Day 10 - Saturday, January 13

LEAD 41 had a 5:30 AM hotel departure from Athens, Greece for the airport. Aegean Airlines gave most fellows a new experience with a fun external and double (front and rear door) loading system near the runway.

The class very quickly took off and had glorious cloud accented views of various European Mountain ranges, villages and the Adriatic Sea. Landing in Milan, Italy, views of the Swiss Alps did not disappoint!

After meeting the Italian tour guide, Laura, at the airport, the group quickly loaded the bus and got right into the history of the area.Milan is a growing metropolis in the northern Lombardy region of Italy and easily a global capital of fashion and design. It is also a huge financial hub and home to the national stock exchange. The city also hosts many high-end restaurants and shops.

The class started with a walking tour of the city center followed by a short stint of free time for lunch during which most fellows found pizza and pastas to fill their bellies. While shopping during fashion week, fellows saw an assortment of upscale stores like Prada, Tiffany’s and Rolex, noting the marketing and signage was all in Italian. 

The walking tour included an extraordinary visit to the gothic Duomo di Milano Cathedral, which began being built in 1386 and spanned six centuries. It is dedicated to the nativity of St. Mary. Fellows also visited the Castle Sforzesco, a huge medieval-renaissance fortress with historic museums and art by da Vinci and Michelangelo. An interesting fact that was learned while on the walking tour and researched by our fellow Jamie Bright back in Nebraska was that the Santa Maria Delle Grazie church in Milan was bombed during World War II, but the wall with Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” painting stayed standing, having been carefully protected with scaffolding and sandbags by city officials. Unfortunately, the fellows were not able to see the painting but did see a few other works of art the famous artist worked on during his lifetime. 

Following the walking tour, the evening was spent regrouping and readying for a night walk to supper in the town after checking into the hotel. The class ate at a local Italian restaurant and tried a few of the dishes specific to the region. 

*Today’s blog contributors are Amber Shane and Jamie Bright, in addition to your blog team of Kari Christenson, Jakob Burke and MiK Fox.

Photos

LEAD 41 fellows Easton Eggers and Chris Beerbohm are ready for their early morning flight from Greece to Italy!

Fellows loaded the plane from the tarmac through both the front and rear doors of the plane.

The class began to see the Swiss Alps in the distance as they flew into Milan.

After landing and collecting luggage, fellows then met up with their Italian guide Laura and bus driver Nanni.

A map of the regions of Italy. In Italy, regions are similar to states in the US. Can you spot the region Milan is in?

The walking tour began when the group loaded onto the bus that took them to the city center.

The class’s guide,Laura, explains various features about the Castle Sforzesco during the tour.

The view of the gothic Duomo di Milano Cathedral from front and center in the city square. The sheer size was larger than any the fellows had yet seen on their journey.

Fellows walk past a peaceful protest and noted the similarities to the freedom of speech that Americans have in the US.

Fellows pose inside a fortress that has been converted into modern-day museums.

Risotto was the first course served for dinner!

Fried meat and potatoes were the main entree. This was the closest food to American cuisine many had found thus far!