The journey - and stop in Milano

Getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning to catch my flight to Milan. Then 12 hours in Milano - visiting in 35 degrees heat! I felt like the crazy tourist but was quite happy to manage some major attractions of the city: the splendid cathedral - Piazza Duomo - with its incredible floor and glass work, the Opera La Scala, the staring statue of Leonardo Da Vinci, Palazzo Maritimo on the Piazza de la Scala, the designer street of Monte Napoleone, the old shopping gallery Galleria Vittorio Emanuale II - where I got myself a divine espresso and tiramisu.

1: the somptuous facades of Palazze Maritimo - 2: Piazza Duomo

1: the Galleria - a wonderful thing about the layout of buldings and streets are the porches and vaults framing the townscape - 2: the staring staue of Leonardo

1: hmmmm... - 2: wow!

1: in the Duomo - 2: architectonic contrasts, between old and new in the Milanese city center

At the market hall of Mercanti I enjoyed an ice cream speaking about football and architecture and home countowns with an old football trainer who knew Michael Landerup (football connaisseurs please help me!) and who had an incredible story about why he didn't have any front teeth but I didn't quite get it, due to a lack of Italian language skills from my side. But great and fun conversation it was!

Running to Piazza Castello to visit the famous castle which was the attempt of realising the Renaissance ideals in terms of design and defense of Sforza and then try to get in to see the great masterpiece 'The Last Supper' of Leonardo Da Vinci at Piazza Santa Maria della Grazie. But sadly the visit is only on reservation and they were sold out that day. The visit of the church of the same name is though worth the tour - beautiful paintings and decorations on the walls and ceilings!

1: Milanese citybikes - 2: Reflections of Santa Maria della Grazie

In general this sunny day revealed the heavy decorated features of the city in a delightful way - the sight of Milano, and first experience of Italy, was as dolce and rich as the tiramisu, strong and quick as the espresso.

Catching then the train back to Malpensa, I got onto my plane to Sao Paulo. 12 hours later I was in Brasil - how surreal! A bit of waiting, one more hour flight and I was standing in Curitiba. Cold Curitiba, grey Curitiba, filled with this incredible sensation of both hysteric excitment and panic towards the reality of a plan, a dream, a long desired experience finally coming true.