Our Very Last Day - Milan Part I of III (previously "unfinished post")

The stone steps leading up out of the long used & graffitied metro station yielded a stunning & unexpected reward right as we came up into the light...dare I say, yet another metaphor begging to be considered on this trip?!  It was just like coming out of the train station when we pulled into Venice; we were just walking up the steps, following the crowd in front of us, and BAM, our very next glance, & we were looking at the water traffic of the green Adriatic...only in this case, it was a magnificent gothic cathedral unlike any I’ve ever seen outside of a book.

Further inside it was dark and sacred, the crowd’s soft mumblings echoing through time.  And among the mix of global tourists with cameras clicking, my heart smiled to see that there were also quiet pilgrims in prayerful postures, lips parted with silent pleading and there was reverence for a holy God.  In side chapels on worn pews there were those resting in this presence, and those kneeling in humility before their Lord, candles lit as a reminder of His light in a dark and desperate world.  And if the metaphor of ourselves & our lives being the cathedral we build to honor Him ring true, let us keep our candles burning to offer light wherever we are confronted with the dark.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

One must always consider every level of a Basilica in order to gain appreciation for its unmatched attention to architectural detail.  Though the pilgrim’s gaze is understandingly compelled upward, the best place to begin may actually be the floor.  I can’t imagine the square footage, but every inch of it is carefully and beautifully adorned with patterned marble for the glory of God.

The sun came out from behind the clouds at just the right moment to brighten the interior just enough to get this shot.  Like so many of the massive basilicas we've experienced, there are lovely side chapels, and artful niches with paintings & statues, each with significant history and meaningful connections to the Gospel's Story.

Shifting gears for a moment, we left the Basilica and next saw the Galleria, as in, Milan’s fashion epicenter.  A bit of stark contrast in terms of significance; beautiful in its own separate kind of way.  Two weeks previously, while we were south, the world’s most sassy fashionistas descended on the city for the annual, world renowned “Fashion Week.”  The massive square in front of the Basilica is filled with chairs gathered around elevated cat walks while high end & elite designers drape their living mannequins in the very best their imagination has to offer, while the photographers compete with the longest lenses imaginable.  The novelty of being present for such an event would have been memorable, but the city was busting at it’s fashionable seams, so we were glad to miss it!

Nonetheless, Ashley had fun window shopping & gaping over the most expensive fashion she’s ever seen.  The likes of Prada, Guicci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabana, just to briefly name a few, all share center-stage real estate in Milan’s most elite shopping mecca.

From there, we crossed a few streets for a glimpse of Leonardo da Vinci’s commemorative statue; though born in Florence, he did so much to put Milan on the map in his day.  His museum is here, though many of you may recall me marveling that we went to see an exhibition from his museum on 16th street mall two weeks before we left Denver.  It included over 60 models of his revolutionary inventions that were created by 3rd generation Florentine artisans from his extensive sketches and drawings.  Still amazes me that we got to see it right before coming on this trip!! 

Teatro alla Scala is directly across the street from his statue, and is THEE theater for the world’s very best operas: Carmen, Aida, Madame Butterfly, just to name a few.  Unfortunately, they had closed for lunch by the time we got there, which happens a lot in Italy, so a few post cards & this outside picture of their current show was as close as we got.  It goes on the list of what more we’ll do and see when we return!


This captured the first half of our very last day in Italy.  To prevent total burn out on the part of readers, I thought I should divide the day into two posts.  With the amount of public transportation, foot travel & site seeing we covered most days on this overall adventure, our single days had more than enough richness to spread them over several days each!  Thanks for coming along for the ride!