Flashback 2004 - How did Wendy and I end up in Milan?

When most people think of Italy, they think of Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice or maybe Tuscany. Why Milan?  We had booked our first cruise which was leaving in a few days from Venice.  Using accumulated Air Miles reward miles, we could not get a flight into Venice so we picked the closest airport; Milan, which is a three hour train ride away.  I knew very little about Milano, a fashion center, a northern city, do tourists go there? Our starting city turned out to be a highlight of our entire trip. We were certainly not disappointed. This beautiful city has so much to offer visually that we very kept busy walking for the two days we were there. We covered many, but certainly not all the amazing sights of this remarkable city. 

 Click map to enlarge

Since I didn't have a blog back in 2004, I'll post some Milano pictures now. Back then I had an Olympus C750, 4 mega-pixel with a 12x optical zoom, but no image stabilization. The camera had amazing clarity and featured a wireless remote shutter button, so I actually got in some of the shots. My daughter Erin used it for a couple years until I got her a Panasonic FX9. I plan to sell this good old Olympus camera on eBay in the coming weeks.

I snapped this picture as we entered the Fashion District. Of course I will never know who this dapper fellow is or where he is going, but he epitomized in my mind what an young Italian businessman in a fashion capital of the world might look like.

We could not just walk by our first real Italian deli.

I don't know what they sell here but it looks like it would be easy to melt away lots of money. I just peered through the window. See my reflection in the mirror? Click to enlarge.

 Another mirror? I'm not going in there either. Nothing for me I'm sure. Who's Salvatore Ferragamo anyway? You don't think the dude behind the desk is ignoring me do you?

What is that red thing? Fancy place, not much inventory, no price tags... Oh oh! Let's go.

 Celine, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Armani? They were all there on one street.

In the distance loomed the most ornate and magnificent building I had ever set eyes on.

From a post card of the Duomo (Cathedral) in Milan. Click on it. You can get some appreciation of the magnitude of the huge church when you see the tiny people in the piazza in the foreground. To the left of the Duomo you can see the entrance to the "Galleria Vittorio Emanuele" Mall.

A wireless remote is a feature I miss on my newer cameras.

Doumo magnifico! The world's second largest church. Seats 40,000.

The "Galleria Vittorio Emanuele" remains Milan's most exclusive meeting-point.

A classy place indeed. What do we North Americans know about building shopping malls?

I took hundreds more pictures on our two day intensive walks around downtown Milano. This was just a teaser. If you love sightseeing and taking pictures you might decide to go there some time. I know you won't be disappointed.
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