After lunch overlooking Duomo, we strolled a bit – actually, a lot – around the central city, as we meandered our way (well, Giulia was meandering, we were flat out lost) toward the museums at the castle.

BTW, 90% of the non-guitar photos of our travelogue were taken by Jaci with her little automatic 8meg Canon.  Nice, huh?  Some random examples:

Yes, mimes are alive and well in Milan.

The fashion district.  This went out and on – all the famous brands, plus many more outside my limited orbit.  Most had a private butler manning the door.

The women enjoyed the window treatments.

Sorry, Mom, but I declined to bring you back a 4000 euro handbag.

If you think we were going to get out of the pet fashion store without spending the equivalent of our dogs’ college education, you don’t know my wife. (PS: In case you forgot, this is Franco’s granddaughter Giulia in all these photos)

OK, we can see all that on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills…we’re more into the historical aspects and old architecture.

Long cast iron grates covering the city’s functional operations below.

Cool doors.

Jaci really loves this stuff.

So do I – I could live in a neighborhood like this!

Yes, besides doors and manhole covers, Jaci zealously snapped photos of every pooch we came across on the trip (surely in the millions) – because “the breeds are a bit different than they are in the States.”  In any event, I thought this one was pretty cool.

More of those fun construction projects “disguised” with elaborate tarp-like coverings that depicted the planned result – sometimes in realistic black & white graphics…

… sometimes as simple bold outlines that seemed to be begging for attention from a giant baby with a Costco-size set of Crayolas.

Just getting a taste of different Milanese architecture and style.

A random, more regulation-size church…

…and one in a completely different style.

A courtyard of some palace unknown (to us), though clearly a tourist’s stop.  We didn’t learn the identity of the central statue, nor the Tinkerbell-like fairy perched on his arm.

Just a taste – you’re welcome to come over and we’ll do a slide show of another thousand shots…meanwhile:

Next time: The collections at Castello Sforzesco! (like I could possibly pronounce that)

You can also go back and begin at the start of our 2012 Italian adventure here: Another Genoese Feast, with a Side Dish of Milan