Milan, Italy

I have been on a crazy European tour for almost a month. I went to Italy April 11 and returned to France and work for three days on the 25th. Then I went to London to met some friends and from there we went to Amsterdam and came back to Paris. I have tons of pictures and since this is mainly a photo blog, I am going to try to fit as many as possible on here.

The first stop I made on my Italy trip was Milan. It was nice, very cold but very modern. It is at the base of the mountains so I froze most of the time I was there. Shopping is great in Milan and it seemed to be a pretty friendly city. Fortunately, most people spoke English, so getting around is pretty easy.

A few of the famous attractions include The Last Supper which I didn't get to see because you have to buy tickets a month in advance from a website. I tried this with no result. The majority of Europe cannot use the internet, so I wasn't surprised I couldn't get tickets. I met some hockey players from Canada and the U.S. and they had the same problem.



Another attraction is the last work of Michelangelo (pictured on the left). It isn't finished, but it is beautiful. For some reason, it seems to reveal the process of sculpture. I am no artist but now I think I understand how they do it. There are smooth parts and rough parts and even supports that remain between the arms and waist. It is amazing!


The church is another attraction (pictured below). As far as I know, there is not any famous artwork in this church, but it is beautiful and provides a great view of the city. I spent about an hour just wondering around on the roof looking at all the carvings and statues. I will spare you all of those pictures.





Two of the coolest things I saw were these guys walking down the main shopping plaza with swords. How often do you see that? They were huge and most Italians are not. I have no idea what they were doing or if they were part of the military, but nobody seemed to be bothered by their presence. Being an American, I had to get a picture.

There are also remains of a palace in Milan. I only visited it because they claimed to have Da Vinci's work books. They weren't the originals, just copies. However the courtyard of the palace was beautiful and had this neat little fountain hidden away in one of the corners.

Americans Abroad

I am finally back in Paris. My friends and I were in London for four days. We saw The Producers (twice for me) and Les Mis. Then we went to Amsterdam for two days. Now we are in Paris enjoying warm, rainy weather. I think everyone is having a good time; I know I am. The only bothersome thing is that I have to go to school and teach tomorrow. I am really kind of upset about it because I am having such a good time with my friends and don't want to miss anytime with them. Oh well, I guess I can't complain; I have been on vacation for almost a month.

Friends, Yay!

Amanda and Heather will be in London on Monday. I can't wait. Meanwhile, I have been to London Bridge, Regent Park and Camden. Saturday I go to The Producers. I wish I could go to a play everyday; there are so many I want to see. Oh well, maybe in my next life.

London

I love London. It is beautiful, clean, exciting and I can understand what people are saying to me, sort of. The only negative things are the cost of things and the weather; it is pretty chilly for spring.

I spent the weekend sampling London spirits, but plan on doing cultural things this week. I bought tickets to The Producers and I want to see about three others, but don't know if I will have time. I also bought tickets for the London eye.

I can't wait until Heather and Amanda get here. We are going to take London by storm.