January 11, 2014

Gabriel was a no-show this morning at 10:00.  We thought back, and realized that the fashion after-show party he was DJ-ing last night was probably winding down just about now.  It was ambitious of him to say he'd be here at 10.  He called later and said he had a fever.  We smiled.  As in Saturday Night Fever.  No worries, now we know the way to the cool stuff via the trena.

So we set off.  Jack wants to see the inside of the Duomo,  the honkin' big church with all the naked marble people hanging around the sides of it.  As we approached the entrance, it was just like when Superman got close to Kryptonite.  The Catholic guilt-rays were in full force on me.

Reverent, respectful American touristas

Now - there's an Italian security line you have to go through to get into the church.  There's no metal detector, but they do look through your purse, and no, you can't bring luggage into the church.  But before that, there's a priest in a long black coat with a priest-hat that inspects prospective visitors.  I didn't pass.  He points at me and then points at a poster.  I stare at it dumbly.  Jack is very helpful - he says, "No short skirts in the church!"  Ohhh.  The priest is actually very nice and says my short skirt doesn't bother him at all, it's just policy.  Would I  mind buttoning my long coat for my visit inside the Duomo?  Ohhh.  In we go after the compliant buttoning.

It's dark and creepy in there.  I can't imagine how creepy it must have been before electric lights.

Very dark and creepy.

And huge.  There's a stairway you can take below the main floor to see someone's crypt.  Jack asked if I wanted to go down to see it?  I just looked at him.  We get into the Duomo right about noon and a priest-guy (not sure) got up on the main podium and started singing a litany that would probably mean something to someone but not me.

A honkin’ big pipe organ for a honkin’ big church.

The most interesting thing I saw inside the Duomo was something I couldn't identify on the marble columns.  It looked like a small electrical box but it wasn't.  It was maybe from the 50's, about 4 inches wide and 6 inches long, 4 inches deep.  They were on nearly every column.  Not cathodic protection, not a GFI, not a lightning arrestor, what was it?  The Mystery of the Duomo.

What the heck is this thing?

I did see lots of twenty-first century grounding connections.  Evidently for external power supplies like cameras and such.

We took a taxi to a church that houses The Last Supper, and you can't just walk in there like we did  at the Duomo.  You have to buy tickets in advance. Know how we knew?  Because we showed up.  Also, you can't buy tickets there to see TLS, for the next day, next week, or next year.  You have to call.  Crimony!

But you know what else is nearby?  The Museo Nazionale Della Scienza e Della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci!  It's a huge museum with only a small portion devoted to Leonardo.  Did I say small portion?  I'm guessing about a 5-acre field's worth.

There were miniature replicas of about 20 of his designs.  Everything from a movable, portable bridge to a printing press, to a warship with a hidden ramming spear.  I loved it.  Loved it even though my foot was killing me.  Loved it past the point where Jack gave out and had to find a place to sit down.  Ahh, geeky engineering is me!  Leonardo, if I could but channel a gnat's ass of your genius!  Mamma mia!

We caught a cab home.  I may be a geeky engineer, but there's no way in the world I could be a driver, let alone a cab driver, in Milan.  We made it home safely, but I have no idea how.  I couldn't watch.  : )