We started our trip in Milan. We flew from Kansas City to Chicago. Chicago to Frankfurt. Frankfurt to Milan. Then we walked about a mile to our hotel. At this point, we had been awake for approximately 40 hours and were exhausted. So we took a 4 hour nap and then headed out to explore and find some dinner.
We spent 2 days in Milan. Milan is famous for its vast historical and modern sights. One of our favorite sights was the Duomo, one of the biggest and grandest Gothic cathedral in the world. We were overwhelmed and awed by the sheer size and details of this ancient building. The Duomo took almost 6 century to complete (construction began in 1386) and is the 5th largest cathedral in the world. I'll try not to overwhelm you with photos but this building is a sight to behold. Our favorite sights are from on the roof of the Duomo among the pinnacle and gables looking out over Milan.
Another cool sight was right next store to the Duomo, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, an ancient and glamorous arcaded shopping gallery. We didn't buy anything here but it was neat to walk around and take in the architecture of this beautiful building. Take a look and pretend you are there.
I think my favorite evening in Milan was when we walked over to a huge park and saw the Castello Sforzesco. The sun was setting, the park was serene and beautiful and the medieval castle was breathtaking. Walking around here with my husband was relaxing and romantic.
The castle was named after Francesco Sforza who transformed it into a ducal residence in 1450. But it's origins date back to the second half of the 14th century. During the 16th and 17th century it was a major military fortress in Europe. The castle was actually taken over by Napoleon and partially destroyed by the French during part of its history.
We saw some fancy shops, ate some fabulous foods, checked out a few more churches and walked a lot more around Milan. Then we headed on for Venice and Rome both of which blew us away even more. Stay tuned as I continue catching up with my blog and post about both of these places. :)
