March Madness

Well, it's time for my monthly blog. I've pretty much just been sitting in my room, reading, and working on studio. Nothing exciting.Ok , not really. In reality it's kinda daunting to try and do a blog to relate what it's like to live here when it's impossible. This being the first blog I've had I've thought a lot about the different ways people try to capture memories and portray experiences, and I feel like all of them fall short of the real experience of being here. So while I don't know how to move you to tears in describing San Pietro, or give you goosebumps and humble transcendence in telling you what it's like to touch an impression in stone of the Apostle Paul's face, I will do what I can. Thank you to those who are interested for being encouraging and patient.

We just recently had our Spring Break that ended the Tuesday after Easter. Having 10 days in Europe was like Christmas, and it was hard to try and decide whether to go visit islands and Athen in Greece, modern architecture through Spain to Portugal, or relaxing strolls with great views around Northern Italy. Northern Italy it was: Milan, Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Lucca.

Day 1: Milan
I'm in studio researching the trip, printing maps, and booking a hostel with Tim from 12 am to 3:30. We run out the door to pack and meet Pablo at the bus stop, to take a bus, to a bus, to a flight, to a bus to Milan. Tim and Pablo are fellow architecture students. Not sleeping didn't phase me since I slept on the flight, and it was amazing to wake up at the Milan runway since the Alps enclosed the whole length of the right side while landing. Fortunately it let us out on the runway and I shot a quick picture before getting on the bus.
I regret not running around the bus and capturing a photo of the sun rising over the Apean-runway. Forgive me Brian. After a bus to the city we found the hotel and set out exploring. Tim was our guide, having researched Milan, which meant that we wondered around till we saw the Duomo on the skyline, and then dodged all the H+M's and McDonald's as we went in that direction. The Duomo was pretty amazing both inside and out. It's spires reminded me of those on a drip-sand castle, and inside it had an awesome statue in it of a man wearing his skin like a cloak with the hood back (the hood being his head).
Outside the local gypsies grabbed Pablo's hand and filled it with bird seed, and his left arm was instantly covered in pigeons. Another gypo gave me some seeds as well, and after the fun they asked for money pretty vehemently. I got off without paying and we both laughed at them when they told us to pay them 10 Euros (about $16).
What next? When in doubt, gelato. I was kind of surprised to find that Milan doesn't have hardly any pizzerias and gelaterias; probably since they don't eat while walking like the Romans. ...well, more like the tourists, actually. The Romans spend 2/3 hours for a 4/5 course meal. So anyways, gelato in Piazza del Duomo that included the Duomo, a statue of cool lions (I love the statues of lions and angels all over the place) around a guy on a horse (wanna be Marcus Aurelius), and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Galleria (also called the Mall) is a large, covered arcade linking the Piazza del Duomo with the Teatro alla Scala (one of the world's most famous opera houses). After getting lost for awhile we made it back to the hotel for a nice 3 hour nap (I didn't complain cause I was feeling a little sick from something I ate the day before), and then woke up and went out to explore the night life. For the size of Milan it has the most depressing bar scene I've heard of. We finally found a few about an hour walk away. The reason we found it was because all the locals were drinking in the street between the bar and gelateria. Drinking outside is common all over Rome so we enjoyed relaxing in the slow paced street for the evening - which included some pizza from the pizzeria that was sooo delicious. After the cold hour long walk home it was time to rest for day 2.