It was damp, cold and relentlessly raining last week in Lausanne. The forecast was not promising for skiing over the weekend. I decided to go south for sun and warmth.
A fast train to Milan Friday afternoon and a return to Lausanne on Sunday afternoon was a welcome pause from skiing.
Arrival at Milan's "Centrale" station was a visual appetizer of design delights for the weekend. The exterior of the station is not particularly architecturally attractive, other than its massive scale. It is the colossal amplitude and detailed train sheds and concourses that give rise to a visceral awe.
My hotel was adjacent to the Milan Durini Design District. My morning walk to the Piazza del Duomo through a rabbit warren of streets was visually provocative -- stunning comtempory furninture and sumptuous fabrics in window displays throughout the design district. My arrival at the Duomo was greeted by several thousand other 'turistas'. The ticket line for the Duomo required an hour plus wait, and the 'skip the line' vendor was booked for the day. It was sunny, warm and my patience limited.
The construction of the Duomo was started in the late Gothic period (late 14th century) and the exterior architecture is a mashup of 6 centuries of design additions. The Duomo is massive, but not particulary attractive. The interior is reportedly resplendent.
My disapointment that I would not have the opportunity to view the interior of the Duomo was offset by the Galleria Vittori Emanuele II and the Novecentro, both adjacent to the Piazza del Duomo. The Galleria is a stunning 4-story, double arcade shopping concourse, open in 1877. The Novecentro is 4,000 collection of 20th century art with works from some my favorites -- Kandinskij, Klee and Modigliani.
This image captures the uplifting spirit of Milan this past weekend -- unrestrained, mellifluous harp music off the Piazza del Duomo.
It is raining again here in Lausanne this morning. With warm memories of the weekend in Milan, I am optimistic that the weather will clear to resume skiing and the prospect of a long weekend in Zermatt ahead.
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