Travel Series: Milan

I will try to keep this brief, but after three days here, it has become apparent to me that our trip should have ended with Rome.

We arrived in Milan on a foggy and dreary day. Sara and I were eager to travel to our final city and get the whole "new city" experience over with. The train ride from Rome was pleasant and we easily found the first of the two legs that we would need to make, the green metro line, and got off on the stop that we needed. The second half of the leg involved taking a tram to the flat. There are no signs to the tram, but given our extensive travel experience we knew to look at street level and so we went in search of the specific tram we needed. We somewhat quickly found it and hopped on...in the wrong direction.

Now, the instructions we had been given made the stop sound like it was one of the last ones on the line. Unfortunately, the tram itself had no indication of the stops it would make, this information was only available at the tram stops themselves. Which unfortunately we hadn't thought to check before jumping on. We ended up staying on the tram all the way across town (about an hour ride) despite both our intuitions telling us we were going the wrong way. We then jumped back on the tram and rode it all the way in the opposite directions, while I tried frantically to contact the person we were renting from and inform them that we would now be about 2 hours later than our original agreed upon time.

We arrived and still had about 20 minutes of difficulty finding the flat. It was somewhat deceiving in that it was on top of a train station, instead of an apartment building. We found the door and managed to ring the flat, but no answer. It became apparent from the messages we had half received (not having a working phone was really killing us) that she had left for a business meeting. That left us two options. Try to find wifi and contact her or wait at the doorstep like lost kittens. I tried in vain to find wifi with no luck and when it seemed all hope was lost, I remembered that this was a train station and the train station was likely to have outlets where we could bring Sara's phone to life with a charger. So we went to a nearby cafe (bought some ice cream cones) and charged Sara's phone. We managed to contact the host who said she would be back in less than an hour to let us in. Relieved, we hunkered down and waited.

Not but twenty minutes later, the woman's son found us at the cafe and led us to the flat. This flat is perhaps the most gorgeous place that we have stayed and the ameneties were quite nice. Our room was lofted with a masterbed on top (with the most comfortable mattress and feathery comforter ever) and a second bed and breakfast nook on the bottom. The kitchen was decked out with all the utensiles and equipment we could need and the bathroom was of modest size as well. To top off this wonderful arrangement? In the room next to ours and sharing the flat with us, were two male models who were in Milan for Men's fashion week (which happened to be this very week). So from hell to heaven, right?

Well the day didn't end there. Sara and I needed to stock up on food and that meant going to the grocery store. We talked to one of the male models, Kenny, and he told us where the supermarket was and even let us borrow his rewards card so that we could get a discount. We grabbed a grocery bag and headed to the store. Now the rule is to never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, but Sara and I hadn't really had the opportunity to eat much since our 6am breakfast that morning. We were hungry and our eyes were starting to get bigger than our stomach. Similarly, the stress of the day also helped make comfort food look infinitely more appetising. We quickly filled up our cart and went to check out. It was at this point that we realized that one bag was just not going to cut it. Now in most grocery stores that we have been to they charge for bags (which is why we brought one), but you can buy relatively cheap plastic bags if you need to. This particular supermarket had rather expensive heavy duty bags for sale and nothing else. So, Sara and I rather comically piled all the remaining food in our arms and made the roughly 15 minute trek back to the apartment. Picture myself with an entirely full bag hanging from the crook of my elbow, four 1 Litre cartons stacked in a cube in my other arm, and two 500L tubs of gelato/ice cream stacked atop it. We dropped quite a few things on our trek and lost 2 yoghurt and an egg in the process. Additionally it hurt for us to lift our arms higher than our waste. Exhausted and completely fed up with the day, we crashed for some R and R.

