Atahotel Quark Milan

Last weekend was so incredible. I agreed to meet my friends John and Meghan in Milan, and the night before I had been talking to Meghan trying to decide on a time and she invited me to spend the weekend with her and her family. I agreed, eager to see another part of Italy and get out of the house for a while, so I left early Saturday morning with a bag of clothes and my toothbrush in hand because I was running a little late for the bus. I ...

... to save some cash given my Monte Carlo splurge. Plus, I am in Milan for less than 24hrs, so all I need is a roof over my head for the night and something central. Omg, just realised there is no toilet paper or tissues. Plus, the reception gave a city map that has been used before and is torn.

Duomo square seems to be the centre of old Milan. Great spot. Amazing sculptures on the cathedral.

Had a fantastic meal at Sabatini just ...

Arrived relatively early and had difficulty finding my hostel but after climbing numerous stairs that I did not need to I finally asked a little old lady who did not know a word of English and I finally got there. Bit of a disappointing place but I shared a room with a couple of Australians. I saw the Duomo which is the largest gothic cathedral in the world, it has armed soldiers at the ...

Well, after all that moaning and groaning about Ryan Air, the experience was just fine. Probably because I slept for most of the way! At one point I woke up because of the turbulence and thought, "argh, these rickety Ryan Air planes." Well, take a look at my photo to see just why there was a bit of turbulence. So awesome.

I landed in Bergamo and dropped my bags at security. I braved another intense downpour. Major enough to actually make me pull out my bright red rain coat ...

... were able to interview some of the designers, but most seemed to be busy with buyers. After grabbing a quick bite at a nearby café I was excited to rest on the ride home.

Milano…one of the best experiences of my life!

I'll update you soon,

Siara

... believed that if you spin on your heel you will return to Milan). We finished our tour by exploring trends in the Ticanese area. Much later that night (after a delicious sushi dinner) a group of us went out dancing. It was a blast!

I'll update you soon,

Siara

... Beckham! I also checked out the museum for both teams, which had some trophies including the UEFA Champions League trophy! Unfortunately no photos allowed though. Afterwards it took me two hours to get home, catching 2 trains, 2 buses and then walking for about an hour, because all the people on the street were giving me conflicting directions. It was really frustrating, but didn't dampen too much an otherwise active and exciting day.

... on the bull's "delicate parts" it brings you luck. Needless to say, the area is well worn. We then went to La Scala theater museum, where we saw the famous opera house as well as the various artifacts associated with it. They had a special exhibit of the great soprano Maria Callas, which was wonderful. After another great meal, we are ready for bed. Tomorrow we see Leonardo's Last Supper and then we are on our way to Florence.

... I feel like I did the first time I emerged from the subway into Manhattan. My neck craned back, and my irises shifted into panoramic mode. I still could not grasp it all. Duomo seems unreal. The church rises before me like a 3-D puzzle I could purchase at Target and work to assemble each night for a month. But the detail in the construction of this puzzle is so rich, so exquisite, so astonishing ...

... If you have kids, okay I'll cut you some slack, but four adults? The punchline is that he went in the wrong door and came out complaining that all they had was pizza and pasta. My next favorite was this older retiree from Florida who I sat next to on a full train from Pisa to Florence. We were talking about the various places he and his wife had visited and he asks me "Doesn't Italy make you feel glad that you live in America?" What the @#%$&! Ummm....I'm speechless. I mean maybe ...