Saying Arrivederci to Milan (and Italy)

In addition to the two tours, we walked around Milan. 

Back in Barcelona, Don was introduced to the LEGO passport. Anytime you visit a LEGO store, ask the store to stamp your passport. The hard part is remembering the passport. So far he has received stamps in Barcelona, King of Prussia, outside Montreal, New York City, Florence, and now Milan. Each store is unique, which adds to the experience. This location is two stories high and includes a giant model of Milan's Duomo inside the front door. 

After that, most of the merchandise is the same as any other Lego store. 

We saw a statue of a middle finger in the courtyard of a giant building. We had a feeling there was a story behind it, so we asked our tour guide. It is in front of the Milan Stock Exchange. It is called L.O.V.E. by Maurizio Catellan. L.O.V.E. is an acronym for the Italian words Liberta, Odio, Vendetta, and Eternita (freedom, hate, vengeance, and eternity). Colloquially it is known as "Il Dito" (The Finger). The hand is white and veiny, in the classical style of the hand of Michelangelo's David.

After the tour I had gelato from a 190-year old gelato shop on the main drag: Casa Infante. For once, Don wasn't in the mood for gelato. He wanted pizza, but the place recommended to us was not open yet. As we waited, I got gelato: dark chocolate, yogurt, and praline. I love the little cone on top. Yes, it was a lot of gelato, I really thought Don would help me eat it more than he did.

Over 30 flavors are usually available.

Dinner was at Piz. Contrary to the gelato place, the pizza place had three types of pizza on the menu (Margherita, Marina, and Blanco Neapolitan-style pizzas)-- limited choices, but everything is excellent (or so our host told us). I was more excited by the decor than the pizza -- the place was covered in bright, Keith Haring designs from the walls to the tables to the chairs. It felt as if we were immersed in his artwork. Glad were were there at 7 when the doors opened because the place filled up quickly -- both the main floor and the basement. There was a line when we left. Both were fabulous recommendations!

We continued to enjoy the nice evening walking around Milan. Google Maps makes us much more adventurous because we know we'll be able to find our hotel again. In past trips, we would continue to keep taking the same route because it was deemed "safe." This is a better way to see more.

We met a couple of moms with their children. The teens were (*finally*) allowed to rent scooters and zip through a park that had no traffic in it. The kids were having a blast! The moms were having fun catching up with each other. A win for all!

Arrivederci, Milan!