My week in Milan went by so quickly. I was able to meet up with my cousin Fabio and his wife Sisi and we enjoyed wonderful meals together. It was great talking about family and reminisce about life experiences. I was also determined to walk every day as much as possible to discover all this wonderful city has to offer. Watching people strut their fashion, especially at Piazza del Duomo, was an experience. I could sit there for hours just watching the fashion show😁.

I made my way to Sforza Castle, walked through Park Sempione and I got to see the changing leaves.

At the end of my walk through the park, I got to see the Arco della Pace (Arch of Peace) built in 1807.

Milan is a mix of historical and modern and you see this as you walk the city.  I really liked the historical views.

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  Brera District

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  Exhibit of Sebastião Salgado at Fabbrica di Vapore

As my week in Milan ended, the shops started to get ready for Christmas. It was fun seeing the changes happening overnight.

And so I come to the end of my adventures here in Italy. I spent a total of 47 days travelling by plane, train, automobile, bus and boat, connecting with family, making new friends and soaking up the Italian life style. What did I discover? I learned to try to live life fully each day and not to stress about tomorrow. I learned to walk, walk, and walk some more for pleasure, not to just record steps on a smart watch (which I have decided to no longer wear). I learned to accept that some days it’s ok to feel sad for family lost or to just take a day for myself. I learned that I don’t like going on formal tours and that I am quite capable of just travelling on my own and, with the internet, making last minute plans or changes is a breeze. I learned that visiting new cities and experiencing their way of living means talking and engaging with the locals and not just doing the standard tourist things. But most of all, I learned that the best part of travelling to Italy was spending time with family. Family is everything and makes every day better. Whether it is family related by blood or those special people that you choose to be family. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat and I plan to do it again every year for as long as I am able.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my travels and seeing my photos! And for anyone inspired to travel to Italy, go for it.