Milan

I had a single day for Milan and by the time I got there I was a little tired of tourist activities. I did, of course, take the time to go see the Duomo, but didn't really do much else, so for this entry I will simply point out a couple things I noticed walking around the city, the best part of which really was soaking my hot and aching feet in a cool fountain in front of the Castello Sforzesco, a major tourist attraction/museum complex.

Two-wheeled vehicles

In Milan there are lots of two-wheeled conveyances, ridden by businessmen, deliverymen, everyone really. One does not necessarily expect to see so many scooters in a city that seems to be fairly wealthy. Of course, with gas around $8 a gallon and beautiful weather, why not? The motorcycles and motor-scooters on display range from Harleys, to BMWs, scooters with roofs (see picture), you name it. All were pretty nice though; style is important in Milan, so everyone rides a nice looking vehicle...even if it is just a scooter. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many women walking around carrying motorcycle helmets...but mind you, these aren't tattooed, overweight, chain-smoking, leather and jean clad women...the motorcycle babes in Milan were, well, pretty hot.

Dogs

It wasn't so much that there were lots of dogs in Milan, it was that they were in the restaurants I went in to. When I stopped at a McDonald's for an ice cream, (I ate at McDonald's more in this three-week trip, than I did in the past year at home...but this is a common phenomenon when I travel.), a man allowed his dog to bark for several minutes as he sat there slowly sipping his coffee alone. Unbelievable. But then, in places like Italy where the fertility rate is so low, dogs are the new children. And it's considered more or less acceptable for a child to cry in public, so why can't a dog bark? Of course, I think it's not only ridiculous that an animal (particularly one that eats its own feces) be allowed into a restaurant, but also amazing that it would be permitted by the management to sit there in bark incessantly. And there was management nearby in a position to have said something...this was Milan: a shirt and tie clad employee was standing at the doorway of the restaurant. Ah well, it guess it was my choice to eat there.

Costs

Of course, I have to point out the fact that I paid the equivalent of $21 for a piece of pizza (it was a large piece however) and a half liter of Coke. This was not at a restaurant on the main drag or anything, just a normal cafe outside my $30 a night hostel, a 30 minute walk from the main sights in town. I'm really not sure how people afford to live in these places. The pizza was excellent.