Cow Parade and Milan

I leave by train from Racconigi to Milan, I arrive and I'm ready for the Cow Parade, the exhibition of cows painted by various artists and scattered around Milan. The day in Milan is hot and there are lots of people around. We take the metro to the Duomo and in the square I photograph the few cows there are. The square is full of tourists and above all Japanese..... In the Galleria Vittorio and Piazza della Scala there are other cows, more or less beautiful. We walk the whole long street that leads from the Duomo to Piazza Castello (Sforzesco) and along the way all the bars and shops are open. Between the crowd and the cows we reach the castle and stop for some photos inside too. The medieval castle is very large and very beautiful, it has lovely gardens and there are guided tours. Further on there is Parco Sempione, the sun is warm and the park has its own harmony and beauty.

Lots of people sunbathe on the lawns of the park, some jog or cycle along the many paths of the park. Families gathered for picnics, couples tucked away, people walking their dogs and children playing and running around the park, as well as a few tramps sleeping on the benches. The park is a green lung of Milan and in spring or summer people monopolise it to spend hours in the sun and among the greenery. Inside there are kiosks and bars, rides for children and small ponds. We reach the end of the park where there is an exhibition whose advertising sign is an enormous suspended floating balloon in human form (naked). We turn back and go to lunch at Pastarito e Pizzarito. The afternoon is hot and we climb onto the roof of the Duomo to enjoy the view and the art of the Milanese cathedral. Many tourists, few Italians.

We take some photos on the Duomo too and we would have liked to do the panoramic tour of the city on the open-top tourist buses but I'd say 15 euros per person is too much!!!! In the square next to the Duomo there is an art exhibition whose advertising sign is an enormous human skeleton lying down and fenced off, the only particular note being the skeleton's nose (Pinocchio). All the shops and bars are open and many people take the opportunity to go shopping. In Via Vittorio there are other Cow Parade cows and even a belly dancer performing. At the end of the street there is the hull of Mascalzone Latino on display among cows and curious people...... The day is over and we head back to the station by metro.

Unfortunately we couldn't see all the works of the Cow Parade as they were very spread out and on the train we head home tired; looking back at the photos it wasn't such a bad day after all!!!