Solo Inter

Have you ever spent a Friday afternoon relaxing by Lake Como, Italy with George Clooney at his Italian Villa? Neither have I. I did, however, spend Friday afternoon by Lake Como exploring its surroundings. Nine of us ventured to the small town Friday afternoon prior to our weekend adventures. While we had no particular itinerary on this day trip, we made sure to have our first Italian pizza. Needless to say, it was delicious. While in Como, we saw the Volta Temple, honoring Alessandro Volta, the creator of the battery and visited a beautiful church, the Cattedrale di Como. Our visit was brief, but very enjoyable. I plan to return again later this semester, as the weather warms up.

 

On Saturday, Nick Carr and I woke up before sunrise to catch a train to Milan, Italy. After about thirty minutes of wandering through the streets of Milan, we found CioccolatItaliani, home of the greatest breakfast I have ever had. I thoroughly enjoyed a fresh waffle covered in 61% dark chocolate. The heavenly chocolate shop was located in the center of Milan's extravagant shopping district. 

Name any expensive brand, you'll find it in Milan. Armani, Gucci, Prada, the list goes on and on. While I couldn't afford anything in the famous shops, as simple t-shirts cost upwards of 90 euros, it was certainly fun to check out the famous Milanese fashion. 

The Duomo in Milan is one of the most incredible architectural wonders I have ever seen. On Friday, I was impressed by the Cattedrale di Como. The Cattedrale di Como is to the Duomo di Milan as a matchbox car is to a Hummer. Nick and I spent about an hour inside admiring the building's intricate detail and the beautiful stained glass windows. Outside the cathedral hundreds of people gathered to take pictures of the colossal structure and small children were grinning ear to ear as they fed the pigeons. 

I tried fried pizza for the first time at lunch. It was essentially a deep fried calzone, which sounds like a meal invented in the United States. It was spectacular. After lunch we explored the grounds of the Castello Sforzesco. 

As we left the castle, we came across a large crowd gathered in one of the piazzas. The crowd had gathered for a free concert by one of Italy's most beloved superstars, Biagio Antonacci. While neither Nick nor I were familiar with his music, we stayed to watch his concert. People of all ages crowded into the area to enjoy the show. Everybody in the audience seemed to know the lyrics to each of the superstar's songs. The concert was definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far. 

We woke up early again on Sunday to return to Italy for the Inter Milan game. Molly Rose and I left early to explore Milan a bit more before Nick, Kyle and Ashley joined us. We returned to CioccolatItaliani for breakfast, where I had another heavenly chocolate covered waffle and finally had my gelato. The cone was filled with melted dark chocolate before scoops of strawberry and mandarin orange gelato were added on top. Words cannot describe how delicious it was. The rest of the group joined us soon after breakfast, and we made our way to Stadio Giuseppe Meazza to see Inter Milan take on Catania. We took the metro to the stadium and walked the final mile, where extremely elaborate graffiti lined the walls from the metro stop to the stadium.

Our seats were incredible, only twelve rows back behind the goal. This was the first time I had ever watched soccer from behind the net, which gave me a completely new perspective of my favorite sport. Despite the game ending as a scoreless draw (an American's worst nightmare) it was a thrill to see an Italian Serie A game in person. It is evident that the fans are incredibly passionate about their team, and the players intend to join Italy's dive team for the 2016 summer olympics. 

Next weekend's plans are still up in the air, though Munich seems to be calling my name. Ciao!