The Duomo, Turin.. Home of the Italian Job and Winter 2006 Olympics, annnddd Last Days in Milano

Welllll this is it! My LAST DAY in Milan! I can't believe I have been in Europe for almost six weeks. Only one last stop, Venice, Italy this weekend before hopping a plane to New Amsterdam and then from their back to good ol' Washington DC. I'm going to start from Tuesday and fill you in on everything up until today! Then my Venice post will most likely be the last, when I get back to the states.

Tuesday was Duomo Day. We have been in Milan for almost a month with the 4th biggest Duomo in the world. It's a very Gothic style building and extremely extravagant. A few years ago when TRL was still on, the Italia version of TRL was hosted right outside of the Duomo, soooo of course I have some pictures to show you. We had a tour of the building and there is even a pope who's crypt/tomb is in the basement of the church. You can go down and actually see his body in the glass tomb. Kinda cool.. really creepy.

Milano Duomo

I kind of think this Duomo looks out of place for Milan. It's seriously in the city center surrounded by buildings and shops that look more like New York City than Italia. It's funny though because this gigantic landmark quickly reminds you that there is no possible way we could be in the U.S. 

After the tour, we headed back to the dorms where most of the Bella Suite cat napped or worked on our papers. Not too much happened today, as Stephanie, Heather and I had been up really early to return from Modena. 

Wednesday--The Great City of Turin. I LOOOOVEDD TURIN. I don't know what it was but for some reason, this city was one of my favorites. In Turin, we went to the Museum on the History of Cinema. By far the coolest and most fun museum we went to the entire trip. There was all kinds of information on how cinema started and progressed with real cameras and projection screens and other various things. I think this museum did a great job of presenting what the history of cinema was about in an interesting engaging way. Of course, this would be the one day I forgot my camera. Luckily however, Stephanie had brought her little point and shoot and said I could use some of her photos. Soooo, all of these next few photos of Turin are from Stephanie. Also, Turin is home to some of the best chocolate in the world. Everyone enjoyed a little chocolate drink. It was a good time. 

Inside the Cinema Museum they set up different sets this one is a photo room




Me and a giant fridge
Stephanie and I acting out a bar fight in the Western Film room
Thursday-- We had a lecture on cinema, which I found to be pretty confusing. The professor was really sweet and cute but her English was not too good and she jumped around in her thoughts. I think it was really nice that she came, but I have no idea what she was talking about. After the lecture, everyone was working on their papers and studying for the exam. Since it was raining, Stephanie and I could not go shooting for our photos. We hung around the dorms and worked on our study guide for the test. 

Which brings me to today--Friday... THE LAST DAY IN MILAN! I can NOT believe how fast this time has flown by. It has been amazing. I am very fortunate to have been able to come and I have loved every second of it (even the bad things) because it has really taught me a lot about myself and the world. My idea of what life is, has been expanded sooooo much passed my own backyard knowing that there are so many people and things and cultures out there. I am so lucky to experience them and I hope that this is the beginning of a long life of traveling, learning, and experiencing for me. 

This whole trip surprised me because it has really reminded me of my grandmother Diane. She passed away in November of last year from cancer and I didn't really get a chance to say goodbye as she donated her body to science so that they could study the cancer. I knew that she was gone but honestly, it hadn't really hit me until this trip. Diane was one of the most wonderful women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She married my grandfather after my dad's mom passed away when I was three years old. Despite this, she was always an amazing grandmother to me and a fantastic role model. She loved me and my family unconditionally as if we were her own grandchildren.  From this trip I realize how much I miss her and how much of an inspiration and influence she has been for me. Diane was an elementary school teacher, loveable and adventurous.. even into her older age, she still always traveled. She could put a smile on anyones face and she accepted everyone for who they were--free of judgement. I remember towards the end of her life, she had taken numerous trips around the world and she absolutely loved it. She didn't let life stop her from seeing and experiencing other cultures. She didn't worry about the money involved in it. She went and she experienced and she met people and I could tell how truly happy she was. She touched so many people's lives.  In being here, I realize how much I have become like her and how much more I aspire to be like her. I want to be an elementary school teacher. I want to live life to the fullest and I want to continue to travel and experience and love just as she did. I didn't expect to come to Milan and think about this, but I haven't gone a day here without thinking about her. Here is an old picture I have of the two of us that I really just want to put in.



Despite all these things, my trip is coming to an end. We have a fairwell dinner tonight as a group and then tomorrow morning everyone is off on their separate ways. Stephanie and I will be heading to the lovely city of Venice until Sunday night. Then it's off to the airport for me to catch a flight! 

I really hope you guys have all enjoyed my blog! If I get to travel more (which I plan to) you can expect to see the updates on this! But until then, one last Ciao!






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