Brera is the arts district of Milan in Italy. The streets are lined with great restaurants, galleries and street vendors. At night women set up tables outside and read people’s fortunes with tarot cards and other mystical devices. This cigar smoking seer caught my eye. You can buy a print of this one and see others at my commercial gallery.
Brera Fortune Teller
A great place to dine in Milan is in the Brera which is one of the arts districts in the City. It was not far from our hotel and i asked the Concierge if it was safe to walk and he assured me it was. We had a lovely dinner and walking back we saw this young coed walking by herself through the streets and realized it surely must be safe. You can buy a print of this one or see others on my European Gallery by clicking here.
Brera at Night
The first enclosed shopping mall in the world is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan Italy. It was designed and constructed by Giuseppe Mengoni and construction was finished in 1877. It is named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy.It is adjacent to the Cathedral Santa Maria Nascente or as it is commonly called Duomo di Milano and many visitors may miss the Galleria while scurrying to the Cathedral. The galleria is a work of art and in its center there is a mosaic tile of a bull. The tradition is that if you spin on the balls of the bull, it will bring you luck. People line up to spin on the bull’s balls which no longer exist and have been replaced by a permanent hole in the mosaic. They try to fix it periodically, but the poor bull cannot survive this testicular abuse. You can purchase a print of this image and see others at my European gallery by clicking here.
Americans have some dates burned in their memory. September 11 and December 6 are two notorious dates where Americans were attacked, killed and suffered extreme hardships. It is important as Americans to remember these dates and honor the fallen. However, as citizens of the world we MUST remember today as well because it is the 74th anniversary of Kristallnacht. Tonight were the first attacks on Jewish homes in Germany. At least 91 Jews were killed in the attacks, and a further 30,000 arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps. Jewish homes, hospitals, and schools were ransacked, over 1,000 synagogues were burned and Jewish businesses destroyed or damaged. Millions of others experienced death and torture by the lunatic Hitler. We must never forget and always honor this day. Things are much better in Europe now for Jewish people that have remained or returned over all these years. However, last year when visiting Italy I saw it was still necessary for soldiers to guard the synagogue in Milan and heavy fences kept out even curious tourists like myself.
Please visit my gallery to see other, more uplifting images of Europe. Click here.
Synagogue in Milan Italy
If you drive to Lake Como or take a Bus or Boat you might miss this great scene. This is the side of a sculpture you see as descending the stairs from the Lake Como Train Station. It is called the Monumento ai Caduti per Servicio and dedicated to disabled service people. It was created by Francesco Somaini and is actually a sculpture of two hands but from this angle it looks like the City is waving hello. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
In the center of Milan is Il Duomo di Milano which is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. It seems to me that most of the Cathedrals that I have visited are hosts to crowds of people and flocks of pigeons. Milan is no different, beggars will sell you food to feed the pigeons and although I personally don’t feed the birds, there is no shortage of people who seem to find this practice exciting and entertaining. You can buy this and other prints from my European collection by clicking here.
Pigeons of Il Duomo
One thing you can never forget while traveling through Italy is that it is indeed a Catholic country. The city of Milan is covered with graffiti as I have commented in other posts but there is not a single drop of paint on any church. I really believe that that this is because graffiti artists are too respectful of their religion and gang bangers are too scared. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial site by clicking here.
At Prayer in Milano Italy
In the center of Milan is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nascente also known as the Milan Cathedral and Il Duomo Milano. It seems that outside every major european cathedral you will find a group of pigeon Handlers and peddlers selling corn or pigeon food to tourists. I personally don’t touch pigeons, although I have eaten a couple. I worry about disease and such. In this picture you can see a spectrum of human emotions; fear, excitement,wonder and terror. You can buy a print of this on my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Pigeon People
t was a very hot afternoon in Milan Italy. The sun was relentless and around 3 PM we headed back to our hotel after a rough day of touring. As we neared the Westin Palace Milano we came across a fashion photography shoot on the street. The crew was yelling at each other, maybe because of the heat or maybe just ineptitude. The model looked hot, flabbergasted and near passing out as she waited for the photographer. Last week I posted what I thought was the best of this series . However, I like this one also because her facial expression shows how she really feels about the whole situation. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial site by clicking here.
It was a very hot afternoon in Milan Italy. The sun was relentless and around 3 PM we headed back to our hotel after a rough day of touring. As we neared the Westin Palace Milano we came across a fashion photography shoot on the street. The crew was yelling at each other, maybe because of the heat or maybe just ineptitude. The model looked hot, flabbergasted and near passing out as she waited for the photographer. This gave me an opportunity to jump in front of the crew and get about 5 shots. This is the best one and you can purchase a copy of this image at my commercial site by clicking here.
The Model and the Cyclist