After a wash and additional warm
garment fortifications I ventured out into the cold in search of the San Donato
metro, which I was told was a 15 minute walk. That walk lasted the better part
of thirty minutes with the aid of Google maps, a physical map of the city and
directions elicited from many kind passersby! My sense of direction is so awful
that I could lose my way even on a straight road. On the way, however, I came across a statue of our country's "Father of the Nation", who looks increasingly more relevant in foreign lands than in our own.
The public transport network of
trains, trams and buses is very efficient and lets you commute seamlessly on a
single ticket. The one day pass for Euro4.50 is a great bargain for tourists.
Between the afternoon of 10th and forenoon of 12th I covered all of what I had
set out to see and experience, including the snow.
1. The San Siro stadium was opened in
1926 and is now home to two of the celebrated Italian football clubs, the Inter
and AC Milan. It is the largest stadium in Italy with a seating capacity of
over 80,000 persons for a game. A grand sight indeed, but missed the
opportunity of a stadium visit as it was being readied for a match.
2. The Cimitero Monumentale, Monumental Cemetery, was built in the second half of the 19th century to consolidate small cemeteries that dotted the city into large ones. Along with the other in Maggiore this cemetery is one of the largest in Italy and was designed by a noted architect of that time. It houses elaborate sculptures, temples, obelisks and works of art that serve as tombs for some of the prominent citizens of the city. Some sculptures are extremely poignant as some others as outlandish.
3. The Napoleonic gates of Porta Nuova was built in 1810-13 of sandstone. The decay of the gates makes it stick out like a sore thumb, especially since the neighborhood is receiving a complete makeover into a modern precinct with high rise buildings, shopping malls and parks.
4. The Colonne di San Lorenzo is a
set of tall Roman column ruins, dating back to the 2nd century, almost in the
centre of the city. They are directly in front of the Basilica of San Lorenzo,
which was originally built in the 4th century and renovated to its present form
after many disasters over the centuries.
5. The Naviglio Grande is one of the
major canal systems in the Lombardy region of Italy. Initially started in the
12th century as an irrigation project it soon morphed into a navigation
channel, ferrying goods and people. It is one of the busiest places in Milan
with vendors, bakers and tourist attractions occupying center stage. The smell
of fresh bakes took me into a bakery from where I emerged with a huge Crockett
and chocolate donut. The cold was increasingly affecting me. That's when i met
Rana, a Bangladeshi who has been staying in Naviglio Grande area for 21 years,
vending seasonal products. I bought a pair of gloves and cap from him, at a
special discount!
6. The Porta Ticinese was one of the
several Spanish gates that ringed the city in the 16th century. The gate was
demolished and rebuilt in the 19th century, as were most others, to serve as
toll gates to the city. At the top of the gate is the message "to peace
that frees peoples", added after the Napoleonic wars. The Gate is a major
tourist attraction in Milan, along with Naviglio Grande.
7. Snow was not on the cards. But the
weather turned without much notice. After 4 pm it got dark and windy with
traces of rain, which soon became flaky. When I emerged from the San Donato
metro station by 4.30pm it had started snowing. It snowed through the dinner
meeting and became incredibly cold. Wasn't I happy to get under a warm quilt on
a comfy cot?
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