Cathedrals and vineyards… (#wordprompt)

I don’t do travel blogs. I leave those to the experts who know answers to questions like “what time does that open?” … and … “how much is the tram?”.

“I know narthing” said – coincidentally – in an Italian (or was it Spanish?) accent I believe. Who the hell was that? Manuel from ‘Faulty Towers’? If you’re not familiar with this British Classic comedy show, then this paragraph will be lost on you. Go straight to paragraph 3.

(‘Manuel’ .. google images)

However today, these photos I took around Milan are simply too good not to share with you. So firstly, I give you, in all it’s glory, the Duomo Di Milano. It is simply breathtaking in its splendour. Those intricate details, built so long ago. I mean, how on earth? (Reminds me of that brilliant book ‘The Pillars of The Earth’ by Ken Follett… based around the building of a cathedral in a fictional English town called Kingsbridge – but any decent cathedral can be pictured as you read the story and I learnt genuine early architecture procedures like abutments and pinacles from that novel).

This baby has been here a very long time. It ain’t going anywhere. It sure is static. (<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/static/”>Static</a&gt;)

I’m no professor of history or the Church, but don’t tell me you’re not impressed with these incredibly detailed brass 3D carved door panels. (I detested school but that’s another story.)

I’m pretty sure it’s brass because for hundreds of years, we’ve all been rubbing the thigh of Jesus and the calf of another in this particular panel and he’s losing the patina nature had formed.

The presence of trams in this city give it an air of old fashioned opulence .. the tracks laid within cobbled streets, create gleaming silvery trails along well worn routes.

Don’t ask me details about the trams – apparently you need pre-bought tickets to board them and we never discovered any booths from which to buy said tickets.

However, we were very happy to walk so as not to miss all the small details like shop window displays along Via Alessandro Manzoni, and the stunning array of outfits worn by the regulars to weave their way through the rest of us mere mortals, immobilised by the designer shops or heart-stoppingly sexy Italian sports cars parked wherever their owners chose to stop. Click & collect has far greater meaning here! We could have been in Knightsbridge, London, or The Champs-Élysées, Paris …. the beautiful people sashay along the pavement, dressed in their finery, stare-inducing footwear and often with small dog under arm.

At one point we found a fun staircase on which I attempted to become camouflaged; and subsequently forgot to read why they were there or what they represented. Sorry.

A good barrister makes a good coffee and a pwiddy pattern on the top is always lovely, thank you ☺️

Gelato.

Had to be done didn’t it. Talk about choice!

Which is why in fact I went for a Nutella-filled crepe instead with my afternoon cup of English tea. Yes I know! You can take the girl out of England …. jeeez I love my cuppa . My granny used to say in her Yorkshire accent “eey, by gum, it brings body ‘n soul together it duz”. At seven years old I had no idea what she meant, but as an adult I know precisely where she was coming from. God rest her soul.

We are now back in the apartment. I brought my laptop and wanted to start thinking about my main WIP .. it needs to be 80,000 by August remember! It is set partly in an Italian vineyard … I’m thinking East of Milan, don’t you agree?

I think my dear friend is asleep next door; we’d planned an hour’s rest before venturing out for the evening but I’ve been naughty and spent it with you!