A Lucky Day in Milan
There are all sorts of superstitions about what brings good luck. Some are corny, others crazy and a few are probably just a way to turn lemons into lemonade! In Milan, according to two of those, one quirky the other lemonade making, I may have garnered enough luck for a lifetime!
From the rooftop of Milan's Duomo
It began in Duomo Square. As we waited for our tour guide, we gazed up at the awe inspiring magnificence of Milan’s many spired cathedral. Flocks of pigeons, scattered by tourists, pecked at the ground around our feet. When shooed away, they took to the sky. Every now and then, one of those pigeons circling overhead showered an unsuspecting tourist or two below with an abundance of “good luck”. Thanks to one of those bluish, gray and white birds, Rosa and I had the start of our lucky day right there in Doumo Square!
I felt something plop on my head. I reached up to check then saw a swath of white poop splatter across Rosa’s shirt and jeans.
Yuck! We cleaned up the best we could and proceeded with the day. The tour of the Duomo’s roof, led by Valeria a native Milanese was fascinating. Who knew Mussolini’s face along with Darth Vader’s were among the many saints and angels atop the seemingly infinite number of pillars and cornices?
From the Duomo, you turn right to enter The Galleria. This historic venue, the first indoor shopping mall in the world, was dedicated to the first king of the newly unified Italy, Victor Emmanuel II, when it was completed in 1877.
The Galleria in Milan on Duomo Square
It’s soaring ceiling and stained glass windows, not unlike those of an historic cathedral, pay homage to the god of commerce. Restaurants and gelaterias share the four corriders of the cross-shaped space with all the finest names you’d find on New York’s 5th Avenue.
My friends Sharon and Bruce, while Bruce looks for gelato!
In the very center, under a bright stained glass dome there is a large mosaic featuring a bull. We watched with curiosity as first one, then another, tourist stepped onto the emblem and spun around. “For good luck,” we were told, “you grind your right heel into the well-worn balls of the bull, make a wish and spin three times to your right.” Rosa and I, already collecting lots of good luck that day, couldn’t miss a chance to take a spin!
Rosa spins for good luck