Backpacking through Europe in 1994

Day 80 • November 25, 1994
Milan, Italy

My Photographs from today Milan, Italy

DAY 80 / 11-25-94
Milan, Italy

Evan & I got up at 8:30 & were at the university at 9. He had bought a USA Today [newspaper] & gave it to me to read. It’s amazing how I can get so much pleasure out of a simple thing like reading a newspaper.

After Julie got done at noon we went to a store to pick up a few last things for the big Thanksgiving feast she & the other American students have planned for tonight.

Then we went back to the Duomo so I could take some pictures (it was too dark last night). Then we walked the plaza & around town.

After a quick trip home to “baste the bird,” we headed to the church of Saint Ambrogio, the patron saint of Milan. Julie told me the dude was in there, but she didn’t tell me he was on display! This guy died in like 1350 or something, and he was dressed in gold & red robes & a gold crown was placed on his head & he was stuck in a glass coffin, and he is still there, well, what’s left of him: a complete skeleton & skin that looks like brown shrink-wrap dressed in robes with a crown on his head. Gruesome! And people come every day & pray to him.

After that pleasant experience we went on to another one, the Milan Inquisition & Torture Museum. On display here was every type of torture/death instrument imaginable.

Thumbscrews, iron maidens, guillotine, racks & wheels, vaginal & rectal hot pears, head screw, wooden pyramid, iron cages, skewers, chopping block, flying knives, breast pincers, along with detailed pictures and descriptions of the instruments. It’s mind-blowing to think people have had to endure these acts over the ages.

Anyway, then we went home to cook. (Yea, a big turkey dinner sounded delicious after seeing all that stuff).

About 10 or 11 people came overall, all students in the same program as Julie but from different schools. It was awesome! A delicious turkey, real stuffing, potatoes & gravy, potato salad, regular salad, wine, & homecooked, warm pumpkin pie with whipped cream for dessert. All that was missing was the football.

After the meal, we all went out to this bar. I didn’t enjoy it that much though because I’ve been fighting a cold for a couple days and I was exhausted, even more so after the meal. I have to admit, I enjoyed the Second City Bar in Detroit much better last year. But tomorrow should be awesome.

Julie, her friend Anastasia, and I are going to Venice!

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