Arrivaderci, Milano! On our final day in this city, we went back to the Duomo area for more sightseeing. We went inside the cathedral, and sat in the pews and admired the stained glass windows. My favorites are always the ones that use very rich, vibrant hues of royal blue, magenta, and red. These patterns in these windows were in more of an Oriental, or perhaps Greek Orthodox, style. We peeked into the basement treasury, a dark, airless room with short red marble colonnades and hung lamps. The treasury houses the cathedral's relic collection. It was possible to climb a narrow spiral staircase to the very top of the cathedral, and so we were able to walk next to the Duomo's white carved marble buttresses, and along the 'spine' of the cathedral's long, peaked roof. From here, we could see the patterned piazza and fountain below, as well as much of Milano's burnt-orange-roofed buildings.

Off the Duomo piazza, there is an avenue that is covered by an arched glass ceiling. This mall is filled with high-end stores, and we stopped in several, though we did not ultimately buy anything. We had lunch in one of the enclosed, outdoor restaurants there. I had a glass of chianti to go with my wild mushroom pizza, though I now wish that I had ordered a gnocchi or pasta with a cream-based sauce.

Our table was perfect for people-watching. Gorgeous Italian couples in matching outfits, school groups, the occasional man riding a bicycle with a tiny yapping dog in the front basket, etc. The best part was seeing older Italian women, who all wear makeup and high heels of some sort and always style their hair even if it has gone completely white, walking together from the Duomo piazza. We saw several groups of two or three women walking arm in arm, closely, as if they had been friends for decades. They were all smiling and chatting and window-shopping and otherwise enjoying their afternoon strolls.

Later, at an outdoor cafe facing the Duomo cathedral, I had one scoop of cinnamon gelato, and another of rich chocolate, to go with my espresso. I'm so full right now!

Young Italian women and men are gorgeous, and utterly fashionable. I might have mentioned this before, but the men aren't afraid to have long, extremely styled hair, or wear scarves with tees, or wear skinny jeans with fitted blazers, pencil ties, and plastic glasses.

Christine and I probably make for unusual tourists. We don't dress like typical Americans, and we don't look like typical Americans either. Christine is fair and has a short platinum blond hair cut in a pixie style. She dresses like a trendy Northern European, perhaps like a design-conscious Dane or Swede, in a beautiful bold graphic style. I am tan, and look very Indian, and have very long black hair. I usually wear flowy printed scarves, and skirts if the weather allows, and tall boots. People always turn to stare, and look very surprised, when we speak to each other in our American accents.

We're in the train right now, and dusk has brought out a bright yellowish Jupiter in the West. The route from Milano to Zurich curves along lakes and the Alps. Cypress trees line the tracks, while pine trees cover the surrounding mountains, which set black sillouettes against the royal blue sky.