Today we returned from Milan after a sunny holiday in Italy, returning to a sunny Barcelona. Who said life was hard? (Obviously they had jobs).
Today I said good-bye that was unexpectedly teary to Mercedes, our local pastisseria owner, who is just about the cutest Spaniard I've ever met.
No complaints, though, despite the tears. I mean, we did benefit from her fresh-baked bread all year, yummiest cheeses ever, and, well, we just got back from Milan! :) Our visit to Milan was inspired by our MBA-made friend, Pat, who lives just outside Milan and is one of the top-10 hosts around. Typical Italian, she also enjoys her quick espresso-based drink while on the phone...
But she's so nice and she takes it all in stride-
Pat was really gracious in allowing us to stay with her in her cozy apartment and showing us around Milan. If I could bottle the feeling of being in her apartment, it would be a cool/kitsch bottle of purple/orange/golden hues with warm undertones (for the poets out there). She took us on all the main streets and we ended up in this neato public garden area that's apparently not as hospitable at night-
After walking around for half a day in Milan, Pat decided we had seen all of Milan and decided we should head to The Lakes for a day. The Lake area north of Milan is fantastic for relaxation and views, though probably a little boring if you're looking for action. For a one-day excursion, I'd say it was about perfect.
The next day we headed to Firenze (known as Florence to English-speakers). I knew nothing about Firenze, but we went there based on the recommendations of 3 Italians. The most surprising and delightful thing about Firenze for me was that the cathedrals are multi-colored on the outside, thanks to a mixture of different colors of stone, granite, etc. They are incredibly beautiful!
We actually saw the original Michelangelo sculpture of David for FREE (Italy loves us and always makes the museums free when we visit) and an outdoor replica-
Even outdoor masterpieces aren't exempt from birds, though...
We also saw amazing random sculptures and beautiful stuff-
Eventually Eric & I got tired, though...
For dinner, we ate at a wonderfully fulfilling and recommended restaurant (Beppa Fioraia, Via dell'Erta Canina 6/r) and, based on suggestion, we ordered the "Il Gran Tagliere Della Beppa" as an appetizer, along with a caprese salad. A word of advice - when an Italian recommends food, be forewarned that it will be a LOT of food, even if it comes under the innocuous title of "appetizer". Ha ha.
We also made it into the main cathedral where we were treated by a view of the dome ceiling. I'm told that access inside the cathedral right below the dome (near the altar) is unusual since it's usually blocked off with a rope, but, given our luck with free museums in Italy, it didn't surprise me that they un-roped the "special area" near the altar while we were there. :) The ceiling was a masterpiece story. This picture doesn't do it justice, but it's a sample of what it's really like.
After Firenze, Eric and I headed up to Madonna di Campiglio (pronounced cam-pee'-yo) via bus for some good ol' fashioned snowboarding in the Alps. Despite the unbearably long haul to the hotel from the final bus stop with our snowboards and gear and some initial issues with a clean bathroom, the Hotel Arnica turned out to be pretty nice. On our last day, the owner's dad even gave us a ride in the family car to the bus stop (about 1/2 a mile away). Here's the view we had from our balcony:
On our second day, it was so sunny that Eric worked on his New Year's resolution on our balcony while we took a lunch break of cheese, ham, Italian toastie biscuits, and wine (ah, the joys of having a hotel room near the gondolas!)-
Then Eric decided that it was shorts and t-shirt weather and we headed back out for our afternoon snowboarding. Lots of fun and no regrets, but Eric did admit later that it was a bit cold at the top of the mountain...
Really, the weather was great. The snow wasn't bad, either - much better than the ice we've had in Andorra this year! A little slushy at the bottom, but I'll take it.
And we just couldn't get enough of the views...
We finished our last run on our last day with the traditional Italian method - with a drink called Bombardino. I can only imagine it means "bombs away!" because it is just about one of the strongest drinks I've had. It's made of an eggy liquor and is served hot with whipped cream on top. I suppose it's intended to make your last run more fun.... We were happy to partake in local traditions, but only one for me, thank-you!
All in all, it was a good time. I really enjoyed seeing Pat and being outside in the mountains for active snowboarding. The only hard part was leaving Pat since I felt like the good-byes were really starting. Oh, sure, I've said good-bye to other classmates in Barcelona, but since Eric and I keep coming back to Barcelona between side-trips, it's easy to tell myself that it's not really good-bye since there's a small chance I could see folks again (yes, I lie to myself like that). But now, well, there's no denying that our time in Europe and with our new friends is really coming to an end. As a friend recently said in an email (crediting a mixture of Churchill and Bogart) - "This is not the end, not even the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning of a beautiful friendship." MBA-types. :)
And now, unfortunately or not, I really should pack and clean since today's our last day in our apartment and we'll be sleeping at a friend's house tonight. Wow.
hasta la pasta, amigos. And for those of you in Seattle - see you soon!