The Milano Duomo Cathedral

It was at least a 45 min walk from the hotel to the Piazza Duomo. When I finally arrived at the piazza, I came around the corner & saw it standing there - the Duomo Cathedral. Magnificent! What an inspiring gothic cathedral it is, the largest one in the world, & the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world.
Building was started in 1386 & wasn't completed till 1762 - excellence does take time. The multitude of spires & detail in the architecture are remarkable, all built with marble facings. The stained windows behind the alter are reputed to be the largest in the world, made up of a number of smaller frames each with its own theme.
For architectural fans, this is definitely a must see!

30th June - Milano - Fashion Capital of Europe

I wasn't going to visit Milan, but because I had trouble finding inexpensive accommodation in or around Lake Como, & had a flight booked out of Milan on 3rd July, I felt Milan was my best choice for a couple of days.While the Hotel Monopole was nice & cheap & close to the train station, there were quite a few 'unsavoury' characters hanging about around the station.
3 nights in Milan & I was even given an upgrade to a superior single room, which was really quite lovely. Constantly travelling, lots of physical work & I was quite exhausted. So I took the chance here in Milano to relax just a bit, catch up on some writing & all those things I needed to get done.
And, because it is the fashion capital, I figured a spot of window shopping wouldn't hurt or expend too much energy either.