Binnacle. Part VI. Milan.

I had arrived to Milan in the morning, weather was perfect, just like Spain. I went through a 14 hour journey, sleeping 10 hours without being interrupted, magnificent. My natural sleeping position became lying on the seat of a coach. I hope to get used to sleeping in a mattress again.

I bought a day travelcard to go from the bus station to they city centre. I had talked to a good-old colleague from my times as a Londoner to let me know what to see in the city. I walked around the centre, to the Cathedral, the well-known "Duomo" and to the Milan Royal Palace. It wasn't that of a big deal, but those were secondary sights, two sacred places were awaiting.

From there, I walked on to Sempione Park, Sempione Arc (Risen by Napoleon) and to the Sforzesco Castle (Entrance free!), everything around the city centre. Like the Duomo, they were not that impressing. There isn't much stuff to see in Milan, is not like Florence or Rome, is the business capital of Italy. Remembered me of a not-so-gray Manchester. Quick stop to grab a Panini, food in Milan was really decent.

Next stop was the Saint Mary Full of Grace Church, famous for being the home of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper". I strongly recommend to book in advance a visit to this place when coming to Milan, that way you avoid queuing the way I did. The painting itself impresses due to its historical meaning, but if you're not an art geek (I'm definitely not!), is just about 13 guys sitting around a table. Yep, I've just destroyed "The Last Supper".

From there, I took the tube to the place which was the real motive of my visit, San Siro Stadium, holy ground of world football. First, the outside of the stadium, impressing, imposing itself over the neighbourhood. The inside was equally impressing. The changing rooms are nice as well, both Inter and AC Milan have their own changing room, the kids (And I!) were fighting to get a photo in Balotelli's seat. Balotelli is amazing. Balotelli is God. Top Lad. Football could be breathen around San Siro (Miscalled Giuseppe Meazza). The stadium museum was nice as well, Inter's side of the museum should be a small dormitory next to Milan's side. As I entered, ManUnited's hymn was being played through speakers, next was Barcelona's and then I heard "Athleeeeeeeeeeeeeetic! Eup!", my heartbeat was rising, it was as close as a heartattack I've felt in 2013 so far. It was the hymn of Athletic Club de Bilbao, is something you cannot understand, is something you just feel. Later on they played Sevilla's centenary hymn, the most beautiful song in football history, objectivelywise.

Food and battery charge where then a problem, needed a place to "eat&charge", food was just getting better in every place. Just like England, do you feel the sarcasm?. I went back to speaking Italian while I was in Milano, back to my mix of Italian-Spanish-Sign language. I had lost fluency when talking, but I was still able to understand everything. Generally, people wasn't able to speak English at a decent level in Milan. English level in Austria and Germany was decent, Switzerland's was logically magnificent, Italy's remembered me of Spain's. That's it.

I liked Italy in general lines, I would travel around Italy from north to south. Italy is like Spain in many ways, but with less potatoes, more tomatoes and speaking Italian. I liked it more than England or France, to put in example. Still, judging from Milano and talking about Italy as a whole is somehow subjective. Independence for Lombardia. Yet, is current situation is not that good, and it has the same problems every "Latin" society has, those same problems that eventually would lead me to move to Munich, Copenhagen or Zurich.

I had to sleep at Bergamo's Airport, no plugs available until 4:00 am. My flight was at 7:00 am. Destination: Santander.