Europe 2022 day #2 “You Did What?”  Milán 10/7/2022

Today was supposed to be a leisurely day but thanks to my friend, Michael, it wasn’t.  When I told him we were going to Milan he said you’ll love Lake Como.  When I told him we weren’t going there he was horrified.  So Lake Como was added and we are glad it was. Due to oversleeping this morning, our exit was a bit harried but mission accomplished.  We made it to the lake, had a lovely lunch and a brief tour that was long enough to convince us we have to come back.  If it’s good enough for George Clooney, it’s good enough for me. Then it was back to the city. 

After the lake we returned to Milan for the main reason I wanted to come to this city, Leonardo DaVinci’s “The Last Supper”.   I’ve been told that Milan is a city of people who live to work as opposed to Rome where people work to live.  So other than the masterpiece, what I had been told about the city didn’t have much appeal to me.  But the Last Supper was always something I have wanted to see. Since it’s a mural I had to go to it because it wasn’t coming to me.  It too didn’t disappoint.  I’m not a religious person but seeing the painting that I’ve seen numerous times in books, television, and even recreated on stage (at the Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters) was a surreal moment. Painted from 1495-1498 it is 181 x 346 inches of awe-inspiring beauty.  Simply put, I’m so glad we came.  

Patrice had to drag me away from the painting because her highlight of the trip was on the agenda for the night (actually you are only allowed to stay for 15 minutes in the viewing room).  After leaving the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (home of “The Last Supper”) we headed to the historic theater, La Scala. Teatro alla Scala (its real name) was completed in 1778 taking 2 years to construct. The inside is incredibly impressive with an orchestral seating area surrounded by numerous booths.

If you would like to see a video of the seating area check out this short video: https://youtube.com/shorts/0QmJwkTvBuE

At this incredible venue, we heard pieces by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky.  The theater was magnificent and the acoustics were beyond description.  I’d like to tell you about the conductor’s witty comments but he said NOTHING. Not that I would have understood anything since I don’t speak Italian but as I said, he didn’t say a word.  

I need to call it quits for now because we are scheduled to leave at 7 am tomorrow morning (What sadist planned this trip?). Breakfast starts at 7 am so I talked to the front desk about getting something to eat before we leave. He looked at me and said, “We will take care of you, this is Italy”. He left me with a smile.  I hope I did the same for you.  

Ciao