Hi,
We have arrived safely in Milan, to find they are at the end (hopefully) of a three-month drought, so many of the trees are brown. We followed Dean's instructions, and the taxi driver had no problems. We enjoyed rain Tuesday afternoon.
May God smile on you today,
Elizabeth
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The day was overcast, and rain was forecast. As promised, the taxi drivers were queued up to meet the new arrivals. We went through the Aliens Gate, and another stamp was added to our passports
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Shopping is an adventure, and on Wednesday morning we went with Jo and the 3 boys to the Market (which is only on Wednesdays in this spot). This involved a bus trip to the next suburb. Each ticket lasts for 75 minutes, so both trips were covered by the one ticket.
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We had a ride on the tram to the centre of Milan, where we visited the Cathedral, the third largest in the world, after St Peters in Rome and the Cathedral of Seville. It has a very highly ornamented exterior with 135 spires and 3400 statues, is having repairs in a systematic fashion. The main spire was finished in 1774. The explanation boards are very interesting, click here to see
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We walked inside the Cathedral, wondering if the Guscetti ancestors walked here too. The crane is in the Nave, not in use when we visited. The horse statue is in the square in front of the cathedral, visible on the right, with scaffolding in place for ongoing maintenance.
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The Duomo faces a large square, with streets radiating from it. Traffic is restricted, so pedestrians can enjoy the area. One road leads north-west, to Sforzesco Castle, with a tall fountain in front of it.
The Castle has history going back to 1300, and is now a museum
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The area being renovated is surrounded by high scaffolding with a time-line display in Italian and English. The Visconti Period (1354 - 1447) refers to the Visconti family who defeated the Torriani family and took over Milan and the sutrrounding territory. Rivalry resulted in the castle and fortress being built. In 1395 Wencelas, Emperor of Germany, proclaimed Gian Galeuzzo Duke of Milan.
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We had a last glance back at the Castle walls, enjoying the cooling spray from the fountain, before turning our attention to retracing our steps to Number 11, where we are staying.
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