Day 26 13th May 2011 (Black Friday)

Its cool because I like Friday the 13th and THIS WAS TO BE MY LAST NIGHT IN EUROPE FOR 2011…That much I was sure off…

Started driving in pursuit of my definite final destination and it was to be the Crown Plaza Milano. I decided that for my last 36 hours I would just live it up and that was it.
http://www.crowneplazamilan.com/

The day started with a list of 4 things to do:
1. Climb the Duomo and tick that off http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/milan-cathedral
2. See a painting by Caravaggio http://www.wheremilan.com/site/?p=3876
3. Shopping
4. Tour the San Siro
http://www.google.com/search?q=san+siro+milan&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=ivnsm&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8tHSTeaPPISSuwOGouS6DQ&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1275&bih=621

Well I was on track after the first few hours, checked in the hotel and yes its worth the money… Got my underground ticket and headed to the Duomo…not the grandest or the prettiest cathedral but it was super cool walking on the roof.

Then attended an impressionist exhibition which was amazing (I sneaked a few photos…no flash) but then also was given the access to a Caravaggio exhibition in Milan and yes I got to go after going in the wrong direction three times but I made it…the painting I was really wanting to see was the last supper and the medusa (the medusa was removed) but the last supper was there and many many more including John the Baptist execution and the baptism of Christ… I think I started my fascination with Caravaggio back in 2006 and it was through a novel and probably that novel was my inspiration to select Italy as my final destination…It has been a long time coming but hey, I get there and that’s what matters.

To say I was walking on cloud 9 is an understatement. Just after walking out of the exhibition I realised nothing else matters and I had fulfilled all that I wanted to do on this trip albeit rushed and that the next 24 hrs were just going to be and nothing else mattered.

I tried to buy some cloths from a boutique shop for the kiddies but without a pin number it was not going to happen. So I decided back to he Hotel to freshen up and dinner somewhere nice and maybe head out into town again.

I did make it back, I did freshen up and decided that hotel in the restaurant would be good enough (the three courses did not disappoint nor the bottle of wine to myself…Needless to say, I think I have become a light weight as the bottle of wine got to me and I was too lazy to go anywhere and just got back upstairs and I think slept til the morning in a plush bed with real fluffy pillows…

Quote of the day was from Steve on my facebook wall where he said “…Hostels are gret to meet people but I would rather stay where you are” I tend to agree… I loved meeting new people and making new friends but also its harder to sustain a friendship that lasted a couple of days or at times a few hours… and travel in comfort is nice and maybe nicer if you have family to share it with…but for now I was the family to myself and its probably been the lesson of the trip…