In Milan with Anne and Davide

My good friends Anne and Davide are here in Milan visiting Davide’s mother, who lives in a suburb, Gallarate, so I decided I’d just drive up and hang with them for a couple days.

Yesterday Anne and I had an afternoon wandering the city. It was a blast! I hadn’t been in Milan for maybe 40-45 years.

We took in the Duomo, that froth of bright gothic spires. Completely over the top. And when we were there, there was an organized event going on to raise money for food in Africa. Each donation put a balloon on an empty plate.

Then we walked the streets and came across this sculpture outside the office of the Financial Administration. It looks like someone giving the finger, but the other fingers are broken off, not bent. A very fine distinction.

Around the corner was the church of Saint Maurizio (San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore). Turns out our two church chapels together. The religious could stay private in the inside church and the public could sit in the outside church. The church we saw was incredible. A square shape with every centimeter painted.

While we were there, a Bach violin concerto got underway in the inside church. We started for a while and listened. Loved it!

Then out once more. I wanted to see the Saint Ambrogio buildings. As we approached, we could hear organ music. How wonderful again! We entered to find a service just starting. We padded silently along the side corridor and listened for a while. A surprising amount of people in attendance.

Making our way outside, we discovered a classic monastery loggia. The light was going but what remained was rich and warm. It was incredibly beautiful and I wanted to stay there forever. Just perfect!

Today we’ll have lunch with Davide’s mom and cousins, and then we might go to Lago Maggiore. I’ll drive home tomorrow…