Wednesday, 6 February, 2019
Still no connection to our HUDL app, so I opted to board the train to Milano with the thought of exploring a new neighborhood in the Lombardia capital.
Across the street from the Varese Nord
train station are these statues atop
a Post Office building
They never cease to draw my attention.
Once in Milano's Cadorna station, I got on the Metro's Red Line for the short ride to the Palestro exit.
The Bear family was having lunch
in this Palestro station ristorante
This was my first time at this particular Metro stop and when I popped up onto street level, I was surprised to be confronted by a large public park.
It was the Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli
But what is that building just inside the park's beckoning gateway?
Why, I'm not sure but it is
quite majestic don't you think?
Aha! It is Milano's
Natural History Museum!
While not on my day's agenda, it did spark my interest. Perhaps if there was time later on I would tour this educational museum.
Stoppani?
Isn't that our new Skorpion LB by way of the Evil Empire, the Bergamo Lions?
Ruggiero Giuseppe Boscovich
A mathematical physicist, astronomer, philosopher, diplomat and poet
He really should have paid more attention to his school work as a youth.
The Ulrico Hoepli Planetarium
It is one of my go-to book's, 111 Places in Milan that You Must Not Miss, places to visit but it closed in about 15 minutes so I'll have to come back another time to explore it.
I would visit a few other hidden gems mentioned in this book later in the day.
I'm not sure who this scholarly
gentleman might be
Perhaps it was Charles Darwin?
Same hairline and same beard methinks.
It was time to leave the park in search of a few more of Milano's hidden gems.
No, this apparent PETA second hand
store was not one of them
Is this the same Sportsman as the
iconic spot in Ventura, California?
The area around the Palestro Metro stop struck me with its one obvious trademark.
It has amazingly large, powerful, creative architecture everywhere you looked.
Like this residential edifice with . . .
. . . two powerful women standing
watch above the entryway
The Palazzo Berri-Meregalli
Designed by architect Giulio Ulisse Arata, it has a definite Antoni Gaudí flavor with its combination Romanesque-revival and Art-Noveau styles.
Window grating with lions
Artsy entryway
Further down the same block I found . . .
Another reminder of our Rams' loss in
Super Bowl LIII last Monday morning
Now, for today's first hidden gem.
#105 Villa Invernizzi
A courtyard of flamingos
This villa is the house of the founder of the famous Italian Milo soft cheese company.
Truly unexpected in February in chilly northern Italy, the villa is populated by a group of flamingos.
In central Milano, who knew?
#9 Ca' dell'Oreggia
The ear-shaped intercom
This bronze ear-shaped intercom is found next to the front door of an apartment building.
It was the creation of one Adolf Wildt and over the years, it became the focus of countless urban legends.
One was that the ear would grant your wishes if they were whispered into it and you went unnoticed by anyone while in the act.
Eclectic.
Part building,
part living garden
Lions
Hard to see in the shadows but
I liked the polychrome figures
Is that a Ram sucking on
an exhaust pipe?
Did I mention the architecture
in this area of Milano?
Amazing . . .
After a prosciutto calzone,
I decided to go back and tour
the Natural History Museum
SKORPIONS
As you may know, I have coached the Varese Skorpions in both 2018 and again this season of 2019.
Why did I suddenly get the urge
to walk a 500 mile pilgrimage?
Weird looking fossil
A more traditional fossil
TRICERATOPS IN THE HOUSE!
T. Rex
Is that an extremely rare intercostal clavicle I spy?
Those jaws are intimidating
I'm handsome and I know it!
I coached the Swiss Thun Tigers
in 2012 . . .
. . . and France's Buon-Villeurbanne
Falcons in the 2012-13 season . . .
. . . not to mention Spain's Osos Rivas
in the Fall of 2016 . . .
. . . of course, all of my EuroBall
experiences started with Sicily's
Catania Elephants in 2008 and 2009
Unfortunately, I didn't see any Cobras (Murcia, Spain, 2015) on display in the museum.
This museum also did not have offer any information on my other two EuroBall coaching stops. I could not find anything about either Warriors (Wäsby, Sweden 2016 and 2017) or about Hurricanes (Hässleholm, Sweden, 2010).
After my worthwhile visit to this excellent museum, I was off to visit one more hidden gem located one short Metro stop from the museum in the San Babila district where I found . . .
. . . more bold architecture on display
#81 Santa Maria della Passione
The solemn music of the twin organs
The best time to visit this magnificent chiesa, second in size in Milano's enormous church scene to only the Duomo, is during vespers when the famed twin organs are in all of their glory.
Unfortunately, vespers are evening prayers traditionally said at sunset. As you can see from this photo, sunset was a long ways off.
I did find a list of weekend organ concerts in the church, so I look to return when the Skorpions schedule allows.
Great façade
Wait, could that be my missing
Cobra at the Holy Water fount?
A beautiful cupola
The newer organ to the left of
the Main Altar
It has been in this church since the 17th-century and is the newer of the two featured organs.
The older organ to the right of
the Main Altar
This one dates back to the last half of the 16th-century.
The Main Altar
An unnamed saint
One last look at the façade
proved of interest to me
Another fascinating building
entrance on the street next to
Santa Maria della Passione
Once again, Milano proved to be an amazing, surprising, vibrant city today even in my second year here.
As for the 111 Places in Milan that You Must Not Miss, after today it is now 49 down and 62 still to go.
Will I have enough time to see them all by the end of the season?
No comments:
Post a Comment