empty Milan...

I went into the city this afternoon and really enjoyed it! So many people get out of the city in August to enjoy time by the sea... and although it is hot and humid here right now, it's not unbearably so. I really enjoyed walking through the city when it was not so crowded AND the shops are all having sales! Twice a year... now and around Christmas/New Year's time... the shops have big sales. More than the shopping, however, I wanted to pick up a few bagels while in the city - I've got my priorities! Haha

One of my goals for this upcoming school year is to make more of an effort to get to know the city. It's easy to not know the city very well since I live in Opera - a commune of the city of Milan. So far... feeling good about being back!

Below are some pictures that I took today...

Tram lines at Sabatino and Ripamonte:

I ran into the upper school's counselor and her two little girls along this stretch today!

I will never tire of seeing Milan's duomo

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

THE FAM IS HERE!!!! Milan

My parents and one of my older brothers arrived my last school day before our Winter Break. It has been GREAT to have them here! We have traveled and seen a ton... seen both places and people. I feel exhausted, loved, ...and I don't want them to leave.

My brother, Sean, left Milan yesterday to head back to his home in the mountains of Colorado. My parents are still here for one more week  : )

Below are some pictures of their first full day in Milan. We went into the city and saw the beautiful Duomo (with over 4,000 statues!), the Vittorio Emanuele Galleria (the first mall ever), and walked up to the Navigli canals. Unfortunately, the weather has not been great in Milan. The day they arrived it began to rain and has done so most days. D'Oh! ...But it hasn't slowed us down too much.   : )

Ahhh... the view of Milan's Duomo never gets old:

Walking into the Vittorio Emanuele Galleria next to the Duomo:

Mom twirling her heel on the bull's testicles in the Vittorio Emanuele Galleria:

The galleria's gorgeous main domed ceiling... decorated for the holiday season:

Backtracking - when Mom, Dad, and Sean first arrived, they were troopers on public transportation the airport to school (after the plane... a train, metro, tram, and bus). They met teachers and students at school... were served up a great lunch from the school's kitchen of pasta, artichokes, chicken, eggs, etc. We all grabbed an afternoon coffee and then I had one last class before the break began. That night we had dinner at Le Chalet, a great restaurant in my small town of Opera and we all loved our food. Sean won with the best dish... ravioli with meat inside. And everywhere we've been, my dad has ordered il vino de casa rossa (the house red wine).