Thus far I've been to the capital of the canton Ticino in Switzerland, Bellinzona, and the great city of Milan in Italy. Both are fairly close and easily accessible which means that I don't have to walk too far out my front door to experience some of the greatest parts of this region. The two places are rather different but that makes it all the better.
Bellinzona was fabulous. Just gorgeous. We saw medieval castles that had been restored. A bit of a hike to get to these castles but it was totally worth. I can actually say that I ate lunch on top of a medieval castle, which is totally awesome. I also had the opportunity to experience my first Italian exchange at a cafe in the town square which was only slightly disastrous. My roommate Amber and I froze under the pressure of trying to use what little Italian we knew to the waitress. Luckily coffee isn't too hard to order but we definitely stumbled over our words. An interesting thing about this area are some of the customs you need to be aware of. You cannot sit at a table, even outside, and not order something. In America it may be rude but no one will say something but here it is just not acceptable at all. If you use a cafe's table then you must purchase at least a coffee. This also applies to using their bathroom. Apparently they will give you a lot of guff if you try to use a bathroom without buying something. I managed to learn a lot about the culture as well as learn about the amazing history that this place held in the castles etc.
Milan was entirely different. Milan is a huge city and everyone wears black. I'm not kidding, they know you are a tourist if you are not wearing black. In the streets of Milan you will see models and fashionistas. It's a beautiful city that holds a lot of history but it also has the most glamourous stores and buildings filled with some of the world's greatest fashions. We didn't have a whole lot of time so it felt like we were being whisked through the city. We saw the Sforza castle that was located right in Milan and was so neat to walk around. It was so different from the Bellinzona castles. After that we took the metro to the duomo. The duomo was just breathtaking. This huge church was amazing to behold. It felt unreal to be able to look at the church in real life. The square surrounding it was also something quite unique and unreal to see. Pigeons everywhere with people bustling through. Everyone in Europe smokes and they really make it look chic, which is just so funny to me. When we actually got to go in the duomo is was beyond cool. You walk in and feel so small because the ceiling and columns are just so grandiose. It's like being swallowed by the church the moment you walk in not only by the grand architecture but by the silence and emotion that fills this huge space. It was beautiful and unforgettable.
In short, I adore this place but it has worn me out. I feel like I've seen so much in so little time but most of it is unforgettable. I love the people I'm living with and I'm making great friends who I'm so glad to share this experience with. This weekend (starting Friday), I'll definitely be sleeping in but then exploring the town of Lugano which is said to be so much fun. Other than that I'll explore the little town that I live in. I have managed to use "ciao" and "grazie" to get through the streets but now it's time to flex my italian language muscle and delve right in. I did order lunch in Milan and do fairly well. I think the waiter found us entertaining, to say the least.
Until next time, ciao!
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