Christian!

7-11-2010
Originally uploaded by cspatrick

Sunday, November 7, 2010 Day 130

We told Christian to take the train into Milan from the airport. This train leaves the airport every half hour and arrives at the Cadorna train station, which is a 10-minute walk from the church. He didn’t bring a phone, so our game plan was to be at the station at 9:00 and check in every half hour after that. We arrived on the metro and had just walked up the steps into the train station when someone approached us from behind and said he was looking for someone from LaPlace. Christian! We hugged and laughed and he told his story of getting here, which was that his plane arrived VERY early. He was unable to locate the train to Cadorna station, so he joined some Americans who were taking a bus to the central station. From the central station he took the subway to the Cadorna station. He apparently arrived on the same subway as we! If we had known, we would never have had to get on the subway, as the central train station is a five-minute walk from our hotel. He was loaded with a large backpack and a smaller front pack. Since it was plenty early, we all took the subway back to the central station and walked to the hotel where he dropped his stuff in our room. Like Santa Claus, he came bearing gifts: a computer for me, a chess set for Roger. I had sent an email a couple of weeks ago to my daughters suggesting that Roger would love a chess set for Christmas, but not to send it, just hold it until we come to the States in January. It did not occur to me that one of them would get it ordered and get it to Christian in time for him to bring it along. Thanks, Alicia! Christian decided not to bring his jacket or scarf (he was layered with a t-shirt and sweater, I think - didn’t ask specifically). Roger and I were bundled a little more warmly.

We took the subway back to Cadorna station and walked to the church to check in and get our tickets. The guy told us we were too early, to return at 10:40. With half an hour to wait, we went across the street to a coffee shop and had coffee, tea, chocolate and a pastry. It was finally time and we went to the church to see The Last Supper. Viewing is restricted to 15 people at a time, and we were allowed only 15 minutes in the room with the painting. There are double entry and exit rooms, whereby we entered one chamber and stood there until the door behind us closed and sealed. Then we entered yet another chamber and stood there again until the door behind us closed and sealed. Then the door into the church opened and we were allowed into the church to see the painting high on a large wall. Unfortunately the wall and the area suffered a great deal of abuse during the last 500 years, including having a door cut into the wall, thereby cutting out the feet of Jesus and a couple of the apostles. The paint is flaking off the wall, as Michelangelo used oil paints on the dry plaster instead of the wet-plaster technique which allows the paints used to absorb into the plaster and become more permanent. No photos were allowed. At the end of the 15 minutes, an announcement came across that we were all to exit and we went through the same double-chambered exit procedure - all presumably designed to minimize atmospheric moisture from entering the room. “Church” is probably the wrong word to use for the room. The room is attached to a church, but it is a side room, not the church itself. When we left, we stopped briefly into the church, but this is Sunday, with mass going on, so we left and headed toward the Duomo and the historic city center.

The Duomo, pictured here, is quite splendid, with a forest of small spires projecting into the sky. We chose not to go in, suspecting that there was a mass being held there as well. The area is surrounded by upscale shopping centers with all the top designer names. We trekked to the seventh floor of one of them just to get a look, but didn’t bother to go into any more. Christian compared it to Saks, and I agree. Money, money, money, money, money!

It was quite cool and not warming up any. I think Christian may have regretted his decision not to bring his jacket. We located a restaurant for lunch and had tortellini (Christian and I) while Roger had risotto. Christian and I got the better deal - the tortellini was very good. We had a glass of wine each as well.