Now Sara and I were optimistic about Milan. Our unintentional tram ride had given us a glimpse of some pretty beautiful things and we were hopeful about seeing them. We also needed to find another internet cafe to print something off, and so were also driven with a purpose. Our first stop was the Duomo. The Duomo is a beautiful Gothic church that is the centre piece to Milan. The Duomo is nestled between one of the oldest shopping centres, the Vittorio Emmanual and the museum and art gallery that has the last supper (tickets which were too expensive on our student budged). In front of the Duomo is a large square with a really cool statue. In order to get to the Duomo you need to go through this square. The problem is, that this square is a gauntlet of Solicitors. Now, I am usually confident with my ability to deal with solicitors. This is not my first time around the block when it comes to travelling in poor countries. Usually, you say no/ignore them and walk away. This usually works. But, these men were so desperate and Sara and I looked like such good targets that they physically assaulted us to get our money. We couldn't take a picture without being hounded. The first two men I managed to pull Sara and myself away from, but not without getting insulted by them (being called Sara's Mother). The third, however, physically grabbed Sara's arm and put one on, and threw one of the tacky bracelets onto my chest. He then proceeded to ask for money (5 euros each) and wouldn't leave until we gave him something. We finally managed to slip into the duomo and past the police (who just stand and watch this happen five feet in front of us). At this point, both Sara and I felt disgusted. It feels dirty to have been swindled and feel as though you had no choice in the matter. We walked around the Duomo, which was gorgeous, but had a difficult time enjoying it because the experience outside still weighed on our minds.

 We also paid to go to the top of the Duomo because it was a relatively clear day (turned out to be the only one while we were here). The view was only ok, given the views were had seen before, but getting up close and personal to the Gothic architecture of the Duomo was beautiful. The view also confirmed something for us, that Milan is a city covered in smog and smoke. We had already been coughing quite a bit, but as you looked out over the city, despite the sky above you being clear, the view was obscured in a haze.

We both knew that we wanted to get away from the Duomo and never return to the area again, and so we went in search of an internet cafe I looked up previously. In form, however, every internet cafe I looked up online was out of business. Our searching did take us past the Catholic University and the basilica of Saint Ambrogio (the patron saint of Milan). This was cool, because once again we got to see the corpses of the saint and his sister on display. It is actually quite common in Italy (as nearly every church we visited had this), for the churches to display the bodies of saints (the faces usually covered by a mask, but the hands exposed in all their decay). We headed back to the flat and realized that we were both still feeling the effects of our experiences at the Duomo. On the way, we found an internet cafe and this did lighten our moods as we had actually been productive. We once again felt the need to detox and relax, having had an overly stressful day.

The next day in Milan, we made an effort to figure out how we were going to get to the airport in the next two days and also made plans to check out a free cemetery that was supposed to be pretty cool. As we retraced our steps to the central station to find where the shuttles to the airport were, we quickly realized that we had a problem. The Tram and metro shuttles all closed during the time when we were going to need to get to the central station. We have a pretty early flight (7am) and of course you want to arrive at least an hour preferably two hours before hand. Public transportation in Milan is notoriously slow taking about an hour to get to the Central station from where we were staying. Additionally, the airport that we were leaving from was about an hour outside the city and the buses started at 4 am and ran about every half hour starting every twenty minutes at 5am. So we hoped to arrive at the central station for the 5am bus to the airport. The metro closes at 12:30 am and doesn't open back up until 6am...So we had to look at other options. Sara and I would spend the afternoon in vain trying to find a taxi service that was reasonable or find other options. Ignoring the problem for the moment, until we could return to the flat and look stuff up on line, we continued to the Cemetery.

Which was of course, closed on Mondays. It was a quite chilly and rainy day for Milan, and we were on the other side of town. We had two options, take the metro or the tram. Now the tram stations have no ways to buy tickets on the trams or at the stations. As a result, we sort of assumed that we could get by without. We had been playing it fast and loose with the rules when it came to public transportation because it was rarely convenient or easy to follow the rules. So we hopped on a tram and assumed like it had for the last 6 weeks, that no one would pester us for tickets. Of course, this is Milan and Milan is out to get us, so given that we were unable to get tickets, they of course checked for tickets. Fortunately, the fine was relatively small compared to some of the ones we have seen in previous cities, but we just couldn't take the misfortune any longer. We stopped at a bakery and picked up fresh cannolies and made a vow to not go out into the city of Milan any more before our flight.

