Cathedral – Maldo Travels https://www.maldotravels.com Travel - Learn - Share Fri, 29 Apr 2022 12:13:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.maldotravels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Favicon-Black.png Cathedral – Maldo Travels https://www.maldotravels.com 32 32 Milan – Art, Culture and a Fashion Capital https://www.maldotravels.com/europe/milan-art-culture-and-a-fashion-capital/ https://www.maldotravels.com/europe/milan-art-culture-and-a-fashion-capital/#respond Mon, 22 Apr 2019 22:38:28 +0000 http://54.211.235.180/?p=6384

For the UK Easter break, we decided to go on a 4-day getaway to Milan. It’s a short 2-hour flight from London and we arrived at Malpensa Airport at around 10 AM. It’s a small airport so we got through customs quickly and were out by 10.20 AM. The train station is a short 5-minute walk away and buses to the city center are also available at the terminal. Buses cost 8 EUR1 and the train is 13 EUR. We decided to take the train and got on the 10.30 AM train to Milano Centrale. The onboard ticket man was very friendly and recommended us to get a daily travel card which cost 4.50 EUR to get around in the city. He also said we could touch and go using contactless credit cards. The train ride to Milano Centrale took about an hour so we got there at around 11.30 AM. The station is huge and there are no ticket barriers to exit so you just make your way out. From the station, we decided to walk to our Airbnb2 near Duomo since we had time to spare before our check-in time slot. It should take about 45 minutes to walk but we made several stops for pictures so it took us 1 hour 30 minutes. On the way, we walked through Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli which is a garden where the natural history museum is. We also came across the shopping district which has several Gallerias which are like shopping malls.

We got to our Airbnb at around 1 PM and after settling in we went looking for food. We soon found out that most of the local places close the kitchen between 2-3 PM. We managed to find a place that said they could serve us if we ordered quickly. After lunch, we headed to the historic city center. The main site is the Duomo and it is a truly magnificent cathedral. The building is huge and it has many columns all with great detail. The plaza also covers a large area and is great for pictures. We walked around the area and got back to the Airbnb by 7 PM.

Our next two days we took day trips to Como and Verona which you can find out more about from the links. On our last day, our flight was at 8 PM so we explored the city throughout the day. In the morning, we went to Sempione Park which is one of the biggest in Milan. We got off at the Cardona metro station and walked towards Castello Sforzesco which serves as an entrance to the park. It is free to enter the open areas of the castle and tickets are available for the museum. The park has gardens and a lake which make for a picturesque walk. We walked through the park and got to the Arco della Pace which is an arch dedicated to peace. From here, we went to get lunch and then to the Duomo.

There are several tickets available to visit the inside of the Duomo; cathedral only, cathedral plus stairs to the top, or cathedral plus lift to the top. We chose the ticket with lift access and it cost 37 EUR. Tickets can be bought online or at the ticket office. The queue for the lift was quite long and we waited for about 30 minutes. The stairs queue was practically empty so it would have been quicker and cheaper to go by stairs. Also, the lift entrance is around the back of the Duomo. Once inside, the lift takes you to the terrace area. The level of detail in the stonework is mesmerizing and there are several balconies that make for great pictures. You walk across the terrace to the front and climb a couple of stairs to get to the top. More impressive views from here and you can walk over to the other end of the cathedral. Watch your footing as some of the stonework can be slippery. Once we were done, we headed down to visit the inside of the cathedral.

The inside is massive and there are many tall columns throughout. It’s very gothic in style and nice to walk around. At the entrance of the cathedral, there are some stairs which lead underground. Here you’ll see some tombs and the original baptism pool. This is a museum-like area and there are several artifacts on display. When finished with this, the ticket also gives you access to the museum opposite the Duomo. Do keep in mind that the museum closes at 6 but the last entry is at 5 PM. So we couldn’t get in as we got there at 5.10 PM. Following the Duomo, we went for a quick walk around the area and came across the Leonardo da Vinci statue. From here we then headed to the airport for our flight back to London.

]]> https://www.maldotravels.com/europe/milan-art-culture-and-a-fashion-capital/feed/ 0 Cuenca – Beautiful Colonial City https://www.maldotravels.com/south-america/cuenca-beautiful-colonial-city/ https://www.maldotravels.com/south-america/cuenca-beautiful-colonial-city/#respond Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:25:33 +0000 http://3.8.116.40/?p=2407

The capital city of the Azuay province is approximately an 8-hour bus ride south of Quito. A 50-minute flight is also an option, however, the Cuenca airport is notorious for being in a windy location causing many delays and cancellations due to weather. We made our way down to Cuenca from the ruins of Ingapirca which is about 1-hour 30-miunutes away. If you take a bus or drive there, you’ll likely arrive before dusk so it’s a good idea to catch the sunset at a viewpoint. The Mirador de Turi is a great viewpoint for this with a panoramic view of the red-topped buildings of Cuenca. There are also a few bars and restaurants at the viewpoint to get something to eat.

Throughout the day, Cuenca has many plazas, churches, and museums to explore in its historic city center. The city is also well known for the arts and has produced many famous Ecuadorian writers, poets, and artists. The new cathedral, Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion, was completed in 1975 and replaced the old cathedral which is now a museum. Both are located in the main plaza of Parque Calderon. The new cathedral has a neo-gothic style with a marble interior and three iconic white and blue domes.

Around the corner from the new cathedral is the popular Plaza de las Flores. This flower market is located outside another smaller colonial church, La Iglesia El Carmen de la Asuncion or El Santuario Mariano which is also worth a quick visit to. This small church is over 100 years old and is so well preserved that walking into it feels like going back in time.

Walking away from the colonial cobblestoned historic city center of Cuenca, you can see painted murals and eventually reach the modern Museum of Pumapungo. This museum not only exhibits the history and culture of Cuenca but is also located next to an archaeological site of Incan ruins. The museum is very well organized to showcase different periods of Cuenca’s people and history. One of my favorite sections was the numismatic room in the basement. Here you can travel through history by observing the currencies that Ecuador had used before the US Dollar.

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