Another art museum today - Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. I got there @ 9 but they didn't open till 10 so I got an espresso and returned to where else? - the Duomo. I decided to go inside one last time, since there weren't a lot of people and its free. Just sat in one of the pews and admired its grandness. The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, though overpriced, was far better than I expected it to be. Beautifully lit, with some very nice paintings. There was even an exhibition at the end with a bunch of Leonardo's drawings and sketches, very cool. After the museum, I navigated the metro to get to Garibaldi station, from which I eventually found the Cimitero Monumentale. Construction everywhere made it hard to get to. The cemetery was huge, and beautiful. Not quite as nice as Pere Lachaise in Paris, but similar with it's statues and mausoleums. I was there for a while, walking around, taking pictures, sketching. Nice to find a quiet place away from the chaos of the city. I made my way back toward Garibaldi, and there was a big piazza where tons of professional looking Milanese were hanging out during their lunch break. I joined a few of them at a little cafe for a panino. Then found my way back to the metro, back to the Duomo, and then walked to the Quadrilatero d'Oro, the fancy fashion shopping district. I felt very out of place with my scrubby clothes. My final destination before returning to the hostel was a gelato stop - same crazy place I went yesterday, except this time I knew how to order. Straciatella, dark chocolate, topped with meringue and more chocolate. Oh. My. God. Chocolate sugar gelato creamy heaven. The meringue was by far the best part, along with watching all the busieness men in their suits eating their gelato in cones like little kids, that i find amusing. After the gluttony, I stopped for some groceries and trekked back to the hostel. I'm deciding to be antisocial tonight. Made my own little dinner of veggie salad, burrata cheese ( always wanted to try it and it is luscious!) and farro bread. Hello Italy I love you. Now, time to wind down so I can be ready for a lake trip tomorrow.
