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After an early rise, a short side-trip to Pavia on the way to Genoa to visit a couple of significant Romanesque churches and walk through this ancient University town. Both churches have frescoes dating back 800 years. I view the marble tomb of the noted Doctor of the Church, St Augustine in the Basilica of S. Pietro in Ciel d’Oro. There’s also a wonderful 800 years-old fresco on the ceiling of God handing Peter the ‘keys to the kingdom’.
The clouds hold off and the sky becomes blue when I go back to Milan to visit the Duomo. I set out to sit quietly in the pews of this massive cathedral; ‘live in the moment’; take stock. I start asking myself: “Who am I? What am I looking for?” but you’ve probably guessed. My good intention is short lived as my eye captures the beautiful stained glass windows, and I start thinking what aperture I might need to capture a good photo. And that I do.
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The finale for today is my first visit to the remarkable Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper. The 8 metre wide painting covers the end wall of a refectory at the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. It comes to life not only with a 3-D impact from Leonardo’s use of light and perspective, but also from learning what the expressions of each of the twelve apostles are conveying when they hear Jesus say that one of them would betray him.
Leonardo’s genius was also behind the ‘invention’ of the system of sluices (locks) that regulated the height of water flowing in all the canals running from the Ticino River into Milan. I get a first-hand view of two remaining canals walking around the lively Navigli district in south western Milan after a typical dinner of risotto with saffron, and a veal chop with fresh tomato and arugula at Trattoria Milanese. Trade, passengers, and the white and rose marble for the construction of the Duomo, were all transported to the ‘port’ in the centre of Milan using these canals.
The Michlangelo Pietà in the Vatican is not the only one he did. The Rondanini Pietà is a tall marble sculpture that Michelangelo worked on from the 1550s until the last days of his life. I get hopelessly lost in the circles of streets around Milan trying to get to the museum, and finally give in and take a taxi. It’s so well worth the effort to see this centrepiece of the Museum of Ancient Art of Sforza Castle – ‘Mother mourning over the body of her Son’.
I end my adventure riding the subway, and don’t get lost. The hotel’s simple luncheon buffet of cold mats, cheeses and salads and a lazy last afternoon wins out over my planned visit to the Brera Art Gallery that been on my list for some time.
Third evening and third time surprised with the restaurant. Tonight in the Porta Venezia neighbourhood at l’Osteria Pugliese Strippoli, I enter a rustic, simple restaurant offering traditional regional cuisine of Puglia. Red and white check tablecloths spread from wall to wall that in turn are completely covered with framed photographs of famous guests. Benches groan with dishes of antipasti, including mozzarella, stracciatelle, and burrata cheese, artichoke, zucchini, eggplant that come daily directly from Andria in the south. After all this, I’m afraid my plate of hand-made orecchiette and beef involtini (and half the flask of a Puglia red) stand largely untouched.
It’s 1st June as I fly out of Malpensa on Singapore Airlines. The mountains surrounding the airport are still covered with snow. It’s no wonder Europe (and I) are still waiting for the warmth of summer. I haven’t worn one short-sleeved shirt in the six weeks I’ve been away.
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