No naps, we have to go the Duomo

I had meant to update this blog on a more regular basis, and certainly a few weeks ago, but I've been distracted by the discovery of a routine completely new to me.

In a recap: the first weekend came, and I stayed local. The majority of the Liberal Arts students ventured out to Luzerne and Zurich, but I chose to spend another day in Lugano, exploring the city (at least the nice, safe, easy to find the train stations area), followed by a day in Milano.

There are a number of things lacking in guidebooks. I admit that I am not a great reader of guidebooks, and have managed to open two for the duration of my trip, and not one before I left. But I doubt any guidebook includes a section on "Great things you can do for 5 of the local currency [dollars, Euros, francs, pounds]". In Milan, the true highlight has got to be the roof of the Duomo.

Milan has great things to see; it lacks the vast history and art of Rome, the glory and romanticism of Venice, or the Renaissance remnants of Florence. It's really only known for its recent status as fashion capital, and before this weekend I had no idea that a little church just beyond the central piazza held "The Last Supper" (which requires a reservation four months in advance, and costs roughly €15). When I read the guidebook the main sights listed are the Galleria, La Scala, Duomo, and Castle Sforza.

The Galleria is a lovely shopping center built in the Victorian period, which is fun to look at, but far beyond the budget of the casual student traveler. La Scala is the great theatre of Italy, and I intend to return for a closer look, but getting tickets for a show there is proving to be difficult.
The Sforza Castle is a stunner of a castle; it's built of red brick, so already a bit of a change from the cold gray stone I'm used to. The courtyards are open to the public, allowing for a lovely walk, and inside are four museums (to be delayed for a later visit). The highlight of everything has to be the Duomo. This cathedral dominates the central piazza, looking for all the world like delicate lace shaped into a monster of a building. The detail work is astonishing. The inside is dark, and filled with art and monuments, and a basement in the crypt. Somewhat like every other cathedral in the Old World, and the true joy lies in its exterior.

This is where the €5 trick comes in; that's the entry free to climb the stairs of the Duomo. I have climbed St. Pauls in London, which is a much higher altitude, somewhere around 2,000 steps. The Milano Duomo has maybe 500, but the view is stunning. We had a somewhat hazy day, but I emerged from the stairwell to find the city spread out before me. I stood with the rest of the tourists amidst the gargoyles and saints, staring out at a living city. There's a path that leads around the roof, until you reach the front, where another set of stairs takes the visitor up to the true roof. It's a similar experience to entering the Duomo from street level. From the center you wak down the main aisle of the nave to approach the extraordinary altar piece. On the roof you still walk that central nave to approach a central altar. Below, I was surrounded by pews with smaller chapels in the darker recesses, with a ceiling high above, and ornamental. Above, my pews were the boundary spires topped with statues of saints, and beyond a sharp drop to the roofs of the chapels, brightly lit, with statues and gargoyles replacing the paintings. I walked the unsteady, narrow path of the nave, to approach an altar of a golden statue, the Madonna of the city.

On the roof of the Duomo, you retrace the building within, but instead of a series of coffins, and images of saints and gold leaf wherever it fits, all lit desperately by a few stained glass windows and strategically placed candles, I have the sun bearing down, bathing everything in light, illuminating the kingdom of Heaven. It's an experience I loved...there's nothing that compares to walking the parallel church, seeing the world in all its glory.
From a physical perspective, there's one heck of an adrenaline rush; I don't have a fear of heights so much as a concern that the stable-for-centuries architecture will suddenly give way at an inopportune moment. Gets the pulse racing, and really heightens awareness of the situation. I think this was best highlighted when my companion mentioned to me that she wanted an Italian soccer scarf, and we should probably visit one of the many sport supply shops in the piazza below, and I responed with "Dude...we're on the Duomo!" Not my most eloquent speech, but it did rather bring the moment back into focus. We were on top of the city, as it were, observing the goings on from an angel's eye view. Below us I watched a security van pull up, it's guards in green and gray, ready to removed the daily offerings from the Galleria, tourists and locals wandered the shops and took coffee on the sidewalks. Still more tourists pointed up at us and at the sights around them, while some of their fellows fell for one of the many, many scam artists operating in the Piazza. Saints, sinners, and those just visiting, laid out for all to see, provided one took the opportunity to look.

The guidebook will tell you that the Duomo roof is accessible. It does not mention that your €5 should be spent on that climb rather than another cappuccino e biscotti.

This weekend I'll be traveling to Bern, and half about half my tour guided, and another half left to my own preference. I think I missed my chance to visit the inner workings of the Glockenspiel, but plenty other delights remain. I should have a faster update on those, and perhaps one on the nature of classes, as well as the daily workings of the Villa.

One more thing....Happy Birthday Allie! I know you're looking for updates constantly, so consider this the birthday treat I can actually give you in a timely fashion. The chocolate will have to wait until May.