Our Creative Adventure- Milan

Some of you might know a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to share one of my favorite places, Italy, and one of my favorite experience/memories, La Dolce Vita Retreat, with 6 of my friends from Paper Crown. I was doubly blessed to be able to go to the retreat for a second time and to introduce this huge adventure to my friends and create some of my most treasured memories with them.

I'll try to keep these posts fairly short and not bore everyone with a zillion pictures but I do want to show you what our trip was like and hopefully inspire some of you to do the same or a similar trip/ retreat. The places you will see, cultures you will experience and art you will create are absolutely amazing but honestly the shared experiences with friends and new and enhanced friendships are what I hold in my heart and will treasure always.

We all left very early one Wednesday morning, full of excitement and too much luggage. After a short stop in big D and Miami, where the trip almost came to a quick halt when we were all late for our plane and Timi was no where on board, we crossed the ocean and arrived very, very early the next day in Milan.


We arrive in Milan at 6:00 am, excited but very tired. I knew that in order to beat the jet lag, we had to stay awake the entire day so we hit the ground - literally and then stumbled on for rest of the very long day. Our first stop was navigating the metro so we could replace a broken camera. It was then off to a day of sights and an occasional yawn or two.

 

The Beautiful Cathedral of Milan or The Duomo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going on at least 24 hours without sleep but doing pretty well! It was one of our most grueling days but everyone had a smile.

 

The Gallery of Vittorio Emanuele- the oldest, most beautiful and prestigious "mall." Instead of Claire's, Dillards and food courts it houses Prada, Gucci and Vuitton  and GELATO!

 

 

 

 

The elegant La Scala Opera House and Musuem

Gorgeous opera costumes on display. Girdie needs that crown

The Sforza Castle and gardens built in the 18th century.  Now you can get married here- can you imagine!

 

 

Sister pic with Peggy and J'ana

 

The gardens at the Sforza Castle were beautiful but maybe a little too peaceful for a tired group of girls.

Mermaid girls, Angie and Nicole, we thought of ya'll when we saw this!

The next morning these two beautiful mosaics were in the tiny courtyard next to the bakery where we had breakfast. It was perfect because our next stop was Venice but first- the Milan train station and mastering the train.