Milano

Mia and I took the train to Milan during Fashion Week. It was such a fun time! It was one of those places that wasn't really on my high list (I don't know why, but I just pictured it to be industrial and very expensive). It is a beautiful place with lots of charm. We had a great time together exploring the city!!

The Cathedral - it took 582 years to complete!

Around every corner is a cool painted building with an advertisement for some type of fashion designer - this one is Gucci

We went up to the top of the Cathedral - such a pretty view of the square below!

The front of the Cathedral

Entrance to the Castle area and park

A sign on the sidewalk advertising Fashion Week

This was a display of fake merchandise - very interesting!

They had decorated balls throughout the entire city

Prada Advertisement

Our fashion show claim to fame (we came upon it by accident - when we saw all of the paparazzi - this was just people waiting to go in...

cool art work

These are famous buildings with a vertical garden - again so interesting!

Jewels

Italian Flag colors on the Italian Ice Machines! :-)

They had a China Town that we meandered through - it was cute!

The castle grounds

Shopping!! (although we just looked - way too high end for us!)

I thought this was the funniest thing - it is a statue of a middle finger in front of their Stock Exchange Headquarters Building.  The question is, is the middle finger going out to the 1% or is the 1% giving everyone else the middle finger - too funny!

They have a wonderful subway system - so easy to figure out, even when your Italian isn't very good!

Reminded me of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

The Gucci Building

A closer look - so funny!

The Starbucks "Reserve" - yes Starbucks has even made its way into Italy!

Adorable Trolley cars

We saw lots of paparazzi around and about!

This was the fashion show that we accidentally found - it is an Italian Designer named Alberta Ferretti

Inside the Cathedral

The train station is beautiful!

Paparazzi

Another beautiful Church

Dior had samples of their new fragrance! Such a fun time!!

 

52 Tunnels

 

We did a really neat hike last week. It is called 52 tunnels and is a stretch of about 6 miles up into the mountains, where the Italian Military built 52 tunnels and a mule trail way back in World War 1. It is astonishing the engineering capability that they had back then with such little supplies and on such treacherous cliffs. It is said that over 10,000 soldiers lost their lives in these mountains. It took us about 5 1/2 hours, but we really had a great time (it was especially hard in the beginning, but got a bit easier as we continued on). It was on my "bucket list" - so especially glad to have done it!

I live for this kind of thing

and sheep are my very favorite!!

At the end of the 52nd tunnel - some Italians were celebrating their finish with a flag pic...

Mia and I 

Some parts were more treacherous than others

We saw lots of these memorials along the way - so sad.

It was such a fun day!

You can see the edge of the trail that they built into the mountain.

The Italian name is 52 Gallerie

We definitely tried to stay close to the right!

Mia!

One of the 52 tunnels

Beautiful views along the entire way!

Bryan and I

Mia and I

Gorgeous!

and another tunnel!

Bryan :-)

A stranger - but had to take the pic because it was not something we were going to pose for (too dangerous!)

Along the way, there were lots of small landslides of rock that we saw

And at the top, is a "Refugio" - which is a "Hutt" with food 

Celebrating the finish at the 52nd tunnel!

And back at the beginning...