On Any Given Sunday… – out of kingdom

One of our favorite family “travel traditions” is always to try and attend church in whatever country we are in. And although the services are invariably in a foreign language, the act of worshiping together is familiar, and deeply satisfying.

And so on a cloudy Sunday in June, we went to Mass at the Duomo in Milan…and it was unforgettable. I wish I could describe the experience fully, but my words cannot do it justice. All I can say is that it was so beautiful, I cried.

The Duomo has been described as the wedding cake of all cathedrals. Created from rare pink Candoglia marble, and adorned in frills, furls, swirls, and twirls, it reaches into the sky like the definitive crowning centerpiece of Milan. And, indeed, the Duomo IS the center of the city figuratively and literally.

Began in 1386, and not completed until 1965, it took nearly 600 years complete the cathedral. At the time, nothing to this scale had ever been attempted before. In order to bring the special pink hued Condoglian marble that covers the entire facade of the Duomo, special canals had to be created from the quarry in Lake Maggiore all the way to Milan for this specific purpose. Indeed these canals are still evident today along the famous navigli.

Inside are the largest stained glass windows in Christendom. Thousands of individual stained glass vignettes are painstakingly created to tell the story of the Bible in its entirety. They reach all the way to the heavens, and provide light to the massive interior.

The organ is a work of art unto itself, and is still used for church services to this day.

Outside the church, I was somehow persuaded to feed the pigeons. Bloodthirsty things! I am adding them to my list of “Animals To Keep Clear Of” along with monkeys and trigger fish.

And just like every other Sunday…Donuts after church. Even though we were only in Milan for two days, we went to the Duomo 5 times! I honestly can’t explain what the draw was, except to say that we just never got tired of seeing the cathedral.

We especially enjoyed sitting in our favorite outdoor cafe right across the square from the Duomo just people watching,, and drinking cappuccinos. Even active Olivia seemed perfectly content to sit quietly and enjoy letting time pass by…and of course the food!

I’m not going to lie. We spent a lot of our holiday eating. And although there are tons of modern edgy food places, we gravitated towards the more quaint old and fashioned type eateries.

This was one of our favorite restaurants. We liked it so much, we ate here twice. This turned out to be the best idea.

Recognizing our family, the waiters were so happy to see us again. Effusive in their welcome, they made Olivia feel quite special.

First, we were treated to a ridiculously delicious seafood platter that wasn’t even on the menu.

Brian ordered a Jack Daniels, and they brought the entire bottle.

And my beloved “Pata Negra,” was generously presented and brought out just for me.

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But the sweetest part was how outrageously the waiters spoiled Olivia. They held her hand, escorting her through the restaurant like some VIP, and tempting her with all kinds of goodies. Seeing all the love and affection they poured on Olivia was just so reflective of the generosity and warmth of the Italian people, and such a lovely way to spend our last night in Milan.

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I’m always sad to say goodbye to Italy. It is one of my all time favorite places in the world. Once again, you showed us a wonderful time. Until we see you again. Arrivederci Italy!