My Travel Adventures, Cars , and Motorcycles: Milan!!! AAAAAAHHHH :)

Dear Family & Friends,

What an amazing day in Milan… I have been here once before but with a local guide we saw such more more…

First we took a train right into downtown Milan and walked around the shopping district. Milan shopping is like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, EXPENSIVE!! We found several nice little outfits in the $35,000 range (no mistakes in the decimal points there). It is a good thing expensive clothes are not Bonnie’s thing otherwise I would have had to sold several motorcycles just to pay for one outfit!

From there we went to the Duomo church square. I have been there before but Bonnie has not and it is so amazingly impressive it takes your breath away.. Again when you think that Europeans were building such amazing structures 1000+ years ago and the rest of the world were living in huts you understand their feeling superior.

Next we walked to the La Scala Opera house… A beautiful building but I just cannot get away from Opera!! From a young child when my mom constantly played opera in the house to today now that my family is heavily involved in SLO Opera, it just follows me everywhere….

There were arm guards and police cars everywhere due to a world leaders conference going on in Milan. You definitely felt there presents and knew something was up.

OF course no day in Italy is completely without lots of good food so we stopped for lunch and enjoyed another great meal.

From there we walked down to the Castle of Sforzesco, Milan. It is amazing that the last time I was here I never saw it even though it was only three blocks away from where I went. It pays to have a local guide! What an impressive structure with beautiful frescos and art work everywhere. Again you can’t beat the Italians for style!

After that we walked back into the center of Milan and walked in and out of shops. We stopped at a store called PECKS. A very high end Italian deli. The food displays were amazing. So beautifully displayed that I spent an hour just photographing food! Check out my blog photos…

Northern Italy is very heavy into manufacturing and is very prosperous, especially Milan, but even in a prosperous city like Milan there are poor people. The poor woman below was so poor she could not afford enough material to make pants that fit her. Check out these amazingly tight pants!! Poor woman couldn't afford the extra material to make them comfortable.....

Italy does have many advancements and one medical procedure they have developed is the “Legadectamy”, a medical process that extends the legs up to 6” to make outfits like the one below look good.

Just so you know I was NOT learing at these women, Bonnie pointed them out to me!

After walking 6 or 7 miles Niky pooped out on us… go figure, just 6 month pregnant and she is tired??

After a great afternoon we headed back home and rested up for a dinner party at Niky’s mom’s home.

That evening Niky’s friend Ciara and her husband came to dinner. Ciara visited us with Niky in California about 6 years ago. What a lovely lady and her husband was very nice too,

Another guest was a friend of Nicky’s mom, Artemio. He and I really hit it off and talked politics and culture. A very charming man, he really made my evening… At one point when we were talking about life he mentioned how old he was getting and I told him I bet I was older than him. He said no way, he had just turned 60! Then I informed him I was 64… :) I may be getting older but I am still immature…

The evening meal was terrific with appetizers, pasta, chicken, deserts, and lots and lots of Italian wine. The wine here is SO GOOD. It drinks easily and never makes you feel totally drunk or gives any head aches… Love Italy!!

Tomorrow it is off to Venice and the next leg of our adventure.. I will probably hold off a day or two on my reports and really take in Venice.

Jason

“Creative writer unrestrained by Daniel Webster!”