing time. We would walk around for an hour or so, then step into a bar, which in Italy is a cafe, and have pastry and coffee to warm up.

This is the Duomo, the big cathedral in the heart of Milan. The square in front of this building is ginormous and really gives you the space to appreciate the grand scale of the cathedral. This is a side view since the front was covered because of restoration work.

This archway is off of the main square into the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel, which is basically a really schwank shopping area with stunning marble walkways and frescoed ceiling trim. That's me in the interior in the second shot of it. We were decidedly unfahsionable compared to the Milanese. It is apparent that its one of the fashion centers of the world.

One of our friends here is from Milan and had given us some tips on what to see there. We roamed ancient streets and had an amazing seafood dinner (no, Champ and Dorothy Mantooth was nowhere to be seen) in an area where the navigli (ancient waterways of the city) converge. We ate so much chocolate and pastries its good we were walking everywhere, or we would have each gained 20 pounds instead of just 5 ;0) A highlight that we have no pictures of (because they weren't allowed) was seeing daVinci's Last Supper. It is mesmerizing to study. Across the hallway is another fresco that is brilliant, but it doesn't even begin to compare. We stood transfixed studying the painting. They've done an incredible work of restoration on it, and in spite of its deteriorated condition, its the most amazing work of art I've ever seen in person.

After 2 days in Milan we took the train to Venice, where we walked around and took in the sights (again interrupted by many warm up stops). This is St. Mark's Square and cathedral. We spent quite a bit of time playing with the pigeons. We have dozens of shots of us with the birds (it was hilarious), but I've picked my two favorites to include below. The church is stunning inside and out. We went up onto the balcony for a closer view at the mosaics there. The afternoon light coming in through the cathedral windows, making the golden tiles in the mosiacs sparkle... well, it was breathtaking. Sadly, no pictures were allowed inside the cathedral, but we have the exterior here and one that was taken on the outdoor balcony overlooking the square.

This is the view out of one of our windows in our hotel. We looked out over an old church and square, Campo Santa Maria Formosa. It was an amazing spot to be, 5 minutes from St. Marks and 5 minutes from the Rialto bridge. Venice is the sort of city you just want to spend a few months in wondering around and getting lost in its "streets", finding all sorts of surprises in the winding alleyways as they cross tiny canals. We did take the obligotory gondola ride and, bundled up under a blanket, were able to enjoy the beauty of those tiny canals by boat. It was very cold, but magical none the less.

All in all, Italy was our favorite country. The people are so warm (even as you butcher their language with a conversational Italian guide) and friendly and the food is AMAZING! and the coffee, desserts, seafood... can we just establish that it was a feast for the senses and I'll give up trying to describe it with such inadequate words as I have to offer to represent it. There's more to the Italy story with getting stuck in a snowstorm, but that will be in the next installment. For now, I'm off to bed to rest up for more sight seeing tomorrow--though its pouring rain right now. So then, a very soggy farewell from Ireland for now.