Reflections From and About My Grandfather
Alexander Capraro, Architect
Day Nineteen
HOTEL DU PARC
Milano
August 5, 1938 (no letter written Aug.4)
Dear Maude,
Honey I feel blue tonight. I don’t know whether you are to blame or not, but I was terribly disappointed yesterday when I called at the American Express Co. here in Milan and found no mail. However, I was appeased by the information that mail from America was expected today and I went there late today feeling sure some mail would be there for me, but I was to be disappointed again. I am leaving for Venice early in the morning, and I left a forwarding address. You know, it’s about three weeks and I have not heard from you and not withstanding the fact that I am kept busy every minute of the day and night, I am getting lonesome for word from you and the children.
Well, let me tell you a little about Milano. It is almost a border town, being only one hour from Chiaso at the Swiss border. There seems to be quite a mixture here of dark and light-haired people. The women are mostly fair and have blue eyes but are not good-looking generally. Men and women dress about the same as we do at home. Outside of some real old buildings, (I saw a church today with relics in it from 2000 BC), there are decidedly very up-to-date and modern designed buildings here.
Milan skyline: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
One of the places Alex would have visited is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, named after the first king of the Italy. It is one of the world’s oldest shopping malls and is located in central Milan. The Galleria was designed in 1861 and built between 1865 and 1877 by Giuseppe Mengoni.
Photo circa 1880
Galleria: Wikimedia Commons
Night photo at Christmas: Wikimedia Commons
Last night, I attended an open air performance of La Traviata. It was held in the courtyard of an old castle which is big enough to hold 20,000 seats and every one was occupied. It cost 10 lire for admission and the performance was really beautiful.
Today, I went with a regular tour in a sightseeing car and covered the points of interest. Later, I went back to the Duomo di Milano because it is a world-renowned, magnificent structure made all of marble, setback in a large piazza. I spent hours in the place.
Duomo di Milano
I also saw the original painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
Da Vinci’s Last Supper
I miss you a lot and hope I’ll get some news tomorrow. I hope there’s nothing wrong and everyone is feeling well. Goodbye dear, God bless you and the children.
Anxiously waiting for a letter.
I am as ever yours,
Al
Ciao,
Judy
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