Milano
Imagine walking out of a stuffy airport into a warm, bright, non-snowy day. People are out, dogs are walking around, and amongst the hustle and bustle, we find the vans waiting to take us away. We make our way to the hotel down graffiti covered streets with buildings that have plant boxes with plants spilling out so much so that I can’t even see the color of the boxes hanging beneath every window. The van gets close enough to other vehicles, probably because there are no street lines, so close that I could touch them!
Next thing I know, we’re stepping out of the van and into the hotel. We are greeted by our bubbly tour guide who helps check us into the hotel. Despite the exhaustion, we take a few minutes to freshen up. Upon entering the bathroom, the five of us notice that the style of the bathrooms are very different from home. After much deliberation we finally figured out how to flush the toilet; it was one of two buttons on the wall! Downstairs in the lobby the plan is set; we’re going to the Duomo.
We begin our twenty minute trek through the bright bustling city and notice that old, large stone buildings with barred gates are mixed in with the new, sleek modern buildings. Many of the aged buildings are now banks while the majority of the modern are clothing, jewelry and furniture shops. At Dirk Bikkembergs, a high-end clothing store, something bright and shiny catches my eye across the street. It’s a pair of skinny, bright, metallic purple pants. Many of the shop windows have brightly colored articles of clothing such as jackets and high-lighter yellow high heel shoes on display for everyone passing by to see.
I keep walking and notice the furniture in shop windows; it’s the same bright colors as many of the clothes I have seen. Bright red and yellow furniture shaped in such abstract ways that I’m not sure how you are supposed to sit in it! Before reaching the Duomo, we enter a large, ornate outdoor center with yet another mix of old and new. The old details of the carvings on the pillars and the faded paintings of ancient times are now accenting the tops of new stores such as Prada and Louis Vuitton. There is a stark contrast between the old and new structures and architectural details displayed throughout Milano.
Finally we reach the Duomo, which is the breathtakingly enormous main church of the city. Just in front of the Duomo I notice that peoples’ mannerisms are different than the U.S. There are young children carrying oversized balloons and feeding the pigeons outside the entrance. At home, even in areas that are considered tourist spots, people do not do often do this. Is this a dream? It is hard to imagine this scene just having been in Defiance yesterday. We make our way through the crowd to the entrance and get passed through by guards. As tourists go through the Duomo there are still services going on which must be a distraction to those worshipping. I notice the large, predominately dark stain glass windows and ornate floor designs. Once I’ve seen the many gothic details of the statues and the Holy Water font, I step back out into the warm sunlight and realize, no, this is not a dream. This is real life. I am really in Milano, Italy, the fashion capital of the world!
-Rachel Davis
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