Since, there is no easy way to get to the airport, we decided that we will just have to spend the night there, which leads me to today. We have packed up everything really tight. We are prepared and ready with boarding passes. We will likely leave the flat around 11pm and be at the airport around 1am for our flight at 7am. A long night ahead of us to the airport, but at least we will be in Oxford tomorrow early afternoon. Can't really express how much I am done travelling for awhile. It will be nice to settle into a routine again.

Expect a post sometime this weekend reflecting on the trip as a whole and any stories relating to our return. Thanks for bearing with me through this trip which has turned into one of the most difficult things I have done. I love all the support that I get from everyone who reads this and I can't be more grateful for the love I receive. Until next time.

Adventures Await!

KH

Travel Series: Rome

We arrived at the Roma Termini station a short hour and a half after leaving Florence. Sara and I parted ways with Ben in order to find the room we would be renting for the next four nights. We agreed to settle in and contact each other to meet up later. Ben had rearranged his plans so that he could spend an extra day with us in Rome. We knew we had to make the most of it. Sara and I followed the directions to the room with relative ease and were quickly settled into our flat. This leg of the journey, our bad luck migrated to Ben as he had to repurchase his reservation having lost the ticket. We made plans to meet up within the hour.

Our room was very nice and so were our hosts. The room was probably the nicest we have stayed in and it was immaculately cleaned and decorated. We were ecstatic to have a kitchen again and made note of the nearest grocery store. The underground station wasn't very far away and it was a straight shot from the Termini station. They gave us a map and some information and then we left to meet up with Ben.

From the Termini, the three of us set off to find one of Sara's and my bucket list items, the Trevi Fountain. Along the way, we saw a beautiful michelangelo church and we stopped for some lunch as we were all starving. This is probably the only time we will/have sit/sat at a restaurant in Italy. There was a service fee for eating in, but we were too hungry to care and the prices weren't that bad. Having filled our stomachs, we found the Trevi fountain with only a small detour. It was as beautiful and grandiose as the shows portray it to be. The strangest thing about it was how on its own it was. The crowds were relatively thick, but we did manage to get some pictures and throw an obligatory coin into the fountain (legend has it that if you throw in a coin, you guarantee that you will return to Rome one day). It was here that we first encountered a number of hecklers and solicitors that we would quickly come to grow annoyed and bored of over the coming days.

Knowing that Ben had only the one day in Rome, we moved on to hit more of the famous sites, including many of the Roman ruins, a very iconic memorial to Roman government, and the Colosseum. We didn't end up going into the Colosseum because it turns out that tours end after 3:30pm and there was quite a hefty fee to get in. Once again, being a UK student didn't make a lick of difference to the cost. Getting quite tired and hungry again, due to a busy day of sight seeing and travelling, we turned into the flat to cook a nice dinner and relax. It was sad to see Boggs go. Sara and I really enjoyed having him along. He added a bit of flare and puns to everything. Additionally, travelling with so few people can be a bit lonesome. Ben helped lighten the mood.

The next day, Sara and I meant to set off for the Vatican, but not before encountering a little trouble. During the night, Sara's eyes had begun acting up. It had become a little pink and she was in terrible pain, feeling as though something were in her eye, when nothing was. It wasn't pink eye, and she chalked it up to damaging of her retina by her contact. I offered her my Ibuprofen, but there was little either of us could do. As a result, Sara didn't get much sleep that night. Thankful that this trip was coming to its end soon enough, we decided to head out to the Vatican anyway (Sara using sunglasses to protect her eyes).

On the way to the Vatican, we were constantly troubled by people trying to get us to buy them as tour guides. We managed to find our way to the Vatican museum which did have a fee but at least let us have the reduced price. It turns out that if you go on the last Sunday of the month, then it was free, but there was really no way we could do that. The Vatican museum basically consisted of all the treasures and relics that the Catholic Church had been gifted or collected over its lifespan. Additionally, the Sistine Chapel (no pictures allowed, I'm afraid) was located within the museum. With all the art and sculpture (mostly Roman in origin), it took quite a few hours and we hadn't even seen all of it. There was a post office in the Vatican and both Sara and I took the opportunity to send a postcard to our loved ones at home. I mean, what is cooler than sending a postcard from the Vatican?

