六月, 2012: 米蘭， 意大利

I ended up not finding a room near the station. So, it was back to the Hotel Parma. Judging by the crowd (or the lack of) at the motel dining area during breakfast when I was last staying there, I was confident enough there are spare room, so I didn't make reservation ahead. The man at the reception seemed to have forgotten about the episode earlier in the week. Coming back to Milan and the Hotel means I don't have to re-orientate myself to another city. After all there moving around the past week, I need a holiday from my holiday.

The next morning, a Sunday, I went out for a walk around. Nothing touristy. The church, of a very simple and clean design distinct from the grand cathedrals I have been visiting the past week, next to the North Milan Railway station was open for service. There were singing from the usually quiet church.
Next I visited the supermarket, one of my favourite pasttime in a new city. I found out how much I was overcharged for the beer in the Rome restaurant. I also found out Duff Beer exist as an object in our real physical world, and not a fictitious beverage in Springfield of The Simpsons.

I walked down the broad road divider under the leafy canopy, and before long, I was at the arch standing before the park I first visited on my very first evening in Milan.

This being a bright sunny Sunday morning, the park was alive with activities. There was a little fairground,

a sports meet,

and wedding gown photo-taking session. Curiously, all those involved in the photo taking (infront and behind the lenses both) were Chinese. Wonder if they are from the 米蘭攝影 （Milan Studio） I saw in the Chinatown.

There was also what looked like a flash-mob. Although the activities these group of italians were up to was so unfathomable to me, it could very have been any of the follow: soccer practise, futsul practise, cheerleading practise, group dating, doomsday cult gathering.

Is this the result of "Pimp my Ride"?

After midday, I was invited to join in a trip to a Sunday flea market. On the way, I drop by for gelato, always a treat in summer.

Pretty relaxing after that last week. のんびり, のんびり.


 













 
That evening, Italy played England to a 0-0 draw even after extra time. A game so boring I spent most of it dozing off.

The next day, I was still too lethargic to make my way south to Greece. Spent the early half of the day channel surfing with the TV remote. It was only later when I decided this is a waste of vacation time that I got up from bed and made my way to the station.There I got my ticket to Bari.


Once the ticket is printed, that set things into motion. The ferry ticket for the Greek port of Patra was bought online and a room was book for Athen. I set out early the next day. In the mean time, I watch Italian TV. Including a italian-speaking Atomboy, and a telecast of a telethon fund-raising concert for Reggio Emilia.
 
 That's the part was Italy that was recently hit by earthquake.