Italia Day 2 - Milano

Day 2 in Milano started bright & early with a power walk around Zara. This graffiti caught my eye - the sporty little number in front of it isn't bad either.

Dressed more conservatively, we headed back to Duomo to check out the inside of the cathedral. When we came out of the metro we walked right into some kind of film-set. Suddenly dozens of people started dancing - over and over again to the same song. It was really fun to watch, but we still don't know what they were filming.

Before we went into the cathedral I was desperate for my first fix of authentic Italian espresso. It didn't disappoint, as you can probably tell by my goofy grin.

There was no flash photography allowed inside the cathedral, so only a couple of my photos turned out. This stained glass window was spectacular.

This is the best shot I could manage to convey the cathedral's grand scale.

This guy was a bit creepy, but very interesting - almost like an anatomical sculpture.

After soaking up as much as we could inside, we headed outside & climbed the one hundred & something steps to the roof. Words cannot describe the beauty. I took dozens of photos, these are just a few.

View from the lower terrace.

Gargoyle.

View across the roof from the middle terrace. This is my favourite photo - I love the pigeon in flight.

Through the flying buttresses.

The marble walls.

Piazza del Duomo from the top terrace.

One of the statues, surveying the sights below.

Madonnina, surrounded by scaffolding. Tradition dictates that no building in Milan can be higher than this statue. There are a couple of modern buildings that broke this tradition, but apparently they have smaller replicas of Madonnina atop them.

Looking back across the top terrace.

Detail of a tile.

A clocktower opposite Duomo.

Another gargoyle.

And another one - this time with a modern twist - anti-pigeon spikes.

Eventually we were able to drag ourselves away from the Duomo rooftop. On the way to our next destination we came across some more library porn. This is the oldest public library in Milan - Biblioteca Ambrosiana. It now houses an art gallery.

Next we stumbled across San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore. The interior of this church was covered with 16th century Milanese art. It took my breath away. I'll share just a few photos here, starting with the magnificent roof.

My favourite painting was this triptych of the Noahs Ark story.

What was really amazing here was there were absolutely no barriers anywhere. You can get as close as you like to the art. I only saw one small 'no touching' sign.

Looking back across the Hall of the Nuns.

Last stop on day 2 was Castello Sforzesco. The castle was built in the 14th century and now houses a number of museums.

There were a few of these structures dotted around the outside of the castle - we think they could be guardhouses or barracks.

One of the exterior walls.

The castle courtyard. It's impossible to do this place justice with a small point & shoot digital camera.

Outside the castello is Parco Sempione - the perfect place to lie back & digest everything we had seen. The steel structure to the left is Torre Branca - a 97m high tower which I plan on climbing when I get back to Milan. In the distance to the right is the Arco Della Pace - the Arch of Peace.

Next stop - Sicilia!