Milano Cookies (were about the only thing we didn't eat in Milan)

Pizza Pizza Pizza.
I think the three of us really needed a great vacation. Not that there is really much to stress us out about in Athens. In fact there really is nothing stressful here, but you know. We came abroad to travel. To enjoy the European life. and that means that some weekends you have to leave your lovely little apartment in Pangrati and go some place new.

In my case I had been to Milan 6 years ago, but remembered little besides the big boulevards lined with amazing stores and cafes, and the Last Supper. As we drove in I remembered it better but I must admit this time was a whole new experience. It rained as we got into the city and the entire first day. This did not slow us down though. Jaynas shoes got water clogged/ destroyed and her poor feet barely made it through.

We got lost for about an hour trying to find our hotel in the rain Thursday night. Our street was basically impossible to find, the hotel directions were not actually directions and we did not have a map. Eventually we made it though, and realized had we come out another exit of the subway we would have seen the sign for our street immediately. One of the hilarities of Milan.

We stayed in a cool area, a little outside the center of the city but surrounded by restaurants, gelato places, and tons of shopping. Our hotel though, was a little sketchy. Every night we would wake up to crazy yelling/ promiscuous behavior/ possible domestic violence. We did not spend tons of time in the hostel though.

We spent most of our time working our legs or our stomachs. I counted 16 pizzas consumed by the 3 of us in a 3 1/2 day period. I wish I were kidding (actually I dont because they were all amazing). I cannot even explain the amazing pizzas we had. Glorious toppings such as: Prosciutto on a lot of them, buffalo mozzarella, carpaccio, spicy salami, ricotta cheese, shrimp, clams, oysters, calamari and many others. Also i had some amazing gnocchi which is my favorite!

We amazingly went into many stores but did not buy anything. Milan makes me want to have unlimited funds so I can pop into ever designer store (or even just Zara) and buy whatever beautiful things I love. There is so much beauty in Milan it is crazy!

We had a very cultural weekend I would say. Each day we managed to investigate some really cool exhibits and museums. We saw three amazing Da Vinci's, including the incredible Last Supper. My favorite part though was when we saw an exhibit exclusively in Milan of photographs taken by National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. I noticed signs with his most famous photo around Milan and insisted we find the exhibition. The show featured his most famous photographs and many others from his travels in the Sudo-Est (Italian for Middle East). I cant even begin to explain how amazing they were. It was one of those things where somehow you are just emotionally impacted by something. I left feeling emotionally drained and fulfilled at the same time. It was incredible.

Italy was all riled up for CHRISTMAS!!!! (as Jayna would exclaim) The city was having and LED festival this weekend so the whole city was geared up with lights decorating just about everything. The lights and the fact that it was the first time the three of us had been cold since..um..April really got us in the Christmas mood. We kept quoting Elf, "SANTA!!! I KNOW HIM!"

Another great adventure happened after we ended up getting to the Last Supper a couple of hours too early (Ill save that story for another time but lets just say Jayna and I lack the common sense needed to understand time zones) and in a fit of hunger (I know youre thinking damn youre actually still hungry? but yes we were still hungry) we made our way to a small grocery and got ourselves prosciutto, a straight out of the oven baguette and some ridiculously cheap sun dried tomatoes. and we sat on weird balls in the street and ate our meals. We got some weird looks but we enjoyed it beyond belief.

We returned home Monday to a very messy Athens. The weekend had brought many intense riots. A year ago a 16 year old was shot by Greek police and it spurred two weeks of intense riots that resulted in the kids studying abroad being sent home early. On Sunday, the anniversary, anarchists, youths and radicals of all kinds took to the streets to march against the police. Of course the march escalated quickly as rioters came prepared with Molotov cocktails, firebombs, flares and fireworks and many other make shift weapons. It doesnt help that the garbage workers of Athens are currently on strike so every sidewalk in Athens is lined with TRASH. (it smells really bad seriously). This whole week riots will continue. I was at Syntagma today (the main square and where the riots have been taking place) and you can still smell teargas in the air and due to the lack of people to clean, it looks like the riot just occurred.

I am being a good girl and not going looking for the craziness. Two Arcadians actually got caught in McDonalds during the start of the riot and they said it was terrifying. Especially because a lot of the sentiments are VERY anti-American.

Okay I have to go to class. I am finishing work for the week (I know it is Tuesday) and planning to relax during my last week of classes. Melissas birthday is on Saturday!!! Should be a great week