We left the museum and then headed to St. Peter's Basilica, also in Vatican City, and maybe, try our luck at seeing the Pope. It was a short walk around the walls to get to St. Peter's and then quite a line to get through security. It was interesting to see all the guards in their fanciful attire. The inside of the Basilica was gorgeous and easily the largest church we had been to. Without seeing hide or hair of the pope, we decided to call it a day and turned in for a night of good food and rest.

The next morning, I awoke before Sara and began planning our day. We had hoped to go to Pompeii at some point during this trip. But with prices only getting higher and options dwindling, it was beginning to look like we weren't going to get that chance. So I looked for some alternative sights to see (10 to be exact) and also ways to complete a few errands that we needed to run before we could return to Oxford. We set out with a lot to see and do and by the end of the day we had been very productive. The first of our stops was to pick up a reservation for our train, as a reservation is required and costs money even though we have a Eurorail pass! This was completed with ease. We then went to the Piazza di Spagna which was a staircase that led to a beautiful church and a spectacular view. From there we wandered towards the Pantheon, which was also beautiful and very familiar from my experiences in Assassin's Creed. We then went to the Piazza Novona and Campo di Fiori, two plazas that had fountains and statues. We got some Gelato (very delicious and with generous portion sizes) and headed to Largo di Torre Argentina. Along the way, we finally found an internet cafe and I printed off the boarding passes for our flight to London from Milan. Relieved to have that checked off our to do list, we arrived at the Largo di Torre Argentina which is a grouping of ruins which has been converted into a cat sanctuary. It is also the site of Julius Ceasar's assassination. We continued onwards to our final destination which was Saint Pietro in Vincoli, the church which houses Michelangelo's Moses (which was particularly remarkable for me because I had studied Sigmund Freud's essay on this very statue not a month prior). So as you can see a very busy day. We turned in for the evening.

The next day was quite dreary and our plans did not consist of much direction. We didn't want to stay in for the day, but at least, I was having trouble willing myself to leave. There were some areas of the city that in my research had been suggested as good places to get strategically lost. So we started there, and got actually lost, before finding our way again and then realizing that Roman neighbourhoods, while beautiful, couldn't compare to the Florentine neighbourhoods we visited. Feeling a bit lack lustre in spirit, we got some gelato and headed home. One of the coolest sights we did see on this day, was the island in the middle of the river that cuts Rome in half. It still took us the better part of an hour to get to the nearest metro station and home.

Tomorrow we leave, rather early, for Milan, which is our final stop on this grand European adventure. Over this period of time, I have learned one rather crucial thing about myself. I am a people person. I hesitate to say extrovert, but I certainly like being surrounded by friends and loved ones. If it had not been for Sara, I think I would have given up on this trip much much sooner. Still, even Sara couldn't stop me from feeling quite lonely most of the trip. These feelings made me depressed for a lot of it, meaning that it was difficult for me to conjure up feelings of joy and admiration for the things I got to see and the gift of this travel. Instead, I longed for nearly daily archery practice and meetings of the Society Game Ragnarok. I missed hanging out in the JCR with fellow regent's students. I missed all the new friends I had made, but most of all I missed my family. Over the course of this trip, I realized that I did not look forward to the next 6 week break between terms, if it meant another stressful exercise in travel. So, I booked a rather reasonable flight home for about 2 and a half weeks to break up the travel. After I did this, my heart was elated for the next two days. It was like I had my life back. I have always seen myself as an independent person. I was happy to go to summer camp as a kid and spend a week away from home. I specifically made an effort to go to an out of state school for college (or University). I was looking forward to being abroad and travelling. But, the reality of it was not what I expected, or could have expected. I am frustrated that I couldn't enjoy the moments of this trip as much as I wanted to. To some extent, I blame this on the lack of funds. When you are spending all of your energy spending as little as possible, there are a lot of experiences that you have to pass up (Such as going inside of the Colloseum or visiting Pompeii). I think that I would love to come back to places like these, for shorter duration, with more people and more money.

Arrivederci Roma. Until next time.

Adventures Await!

KH