Milano!!!!!!

So the first lot of pictures are of the Duomo in the centre of Milan. You come up from the metro and are greeted by the first picture as a view. Its pretty breathtaking!!!! Guide books call Milan's Duomo "ridiculously gothic", "insanely overdone" and "absolutely magnificent!!" I thought it was pretty amazing myself!!! We didn't go inside this weekend because the line was insane, we'll go inside once the tourist season dies down!!!

The archway is the Galleria, which is a covered walk that is like a mall now and has these INSANE marble floors and high domed ceilings. It used to be the "place to be seen" if you were in court in Milan back in the day. Its still the "place to be seen" because all of the high end shops are in or near it.

Ahhhh Europe and its sidewalk cafes, I LOVE it!! Apparently these ones near the Galleria and the Duomo are great for people watching.

HOME OF.....

Ok so Richard and I were HYSTERICAL over these next pictures, you get to this big cross section in the Galleria and there is the first three stores which I took pictures of..big names, lots of security(the third one is a big watch/jewellery store.....and you'd expect the fourth to be......Armani, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana....they had numerous ones to choose from!!!!!!!

BUT the fourth store in the circle is.....................

Oh yes I'm serious....McDonalds. They are freaking everywhere!!!! Even in the illustrious circle in the beautiful Galleria!!!!

Statue of Leonardo Davinchi, and the La Scala Opera House, which we're really hoping to go see a performance at!

Random alley, you know how I like my alley pictures!!! The next series of shots was just this place we passed while wandering around, we looked in these big doors and there was this courtyard!

Eating at a sidewalk cafe. We had a little "Oh my god" "MIO DIO!" moment when we realized that we weren't on vacation, that this was where we were living for a while!!!!!! I ADORE Europe!!!!!

Reese checking out the pigeons, they are everywhere here and she finds them totally fascinating!!!

Oh no the pigeons flew away!!!! The street that the cafe was on.

Little apartments above the cafe and our margharita pizza!!! SO YUMMY!

I'm in love with this picture!!!! Birds sitting on a wire in the street where the cafe was :)